International Forum 2020

Post-release of the XVII International Forum "Risk Management - New Challenges" (Moscow, September 30-October 1, 2020)

In 2020, the whole world and Russia among other things were collapsed by the global threat-pandemic of coronavirus COVID-19. And as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Risk Management Association "Russian Risk Management Society", President of the All-Russian Union of Insurers (BCC) Igor Yurgens noted in his greeting to the Forum participants (RusRisk): "The current Forum is held in unusual conditions, when almost the whole world is faced with a huge pandemic of coronavirus, COVID-19 which negatively affected the economy and politics of Russia and other states, the health and communication of people, their well-being and prospects. These are new challenges for risk management!"

The international Forum of the Russian Risk Management Society, held on September 30-October 1, 2020 at the Moscow Golden Ring Hotel, was devoted to discussing new challenges and prospects for risk management in Russia over 17 years of RusRisk's activity.

It was attended by about 110 heads of risk management departments and risk managers of industrial, insurance, investment and brokerage companies, banks, teachers and representatives of authorities and the expert community. Under the restrictions of Rospotrebnadzor, an online broadcast of the Forum was organized, which was used by more than 100 participants.

The Forum was supported by well-known companies and organizations: Insurance Broker Willis CIS LLC, SOGAZ Insurance Group, JSC Alfa Insurance, Ingosstrakh SPAO, SiLine Insurance Broker LLC, EY, JSC AIG Insurance Company, AON Rus-Insurance Brokers LLC, PJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel, RSPP Committee on Technical Regulation, Standardization and Conformity Assessment, Russian Institute of Directors, as well as Interfax International Group, Prime Economic Information Agency, Risk Analysis Problems magazine, Expert RA, Risk Management magazine «Practice», "BO" Financial Sphere, "RIA" Standards and Quality, "National Banking Magazine”.

At the opening of the Forum, a special guest spoke remotely - Dirk Wegener (Germany), President of the European Association of Risk Management and Insurance FERMA, who shared with the audience the problems and practices of risk management and insurance in Europe in the new conditions of uncertainty, and also answered questions from Russian risk managers and insurers.

Geert Kraiwagen (South Africa), President of the International Federation of Risk Management and Insurance Associations (IFRIMA), also greeted the Forum participants.

The first panel discussion "Risk management practice in the organization in the post-pandemic period" (moderated by Yuri Kostenko, director of risk management at AFK Sistema PJSC) was devoted to practical issues of risk management in Russian companies. There was an interested and professional discussion on risk appetite methodology and the impact of the pandemic on approaches to use of this tool (Artem Kurbatov, EY), synergies in integrated risk management and accounting systems in a digitalized economy (Sergey Oparin, St. Petersburg University of Communications of Emperor Alexander I), soft skills that will help risk manager to solve tasks in the post-pandemic period (Evgeny Telenkov, TransTeleCom JSC), a risk-oriented approach to quantifying the effectiveness of multiphase investment projects (Igor Demkin, Gazprom VNIIGAZ LLC), “gold” rules of risk management (Pavel Smolkov, Inter RAO PJSC) and others.

The second panel discussion "Financial risks of industrial companies and the digital economy" (moderated by Mikhail Pomazanov, Promsvyazbank PJSC) opened with a speech by Vladimir Gamza, chairman of the RF CCI Committee on Financial, Industrial and Investment Policy, who assessed risk management in the non-bank financial sectors. The session discussed the risks of digital financial assets managing, the model of machine learning in risk management, the introduction of digital RMS in the oil and gas industry, information and economic security. There was an active discussion of Vasily Kudrin (HLB Vneshaudit), Vladimir Avdiysky and Igor Lebedev (Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation), Yana Krukhmaleva and others speakers.

The program of the first day of the Forum ended with presentations of European certification of risk managers FERMA-Rimap, which was presented by Tatyana Shemyakina (RusRisk) and the Laboratory of the Young Risk Manager (Elena Chapkina, Business Express).

On the second day of the Forum, the round table "New challenges for insurance and risk management" was held (moderated by Alexey Prudnikov, Director of the Insurance and Financial Risks Department of PJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel). In speeches of Alexei Elokhin (Alfa Insurance JSC), Alexei Kruglyakov (Insurance Broker Willis CIS LLC), Anton Kaziev (Ingosstrakh SPAO), Anton Dodonov ( IC “SOGAZ”), Maria Mironova (IC “URALSIB Insurance”) changing expectations of the insurance market for large business, organization of insurance and co-insurance in new realities, current issues of financial risk insurance market, methods of insurance protection of information risks, ensuring continuity of operations in pandemic conditions and other pressing problems. Dmitry Moon speech (Emercom Agency of the Russian Emergencies Ministry) was about important issues of risks managing of the "human factor" aroused great interest.

In general, discussions of the most acute problems of risk management and insurance at the Forum should help the RusRisk Association review outdated approaches and stereotypes, its role in interacting with the Federal Property Management Agency, Rosstandart and other government bodies, Russian and foreign partners, as well as in preparing for the FERMA seminar (Antwerp, October 12-3, 2020).

Within the framework of the RusRisk Forum, the winners of the annual Competition "Best Risk Management in Russia" were awarded in six nominations. In the nomination "For the general contribution to the development of risk management in Russia" Andrei Elokhin (PJSC LUKOIL) and Andrei Bykov (PJSC GAZPROM) were recognized as winners. The winner in the nomination "Hope of the year in the field of risk management in Russia" was Valentin Nikolaenko (Tomsk Polytechnic University). Recognized as winners in the nomination "Innovative Program of the Year in the Field of Insurance" - Boris Averyanov (PJSC Nizhnekamskneftekhim) and Roman Gorelov (JSC Alfa Insurance) and in the nomination "Best Corporate Solution of the Year in the Field of Risk Management" - Dmitry Voloshin (JSC SberTech) was recognized as a laureate. In the new nomination "The best publication in the field of risk management," the winner was Sergey Oparin (St. Petersburg University of Railways of Emperor Alexander I). And finally, in the nomination "Best Risk Manager of the Year" Yevgeny Telenkov (TransTeleCom JSC) won.

All winners and laureates were also awarded by certificates for an annual subscription to the partner magazine "Problems of risk analysis."

The results of the Forum once again confirmed the growing interest of the business community in the practical use of the experience of risk management and insurance in our country and the world and considerable reserves in developing new approaches and tools to overcome crisis situations in various areas.