The whole Risk Management Monitor team has now assembled like Voltron in Boston for RIMS 2010 and after a relaxing, jovial evening last night over drinks and music at the opening reception, it’s — unfortunately — time to get to work. I have been running around all morning, speaking with some risk experts on a variety of topics that you will hear more about later, but I just wanted to kick off the week by letting you know that I’m here in Boston and will be, among other things, speaking at a session later this week that anyone at the conference is welcome to attend.
On Wednesday from 10:45 am – 12:15 pm in a session called The Risk Management Melting Pot: What’s Cooking?, me, Alberto Felix of M. Hayes, Robert Cartwright of Bridgestone, and Tyler will be speaking about diversity. As a few of you may remember, I wrote a cover story about the racial diversity — or, more accurately, the lack thereof — in the risk and insurance industries for Risk Management back in 2008 (“The Complexities of Complexion”). It’s safe to say that the insurance sector, even more than most, is full of white males and that this reality will be increasingly problematic for the industry in the future if an effort to increase diversity is not made.
But, of course, it’s not just insurers and brokers that have to deal with these challenges. The United States is projected to become a “minority-majority” country by 2042 and all companies will need to address this transformative demographic shift.
We’ll be discussing that issue and all the many complex, difficult realities that it creates.
Here’s a full description:
Minorities will become the majority in the United States by 2042. Alongside this demographic shift, the globalization of risk management has encouraged all employers to seek out diversity. This panel of experts will address: the pitfalls associated with ignoring workplace diversity; obstacles in managing a diversity program; the benefits and misconceptions of stereotyping; how organizations have added value by diversifying their workplace; and how risk professionals should handle the complexities associated with workplace diversity as well as the upcoming demographic shifts.
Good seats are still available. Please do stop by and say hello.