Digitalisation within the banking sector resulted in an increase in new model risk management challenges. “There has always been a need for Risk Managers, but January this year showed a significant increase in the demand for risk professionals and exceeded even the demand from beginning of 2020, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit Belgium. To communicate well with both internal and external parties, a strong language knowledge is key.” How is the demand for Risk Managers at the moment? However, reporting is often done in English. In many organisations, there is a mix of Dutch and French speaking people in the team. To communicate actionable outcomes to peers and senior management, he or she should demonstrate strong presentation, negotiation and influencing skills as well. Hence, strong communication skills are required. The Risk Manager works in close collaboration with different departments, stakeholders and networks intensively with external parties.

Risk reports need to be made and key findings need to be presented to the senior management or the board of directors. In high stressful times when decisions need to be made quickly, Risk Managers need to demonstrate they can work under pressure. The Risk Manager needs to be able to see the bigger picture, break it down and look strategically for solutions. Working in risk management obviously also requires a problem-solving attitude. Being able to collect and analyse data, seeing potential gaps and dive into the details to get a clear overall picture are skills every Risk Manager should possess. Melina: “Strong financial acumen and being able to understand the numbers is essential, even if your focus is outside market risk or credit risk. Which skillset do financial institutions look for when recruiting a Risk Manager? For professionals with the ambition to become IT Security Risk Manager, a Master in Information Technology is more suitable.Īlthough it is not a must, having a risk management certification is a strong plus, as it is a confirmation of your expertise and knowledge, which is highly valued by potential employers.įor risk professionals who want to work in the banking sector, knowledge of Basel III (the global framework on bank capital adequacy, stress testing and market liquidity risk that was developed in response to the deficiencies in financial regulation revealed by the financial crisis of 2007-2008), is a must”, says Melina.

“A Master in Finance, Economics or Business Management is ideal for a career in financial or operational risk management. Depending on the size of the organisation, multiple Risk Managers can be employed, all with their specialised focus, for example: an Operational Risk Manager, the Financial Risk Manager who’s covering market, credit or liquidity risk, a Business Continuity Manager, an IT Security Risk Manager, etc.” What is the ideal educational background of a Risk Manager? In addition, they provide the necessary support and training to the team and build risk awareness throughout the entire organisation.Ī Risk Manager usually reports to the Chief Risk Officer, who is part of the board of directors or the management committee. Some of the measures taken include defining crisis management, designing business continuity plans, introducing operation protocols, insurance coverage and updating the procedures correlating to the latest best practices. The Risk Manager is in charge of planning, designing and implementing an overall risk management process. The potential risks he or she defines can be of different kinds: operational, compliance, financial or technology risks. As part of the investigation process, the Risk Manager will analyse key risk indicators and determine concerns that could threat the organisation’s confidential information, financial loss or damage to the organisation’s assets. Melina: “A Risk Manager in an organisation is the person who is most aware of what could go wrong at any time, how it could affect the business goals and what action needs to be taken to either resolve the problem or its consequences. What does a Risk Manager do on a daily basis? Melina Kayila, Managing Consultant in the banking & financial services division of recruitment specialist Robert Walters, explains how the need to navigate to a new normal has made the demand for Risk Managers peak in the past few months. It might not sound as a ‘top job’, but Covid-19 and the increasingly complex regulatory landscape has made the risk management job market growing significantly. Being prepared for an uncertain and volatile future that includes climate change, technological disruption, geopolitical risk, threats to the global supply chain and issues related to cyber-crime, data protection and privacy, is a top priority for many organisations nowadays.

Operational risk manager salary