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Poole College of Management
Enterprise Risk Management Initiative

Emerging Risks

Feb 8, 2022

Imagining Unimaginable Risks

Risks take a variety of forms, many of which companies can proactively manage. But novel risks are much more difficult to predict and plan for and they may seem improbable, emerge from a perfect storm of events, or are unprecedentedly massive. In their 2020 Harvard Business Review article, "The Risks You Can't Foresee," authors Robert S. Kaplan, Herman B. "Dutch" Leonard and Annette Mikes define novel risks and then describe how to detect and respond to them to mitigate the risk impact on the business.

Feb 8, 2022

Board Oversight of ESG and Diversity Risks

PwC's 2021 Annual Corporate Directors Survey gauges the views of public company directors across the United States. The survey results reveal the significant impact of the social, environmental and economic pressures companies have faced in recent years, including new risks for boards to address. The PwC report also sheds light on the changes boards are making in response to the dynamic environment.

Dec 9, 2021

REPORT: Executive Perspectives on Top Risks for 2022 & 2031

Executive Perspectives on Top Risks is an annual survey report that assesses the concerns of 1,453 board members and executives globally.

Sep 21, 2021

Is Your Company’s Knowledge Walking Out the Door with Your Retirees?

A conversation about the risk of knowledge loss often is centered around a technology concern evoking thoughts of cyber breaches that release proprietary information, an operational matter considering outsourcing or the one that I will discuss, a people or talent discussion. This article discusses how knowledge loss from employee attrition can be reduced through effective knowledge management and knowledge transfer practices.

Aug 31, 2021

Assessing Risks in Third Parties

In today's dynamic global market, many third-party risks are going undetected and hidden in supplier, distributor and partner relationships. External factors including the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing attention among government regulators on corruption, sustainability and human rights, the need for companies to protect themselves against third-party threats and the resulting regulatory enforcement of illegal activity is paramount. LSEG's The Real Risks: Hidden Threats Within Third-Party Relationships, aims to provide organizations with guidance for identifying, assessing and managing third-party risk. We have summarized some of their key suggestions.

Feb 3, 2021

REPORT: Executive Perspectives on Top Risks for 2021 & 2030

The ERM Initiative in the Poole College of Management at North Carolina State University, in conjunction with global consulting firm Protiviti, annually surveys boards of directors and C-suite executives about risks on the horizon for the upcoming year. This report, 2021 & 2030 Executive Perspectives on Top Risks, highlights top risks of immediate concern on the minds of executives for 2021 - and for the long-term - 2030.

Apr 30, 2019

ERM and Sustainability

Over the last decade, corporations have begun paying increased attention to issues involving sustainability and risk oversight, and linking these efforts to an organization's strategy. Research and thought papers now are addressing the growing challenges related to water scarcity, resource availability, climate disruption, waste reduction, and corporate responsibility. Many organizations have embraced the new sustainability movement, but have discovered a wide-range of challenges before them. These initiatives sometimes appear as disjointed, or misunderstood, which lead to a number of problems when getting started.

Feb 5, 2019

Recognizing the Risk Impact of an Aging Workforce

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in their most recent ten-year labor force and employment projections, the number of individuals aged 55 and above in the labor force will grow from 35.7 million in 2016 to 42.1 million in 2026. Organizations will experience this impact in different ways based on their size, growth, industry and historical hiring and layoffs.

Jan 29, 2019

Trends in Crisis Management & Strategies to Survive a Crisis

There is an increased emphasis on crisis management by organizations around the world as both the frequency of crises and the impact of these crises are growing. An organization should consider past crises, crisis leadership, perceived versus actual preparedness, proactive crisis management, and third party involvement. Read this article to learn more about these considerations and the current trends in crisis management.

Jan 4, 2019

Recognizing the Shamrock Organization and Emerging Risks It May Create

When you think about your organization’s workforce and its related talent needs, there are a number of dynamics to consider. We have all heard about the Millennials and we are beginning to learn about the group that follows them - often referred to as the iGeneration or the Homeland Generation - who bring different skills and expectations to the workforce. Organizations are experiencing the graying of their talent as the boomers are aging. Unprecedented advancements in technology, including the impact with artificial intelligence and digital transformation, are changing how organizations develop and deliver products or services. These developments along with record low unemployment are intensifying skill shortages. And a company named Uber has taught us about the new Gig economy. How will these trends impact the workforce structure for organizations, thereby introducing new types of emerging risks for executives and boards to consider?