July 23, 2008
PRMIA Makes Fundamental Risk Management Knowledge and Practices Accessible for All With New Associate PRM Certificate
PRMIA announces the release of its Associate Professional Risk Manager (Associate PRM) certificate. The Associate PRM is a new and innovative PRMIA certificate program intended for staff entering the risk management profession, or those who interface with risk management disciplines on a regular basis, such as auditing, accounting, legal, and systems development personnel who want to understand fundamental risk management methods and practices.
Designed to be mathematically and theoretically less detailed than PRMIA's Professional Risk Manager (PRM) designation, the new program will cover the core concepts of risk management, allowing non-specialists to interpret risk management information and reports, make critical assessments, and evaluate the implications and the limitations of such results.
"PRMIA developed the Associate PRM at the request of our institutional and regulatory members. Until now, there has been no exam in the risk industry designed for those who are not risk management professionals but who need to work with the discipline to create the needed risk culture within an organization. The Associate PRM fills that gap."
Dr. Robert Mark, CEO Black Diamond Risk and co-author of The Essentials of Risk Management, on which the syllabus of the Associate PRM is based, adds, "Risk management is an integral part of managing all areas of a business. Employees who attain their Associate PRM certificate will have deeper insight into risk management practices, as well as the ability to add significant business value to their organization. Specifically, these individuals will gain the practical skills and knowledge necessary to identify, analyze, and respond to key risks, which in turn will allow them to contribute towards improving the return to risk dynamics of their organizations."
Easy to obtain study materials and widely available exam options will provide Associate PRM candidates with optimum flexibility to fit the preparation and testing process into their individual work schedules. Individuals are required to pass one exam to receive the Associate PRM Certificate. The exam will be offered on every business day of the year at nearly 4,000 centers in more than 140 countries across the globe.
Students may start studying for the Associate PRM now using The Essentials of Risk Management, plus freely downloadable material from the PRMIA website. Click here to access all of these study materials.
To take the Associate PRM exam, interested individuals must purchase an exam voucher at a cost of $300. PRMIA is offering a $50 discount off of these prices for anyone purchasing an exam voucher from July 23, 2008 - September 15, 2008. PRMIA Sustaining Members receive an additional 10% discount on exam vouchers, making their cost $225 during this period. Individuals may begin taking the exam during September 2008. To purchase an exam voucher, click here.
To learn more about the Associate PRM, visit the PRMIA website . Please contact us at support@prmia.org with any questions.
Posted by PRMIA_Marketing at 09:11 AM
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July 11, 2008
PRMIA Names Steve Lindo as New Executive Director
PRMIA today named risk industry expert Steve Lindo as its new Executive Director. Read below to learn more about Steve and his vision for PRMIA.
EXPERIENCE AND FAR-REACHING VISION GUIDE PRMIA'S NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Extensive international background and experience in the risk management and banking fields, as well as fluency in several foreign languages, make seasoned industry expert Steve Lindo an ideal person to fill the vacant position of PRMIA's Executive Director.
Most recently Vice-President of Risk Capital Management at GMAC Financial Services in Minneapolis MN and PRMIA's Minneapolis Regional Director, Mr. Lindo is a graduate of Oxford University, where he received his BA in 1974 and MA a decade later. His other previous employment at Cargill Financial Services Corporation, Bank One, and Lloyds Bank PLC, had taken him to Europe, South America and the United States. He speaks Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, and basic Russian.
With such solid and geographically diverse background in many different facets of the industry, the Board chose Mr. Lindo for the position vacated by PRMIA founding member David R. Koenig last fall, making him the second Executive Director in PRMIA's six-year history.
Starting in July, Mr. Lindo will take the helm of a growing and expanding global organization that now covers the full range of disciplines from credit, market and liquidity risks, to operational, strategic and regulatory ones; an organization which continually adds new members, chapters, activities and events, all the while maintaining a higher standard for risk professionals in over 180 countries.
"I will be acting as general manager of PRMIA's worldwide activities and taking the lead in development of several core services," Mr. Lindo says of his new mandate. "My primary managerial responsibilities will include strategic planning, development of PRMIA's human, intellectual and technological resources, relations with the Board, regional directors, members and partners. My primary responsibilities in developing PRMIA's services will be the growth of individual and corporate memberships, events, conferences, and sponsor relations."
Words of Praise
Mr. Lindo's nomination has been enthusiastically welcomed by his colleagues on PRMIA's Board, who commend his professional experience and far-reaching vision. "We need an executive director who knows the North American market to manage PRMIA's relationships with global CROs and the senior management of institutions, vendors, and consultancies that support PRMIA," says David Millar, PRMIA's Chief Operating Officer. "Steve speaks five languages, has banking experience on three continents, and will be a leader in our relationships with global chapters."
Mark Abbott, Secretary of PRMIA's Executive Committee of the Board of Directors also lauds Mr. Lindo's commitment and goals. "My personal interactions with Steve have been very rewarding, especially at a recent PRMIA CRO Summit," Mr. Abbott says. "He has been formulating plans to help connect with all our volunteer leaders, as well as practitioner members. He has also been thinking about ways to increase PRMIA's ability to advance the risk profession, increase our relevance to risk through targeted activities meant to engage and communicate with more senior practitioners and thought leaders, as well as further develop the paths for career evolution for all members, including networking and other events, certifications, credentialing, training, and other PRMIA educational initiatives. We share similar long-term visions for the expansion of what PRMIA should and could do for the risk profession."
