Risk professionals must prioritise culture and collaboration, say AIRMIC panel
Risk professionals must increasingly navigate a complex and interconnected landscape, focusing on judgement, integration, and influence rather than simply expanding team size, according to speakers at the AIRMIC Risk Forum in London.
The panel, hosted by Alex Frost, chief commercial officer at AIRMIC, featured Sally Starr, group risk manager at AHK Group, and Matthew McEwan, risk management director at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. Frost highlighted the evolving demands on the profession, emphasising that growing risk teams alone is insufficient to meet modern challenges.
Starr outlined the operational and reputational risks facing AHK Group, a company providing inspection and analysis services to global metals, minerals, and agricultural markets. She explained that the organisation’s risk function was established in response to a high-profile industry fraud case and that operational fraud remains a key concern. “Fraud isn’t something we can ever fully prevent,” she said. “Our most effective control is our culture.” Starr described how AHK has evolved by diffusing responsibility for risk management across the organisation, leveraging internal expertise, and integrating risk processes with other business functions.
McEwan discussed the wide-ranging risks at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, which operates 100 factories and employs 40,000 people across 31 markets. He highlighted both short-term operational risks and long-term strategic threats, including climate-related challenges such as water scarcity and geopolitical uncertainty. He stressed that risk managers must prioritise, adapt, and stay relevant in a rapidly shifting environment. “There’s a tsunami of information to deal with,” he said. “Risk professionals must touch on subjects from biodiversity to geo-economic security.”
Both panellists praised AIRMIC for supporting the profession through knowledge sharing, guidance, and networking opportunities. McEwan described it as a “comfort blanket,” providing practical tools and forums to connect with peers, while Starr emphasised its role in keeping risk professionals forward-thinking amid a volatile global landscape.
The session underscored a consensus: in an era of complex, interdependent risks, effective risk management relies on culture, collaboration, and adaptability, rather than merely adding headcount.
Did you get value from this story? Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories like this sent straight to your inbox.
