Risk and Responsibility (AHAUCHI Conference, September 2009)

[Streaming video: YouTube - 3 parts, 22 minutes total]

Presented as part of a three day strategy and leadership conference on the future of residential colleges, Todd Davies provides insights into the nexus between governance, leadership and risk, and provides a whole systems perspective into regulatory reform, avoiding the next GFC and the future of leadership on these dimensions.

A Leader’s Responsibility: Governance, Risk and Resilience (AHAUCHI Pre-conference, August 2009) [Streaming and downloadable audio: Resilientfutures.org - 1 part, 26 minutes total] As part of the lead up to the AHAUCHI sessions, Todd discusses the new context for the governance and risk responsibilities of leaders, especially directors and managers; the breakdown of conventional methods of risk and governance management in dealing with these conditions; the consequences of such a breakdown; new processes for more realistic governance, risk and resilience.

The Real Risks of Business as Usual  (Resilient Futures Forum event – “Planning for Growth: Water? Climate Change? Economic Shocks?, August 2008)

[Streaming and downloadable video: Resilientfutures.org - 1 part, 15 minutes total]

This is essential viewing for anyone in a governance, leadership, assurance or strategy role in a large organisation – corporate or government. This presentation is particularly timely given current conditions, increasing market turbulence, and the move by stock exchanges and regulators around the world who are beginning to expect CEOs and Boards to have a strong understanding of ‘material business risk’, and hence strategic risk.

There is also a lot of great material on the resilientfutures.org website and their Youtube channel.  If you are interested in understanding the future, complexity and the challenges and opportunities arising from this, these sites are well worth a look. Enjoy. TDA

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Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.  Bill Gates

Most managers feel well equipped to understand and respond to the regular crises that emerge day to day in the business as usual environment. Risk management processes have permeated most organisations which give middle management a sense of comfort that they have things broadly under control.

But those who read the financial press will be aware of emerging state changes which are not picked up by their normal risk management processes.  As such, Directors and Chief Executives reviewing their risk profiles often feel that all of this effort in risk management is missing the big picture.

Emerging risks are known by many names.  Strategic planners call them external shocks.  Resilience practitioners call them discontinuities.  Risk practitioners call them strategic risks.  Economists call them corrections. Taleb calls them Black Swan events.  Greenspan calls it the age of turbulence.

Whatever you call them, an understanding of emerging strategic risks is critical to leading any organisation.

We have a habit of confusing the unprecedented with the unlikely.  Al Gore, Sydney Hilton, July 15, 2009

Todd Davies & Associates draws on a broad range of experts from a range of fields to provide briefings, training and advisory services on:

• Making sense of emerging and interconnected structural shifts, and how to turn these from strategic risks into strategic opportunities
• Making sense of unprecedented risks which are becoming increasingly certain
• Detailed briefings on each of these structural shifts
• Assessing and developing the capabilities in organisations to assess strategic risk on an ongoing basis.

To find out more, call Todd on 02 9043 1719, or email us to arrange a meeting.

What our clients are saying

“We brought Todd Davies in to conduct the “Understanding Strategic Risk” training sessions and they proved to be very worthwhile. Our audit staff appreciated the insights into sources of strategic risk from a local to a global level. No less than six methods of developing strategic capability were discussed providing something for everyone dependent upon your methodology, fit and preferences. Sound value.”  Allan Reidy | Head of Westpac Retail & Business Banking and Product & Operations Audit, Westpac Banking Corporation

Find out more first

Watch a 15 minute video presentation from Todd on gaps arising from typical risk management processes

Listen to a 25 minute audio interview with Todd on some of the key issues for leaders today

Read a brief article on strategic risk and how this fits in with regulation and standard setting

To subscribe to this series of occasional articles and case studies, please click here.