Platform of the Future
What will be the ideal modelling platform of future bankers? It will need to contain key functionalities in model execution, scenario management, and a “risk engine” that will deliver answers for multiple horizons at the loan level. Furthermore, it should implement the most advanced modelling suites, reduce the quants’ time to develop models, and contain simulation capabilities for stress testing and beyond. This bold vision of the future was presented by Martim Rocha, Advisory Business Solution Manager at SAS. He was the second of two presenters at the February 25, 2016, webinar offered by the Global Association of Risk Professionals […]
Integrated Data and Modelling
How can today’s bankers prepare for tomorrow’s challenges? Consider the financial models built using available data. Data collection and financial modelling used to be conducted in each different silos of the bank, with credit separate from market, which was separate from treasury and other groups). Then data became “managed” and modelling was moved to “platforms” which did not mix well between the various silos. A few brave souls began to integrate the data management for different groups of the bank. Other brave souls tried to integrate the modelling. This was the phase of integration achieved through batch calculations. Now, the […]
Three-Way Damage
Do you remember that cute VW video, “The Force”? The one where the little boy, dressed up as Darth Vader, can’t get a reaction from anyone or anything, even his dog, when he tries his super-powers on them? Then, Dad drives up in his VW Passat and the Vader-wannabe is, magically, able to get the lights to flash. The camera pans to parents looking out the window. Dad gives a conspiratorial grin as he clicks the remote control. On September 18, 2015, world markets were rocked by news that Volkswagen had knowingly falsified its emissions of toxic nitrogen oxides. The […]
Watch Out for Hippos
Is your company managing risk well enough to make the most of opportunities as they appear? Or does it suffer from risk paralysis? As a company matures, it moves from trying to identify all possible risks (and mitigating them), to saying “what risks will give me the chance to pursue an opportunity,” said Martin Pergler, Founder and Principal of Balanced Risk Strategies, Ltd. He was the first of two panellists at the webinar titled Explore Your Opportunity Landscape by Harnessing Your Risks, sponsored by the Global Association of Risk Professionals on November 18, 2015. Pergler began by making a memorable […]
Harnessing Your Risks
Before your company undertakes economic risks, what systems should be firmly in place? “Good risk management allows us to take risks we wouldn’t normally do,” said Brenda Boultwood , Senior Vice President of GRC Solutions at MetricStream. (GRC is the acronym for governance, risk management and compliance.) She was the second of two panellists at the webinar titled Explore Your Opportunity Landscape by Harnessing Your Risks, sponsored by the Global Association of Risk Professionals on November 18, 2015. A company needs superior risk intelligence in order to understand the risks they plan to harness. Technology can be leveraged to capitalize […]
Lagging in Technology Solutions
When it comes to new regulatory requirements for advanced models in financial stress testing, are banks meeting expectations? Over the past two years, relatively good progress has been made in financial models and managing data for stress testing, said Tom Kimner, Director of Global Risk Operations at SAS, “but less progress has been made in technology and reporting.” He was the second of two panellists at a webinar on September 22, 2015, sponsored by the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP). He was presenting the findings from a survey report, “Stress Testing: A View from the Trenches,” that was jointly […]
Rising to the Challenge
What kinds of financial institutions are scrambling to comply with new regulatory requirements for financial stress testing? In 2015, the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) conducted its first industry survey to see how banking institutions worldwide were coping with more stringent regulations. They produced a report, “Stress Testing: A View from the Trenches,” and on September 22, 2015, two panellists presented their findings during a webinar to members of GARP. “Institutions on the whole are purposefully addressing the challenges,” said Jeff Kutler, Editor-in-Chief of Risk Intelligence at GARP. “There has been significant progress in data, modeling, and scenario management.” […]
What is Key to Integrating Op Risk?
“It’s critical to unite multiple perspectives on risk,” said Brenda Boultwood, Senior Vice President at MetricStream, “even though approaches to risk and compliance can be very different” throughout an organization. Boultwood was the second of two speakers at a webinar on operational risk held on August 27, 2015, sponsored by the Global Association of Risk Professionals. A common framework will require standard taxonomies, common definitions, and consistent risk assessment across a company, said Boultwood. She sketched out an integrated enterprise risk management (ERM) framework, in which all types of risk share a common hierarchy, common business processes, and a common […]
Is it OpRisk? or Business Risk?
Operational risk has figured prominently in the business news this summer: a lightning storm destroyed cloud data stored by Google, and a cyber-hack of dating website Ashley Madison breached confidentiality of 33 million accounts. Are companies addressing operational risk the best way possible? What is called operational risk may in fact have its roots in business risk, according to Mike Finlay, Chief Executive of RiskBusiness International. He was the first of two speakers at a webinar on operational risk held on August 27, 2015, sponsored by the Global Association of Risk Professionals. For example, the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster in […]
Most Valuable Skill for Risk Managers?
In terms of marketable expertise for financial risk managers, what counts more: quantitative skills, or the ability to communicate and interpret the results of calculations? “The biggest surprise of our in-depth study is that communication ranked above quant skills,” said Christopher Donohue, Managing Director of Research and Educational Programs at the Global Association of Risk Professionals. On June 30, 2015, he reported on the results of the 2015 Job Task Analysis of GARP members. Survey Design The goal of the survey and analysis was to identify knowledge and skills necessary to support competent performance of tasks and responsibilities that are […]