The ALS Group Risk Management Articles

We manage more than a quarter billion dollars of premiums for a diverse range of clients around the globe. 

Align ERM to Each Department of Your Organization – A Vital 2013 Resolution

To begin the year of 2013, more and more businesses are looking for new ways to increase their company’s profit margins and management of risk, and align the two.  One of the best ways this is often achieved is by using ERM to continually assess not only what type of risks are out there that can be insured, but also how those risks can be managed through the operational and strategic environment that your company implements.

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Reservation of Rights Letters – Policyholder Beware

When a policyholder files a claim with their insurer, they expect defense and protection.  The expectation goes as far as thinking that the insurer (or insurer’s counsel) actually has the policyholder’s best interest (and only the policyholder’s interest) at heart.  With the issuance of a Reservation of Rights letter (ROR) that is not always the case. 

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Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) … B E W A R E

Employers today are constantly being faced with choices and the challenges those choices play. One of the more recent challenges is whether to allow employees to use their own smart phones to support the corporate email and functionality. On the surface, this seems like a great idea for employers as it will lower operating costs. Not so fast…According to a PWC survey “less than half of the 9300 C-suite executives surveyed have a security strategy to address personal devices in the workplace, despite the fact that 88% of employees use a mobile device for personal and work purposes”

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Enterprise Risk Management and Your Company’s Strategic Sustainability

The Risk and Insurance Management Society has been discussing the benefits of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) for over 10 years now.  In addition, they have developed the discipline of Strategic Risk Management (SRM) within the courses and material they publish.  To them, ERM seeks to dial down the volatility in the operations of any organization, while SRM is meant to evaluate whether the company’s business strategy on risk is appropriate and provides long term sustainability of the company’s profits.  Thus, if implemented correctly, ERM allows SRM to take a critical and impartial view on the way the company does business and mitigates risk.

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Is it as Easy as 1-2-3?: Implementing Enterprise Risk Management

Enterprise Risk Management, despite being on the tip of the risk and insurance world’s tongue, is still struggling to gain a foothold in most organizations.  The question that consistently emerges is whether or not implementing an Enterprise Risk Management Framework can truly add value to a company’s strategic development.  The key to a successful ERM Framework is to instill the philosophies of Enterprise Risk Management throughout the organization so the company as a whole is fostering a risk-aware culture.

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Be a Wise Cyber Insurance Shopper

With the lack of policy standardization and various exposures within the cyber insurance world, purchasing a cyber policy can be challenging.  The first step in this process is to understand the risks your company is facing in the event of a breach, as well as your organization’s Total Cost of Risk (TCoR). After all, risk mitigation is more than just purchasing appropriate insurance.

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Risk Appetite and Risk Tolerance: It Takes Two to Tango

Risk Appetite and Risk Tolerance are two terms that are vital to any Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Program. They are defined as the amount and type of risk an organization is willing to accept (Risk Appetite) and the specific maximum risk that any organization will take to pursue any one business objective (Risk Tolerance). The reason that ERM is defined by these two terms is that every company must take on some risk to reach its profit margins, but the ultimate question is, “How much risk are you going to take on and how are you identifying your key risks?”

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National Cyber Risk Awareness Month | Scare Risk Away in October

The beginning of October marks the start of the ninth annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) – is your company prepared in the event of a disruptive computer virus, a damaging loss of data or an unexpected intrusion by computer hackers? As organizations increasingly incorporate the use of laptops, smartphones and tablet devices into the success of their businesses, the potential dangers of cyber risk become much more prevalent.

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Enterprise Risk Management: A Touchdown for Your Company’s Profits

Highlighted by a Questions and Answers article in the recent issue of Risk Management Magazine, Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) continues to gain exposure through the successes of companies that are taking the initiative to establish a firm ERM culture. The article, entitled “Creating Value with ERM”, looks at the success of Paychex, Inc., the company that received the inaugural “ERM Award of Distinction” last year. In what ways can this interview with Paychex’s Risk Manager relate to your company and allow for ERM to become embedded in your organization?

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RIMS and IIA | an Enterprise Risk Management Strategic Relationship

Risk Management used to be merely a wing that purchases insurance for multi-million dollar companies.  Over the years Risk Management has begun to evolve and play a more strategic role within a company.  This evolution is evidenced by companies’ adoption of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) philosophies integrating them throughout organizations.  One example of such integration is the relationship that is developing between Internal Audit and the Risk Management departments.

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