FERMA is now in the middle of one of the most exciting times – if not the most exciting time – in its history. Working together, the board and the secretariat team with support from member associations are moving FERMA to a new level in terms of its profile and influence in Europe.
Our Forum in Venice on 4-7 October will be our opportunity to showcase some of this work, especially Certification. Certification is moving steadily forward and we will launch it formally at the Forum, where we will present the first Certifications to our Founder Certified Risk Managers. The Certification Steering Committee led by FERMA Vice President Michel Dennery will present a progress report to the FERMA General Assembly on 25 June.
Among our other projects, as you will have seen from this newsletter, are research collaborations with the European health and safety organisation EU-OHSA and International SOS, and another with ecoDA, the directors’ organisation, and AIG. We continue engagement with our member associations and risk managers. We lead work on the Environmental Liability Directive (ELD), and we are participating in the conversation about reform of international insurance programmes.
Of course, this work comes against the background of preparation for the Forum, where these subjects and many others at the top of risks lists will be discussed.
FERMA Vice President Alessandro De Felice has been elected President of ANRA, our host association for the Forum, in April. Because of this important new role, Alessandro is not seeking re-election as a FERMA board member at the general assembly, but we are delighted that we will continue to work with him through ANRA.
Alessandro has taken over at the head of ANRA from Paolo Rubini. Paolo has done an enormous amount for risk management in Italy, enhancing the position not just of ANRA but also FERMA in Italy. He is a regular at FERMA events and we look forward to seeing him in Venice.
FERMA goes to RIMS
In April, I attended the annual conference of RIMS together with Deputy President Jo Willaert, Executive Director Florence Bindelle and a number of risk managers and officers from FERMA associations. It is a remarkable event with thousands of risk managers, sessions and a giant exhibition of insurers, brokers, other service providers, captive domiciles, publishers and many others. Floor plans and comfortable shoes are essentials!
We were delighted that the board of the International Federation of Risk and Insurance Management Associations (IFRIMA), meeting at RIMS and supported by FERMA, adopted the international risk management core competency framework and code of conduct. The IFRIMA approach is high level and entirely complementary to FERMA’s work on Certification.
I think our Forum offers all the advantages of RIMS, but on a scale that allows us to take advantage of the opportunities of the professional content, professional development, networking and the presence of many partners and service providers in one place. It’s an event for the profession in Europe designed by professionals and hosted by our colleagues.
At the Forum, we’re highlighting our knowledge and experience, our diversity and our potential. The face of risk management in Europe is changing. Join us to help shape the future.