Talent, innovation are keys to navigating rising uncertainty: AIRMIC CEO Graham
Geopolitical tensions, trade, cyber, tariffs, climate and AI – along with the importance of attracting and nurturing young talent.
Those will be just some of the hot topics at AIRMIC’s annual conference this year, which kicks of today (Monday June 9) in Liverpool, according to Julia Graham, chief executive of Airmic.As risk experts gather at the ACC Liverpool for three days of debate, networking and education, Graham told AIRMIC Today that the themes of this year’s event, called ‘Another World is Possible’, would represent a direct reflection of the challenges the world, and risk professionals, face. “A big focus for the conference this year will be on the intersection between the key risks of today around geopolitical tensions, trade, cyber, tariffs, climate and AI,” Graham said. “Risk is all about managing the effects of uncertainty, and risk professionals and their organisations need to navigate today’s geopolitical world that is dynamic, unstable, and unfamiliar all at once. Our speaker sand panellists will take us through the implications of doing business at a pivotal moment of geopolitical and technological change.”
Adapting to needs
She said that the format and topics of this year’s conference have been directly informed by insights and feedback gleaned from the conference in Edinburgh last year. She added that delegates requested more tailored seminar options, for example. As such, this year in Liverpool, delegates can choose from 24 carefully curated seminars, grouped into six themes, available at advanced and fundamental levels. They will cover topics including technology, AI and cyber, geopolitics and geoeconomics, natural catastrophe risk, climate and weather, industry and construction, and on risk and insurance. But she added that this is just part of what the three-day event offers. “The AIRMIC Annual Conference is your opportunity to connect with your peers as we are faced with the challenges and opportunities from – geopolitics, trade, climate and cyber, through networking with our partners and experts to gain new knowledge and fresh insights into the evolving landscape of risk and insurance,” Graham said. “Today’s world is constantly in motion, with shifting perspectives and accelerating change, creating moments of both exhilaration and apprehension. In this context, risk and insurance professionals have never been in more demand.”
“Today’s world is constantly in motion, with shifting perspectives and accelerating change, creating moments of both exhilaration and apprehension.”
This is especially true in the context of geopolitical, environmental and capital constraints, which are changing the very nature of risk. There are also big challenges about how some of these trends play out against the backdrop of a transition in energy sources in the world. “The transition to cleaner, renewable energy sources is central in mitigating climate change and promoting sustainability, yet geopolitical instability threatens to impact climate change decision-making and necessary investment in energy transition technology,” Graham said. “The growth of the renewable energy sector and its associated opportunities and risks reinforces the pivotal role of the insurance industry in supporting the global shift towards renewable energy, which is crucial for the longevity of the global economy and climate.”
A need for talent
Against a backdrop of these challenges, she also stressed the need to find, develop and nature young talent in the risk industry. The conference will again offer a number of sessions for people who are early on in their careers, something Graham describes as important and something AIRMIC is committed to. “Attracting young talent to the industry is of utmost importance to us as AIRMIC. To fully embrace the future in an evolving world of risk and insurance, we need to explore emerging risks, insurance innovation in a digital world, and the role of predictive analytics in enabling proactive risk management – and these are the key areas where the young and those who are early on in their careers have so much to bring to the risk profession of today,” she said. Asked if there are specific speakers and sessions she wishes to highlight, she flagged a number of the high-profile speakers the event has attracted this year. These include Robert Peston, ITV’s political editor and host of its flagship politics and current affairs show. He will reflect on some astonishing weeks in UK and world politics. She also highlights Charles Hecker, a global expert in business and geopolitics, who will be a keynote speaker on June 11. And a plenary panel on June 10, to be moderated by Clive Myrie of the BBC. That will feature world-class thought leaders who will debate the risks and opportunities for people and the planet. But she also highlights the importance of what happens at the AIRMIC conference offstage. “You will have opportunities throughout for networking, benefit from inspiring plenaries and from themed learning at fundamental and advanced levels as well as to explore a world-class exhibition that is already sold out,” she notes.
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