Enterprise Risk Management 1st Edition

A new book on Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) has arrived in a rapidly filling field. What should we make of it? Is it a threat (i.e. does it only muddy the already turbulent waters after putting a charge on our wallets and bookshelves) or is it an opportunity (i.e. something that is good for the growth of the discipline and its practitioners)? Is it minor league, major league or world champion?Quantitatively, it has two editors, Betty J. Simkins, a US business and finance academic, and John Fraser, a Canadian senior executive practitioner. It runs 577 pages which includes a comprehensive index and contains 26 chapters, written by 30 contributors and several panellists. It is divided into six parts (Overview; ERM Management, Culture and Control; ERM Tools and Techniques; Types of Risk; Survey Evidence and Academic Research; Special Topics and Case Studies) and features a convenient chapter format comprising of an argument, conclusions, notes and references.According to the book's subtitle: Today's Leading Research and Best Practices for Tomorrow's Executives, it is intended to be read by up-and-coming managers with their sights set on the C-Suite. I would broaden that audience to experienced practitioners, curious students of all organizations, and academics who have an interest in this fascinating and often misunderstood discipline.Qualitatively, it is honest, unpretentious and well written and edited, qualities that are not always honoured in the field of managing risk. Moreover, with almost three dozen perspectives (including the panellists) you can be assured that you are not being inflicted with only one person's opinion. As a keen student of risk management, I appreciated the nicely balanced approach - a nuanced blend of concepts and practice - which passes from the contributors through the skilful hands of the two editors. I particularly liked the emphasis on risk culture - and not just the usual nostrums about "the tone at the top" or "management buy-in". I have come to gag at those facile clichés and will take a full star off any review of books that rely on them. In several chapters dedicated to organizational culture, the contributors dig below the popular veneer to penetrate one of the most challenging prerequisites of ERM - a healthy, coherent and robust organizational attitude and ethic towards risk. Of course, there is always more to drill, but this is at least a credible insight beyond the penetrating insights into the obvious that so often ricochet around ERM conference halls.Although I thought I'd seen them all, I also appreciated that a number of useful tools were laid on the table. To be sure, there is a point to be mooted here and a claim to be challenged there. For example, the notion of risk appetite and tolerance, while treated by several contributors at length, leaves the reader wondering why such an important subject has never been able provoke a consistent definition, let alone treatment by practitioners. These quibbles aside, the scope of topics addressed here is impressive, spanning lofty and arcane topics like strategy, finance and reputation, as well as gritty techniques like running risk assessment workshops and plotting the results. Midway through the book, there are some pithy risk management insights from Warren Buffet that many investors would agree is worth the price of the book alone.Like all worthwhile books, this one is best read critically, reflected deeply upon and discussed thoroughly with knowledgeable or interested colleagues. To be sure, risk management is risky - that is to say, mishandled like any tool, machine or weapon, it will likely hurt you and others. Understand and embrace its principles and respect its limitations and risk management can be an intriguingly wise counsellor. This book is an excellent investment for anyone who cares deeply about the risks to their organization. Perhaps some of the executives who are in jail or facing prosecution for mismanaging their enterprise risks will find it offers advice too late in the game to make any difference. For the rest of us, this book can provide useful prescriptive advice that might otherwise take a lifetime of costly trial and error to acquire. In my view, it is a first class job and well worth the price.

This is certainly a good book for risk practitioners. Whether beginner or experienced risk executive, there is something for everybody.You can't argue with the credentials of the various authors, who are truly recognized experts in this field, and there were many nuggets for me.It's not a guide for the beginner in how to implement ERM - so it only gets 4 stars from me. Instead, the experts share their visions and experiences.It sits proudly on my bookshelf!

This book authored by John Fraser and Betty Simkins is simply fantastic and what a wonderful contribution to the discipline of enterprise risk management.The two prime authors- Fraser and Simkins have attracted an all star cast of leading academics/practitioners, each whom wrote one chapter in this book.This book has special importance because it is my belief that there is complete chaos/bedlam in this country especially as far as having succinct risk management practices in place. We are all over the map in terms of existing practices and the 30 or so professional organizations out there all touting their expertise in risk management have created confusion.This book addresses this dilemma head on as it provides a plethora of best in class guidance from a discussion of the new ISO framework on Risk Management by John Shortreed- Chapter 7, to the chapter authored by Felix Kloman on the History of Risk Management/Evolution of the profession to the Chapters authored by John Fraser himself on how to prepare a risk profile and what to read in the world of risk management. There is even a Chapter on a topic called Key Risk Indicators which is a relatively new concept (not to be confused with Key Performance Indicators)Overall I rate this book as excellent and believe that it represents the single most important contribution to the field of risk management over the past several years and will be a valuable addition to anyone's library. Buy it and read it for yourself!!!