Accomplishments and Goals
Indeed, Mr. Lindo's immediate and long-range plans for PRMIA's future are far-reaching and ambitious within the constantly evolving organization, of which he has been an active member since its inception in 2002. His goal is not only to strengthen and build on the already existing, rock-solid foundations built by his predecessor David R. Koenig, who was recently awarded the prestigious PRMIA Higher Standard Award, but also to branch out into new directions and seize new opportunities.
"PRMIA's staff, Board, regional directors and other volunteers have done an outstanding job in building the foundation for PRMIA's sustained growth, including new products due to be launched in the coming months," he notes. "In addition to overseeing these initiatives, I will be looking for opportunities to add other new products and services to meet the changing needs of PRMIA members and partners."
PRMIA's growth has been considerable in the past months. In May 2008, it has reached 50,000 members, up from nearly 45,000 at this time last year. "That PRMIA achieved this milestone in such a short space of time is a testimony to the relevance of its products and services, such as networking, professional development and research, among others,as well as the enthusiasm of its many volunteers," Mr. Lindo notes.
In addition to individual members, PRMIA's new Corporate Membership Program, designed to help companies implement the best risk management standards and practices, will also benefit the profession by providing an open forum for education and exchange of ideas. Mr. Millar points out that the new Executive Director will "take a particular lead" in further developing PRMIA's corporate membership services.
"Even though many organizations are currently financially pressured, their need for expert risk management at many levels is increasing, not decreasing," Mr. Lindo says. "Therefore, I have high expectations that PRMIA's corporate membership program will gain new adherents during the coming year."
The PRMIA Global Event Series is another PRMIA innovation that Mr. Lindo plans to continue and solidify in years to come. Launched in February 2008 and held on a regular basis in major European, North American and Asian cities, these conferences provide an excellent opportunity for risk professionals to examine specific and relevant risk-related topics.
The February theme, for example, focused on Credit Risk, the one in April explored Enterprise Risk Management, and the September event will discuss Operational Risk and Capital Allocation.
The benefits of the multi-city events are clear, because they provide "a focused examination of current risk issues related to a single key theme," Mr. Lindo says, pointing out that 30 additional events will be held during each month throughout PRMIA's 65-chapter network.
Present and Future Challenges
As with any growing, forward-looking organization with a worldwide reach, PRMIA faces a variety of challenges, such as staying relevant and responsive to the needs of its members who search for greater technical competence and understanding of the global risk phenomena, Mr. Lindo says.
"The challenge is to fulfill these missions simultaneously in today's rapidly-changing economic and market conditions," he points out. "The key to meeting this challenge is to engage and lever the talents of PRMIA's many volunteers and business partners, supported by PRMIA's dedicated and highly competent staff."
Whatever challenges and new developments the future may bring, "I find Steve's deliberate and direct communication, comprehension of today's challenges, as well as positive and pro-active attitude very refreshing," Mr. Abbott notes.
The new Executive Director regards his position as "a great honor. On behalf of PRMIA, I intend to be a champion for the value added by professional risk managers worldwide to business decisions and financial results," Mr. Lindo says. "And I look forward to interacting with a wide community of fellow believers."
Posted by kgittins at 11:22 AM
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PRMIA Announces a New Chapter in Bucharest
PRMIA announces today a new chapter in Bucharest, Romania.
PRMIA appoints Athanasios Papanikolaou and Valentin Mazareanu as Co-Regional Directors of PRMIA Bucharest. Athanasios and Valentin goals and mission of the chapter include holding local events that will raise awareness of the importance of risk management, promoting the PRM Certification and enhancing communication between risk professionals, practitioners and regulators.
Athanasios Papanikolaou is a Risk Consultant with Ernst & Young Southeast Europe and has been a PRMIA member since 2006. Athanasios has obtained a certificate in "Strategic Decisions and Risk Management" from Stanford University as well as an MSc degree in Operational Research and has an excellent knowledge in risk management.
Valentin Mazareanu is currently a PhD student with the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Al. I. Cuza University in Iasi. The subject of his thesis is risk management in the new economy. He has an MSc degreee in Business Information Systems and some industry experience as founder and general manager of Paideia Consulting SRL Iasi.
Posted by kgittins at 11:13 AM
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July 08, 2008
PRMIA Appoints New Regional Director to the Toronto Chapter
PRMIA appoints today a new Regional Director to the Toronto chapter.
Graham Pugh will be replacing Dan Rosen as Regional Director of the Toronto Chapter. Graham has been a member of PRMIA since March 2004 and was an active member of the Toronto Steering Committee. Graham is the VP and Head of Risk Management and Portfolio Strategy at Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS), Toronto.
PRMIA would like to take this opportunity to thank Dan Rosen for his invaluable contributions to the Toronto chapter and PRMIA. Dan was one of the founding Regional Directors of PRMIA and has served the local members since 2002. Dan will continue to support the local chapter as a member of the Toronto Steering Committee.
Posted by kgittins at 10:25 AM
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