Global Risk Agility Organizational Resilience in the Era of Man-made Risk

“You have to manage risks before they manage you. Global Risk Agility provides a practical platform for greater risk governance at all layers of an organization and society. With this compelling work, we can no longer plead ignorance to the era of man-made risk nor can we afford a slow search for causality. It is time to mount our defenses to the effects of cyber risk, terrorism, climate change and other interconnected threats, which Wagner and Disparte masterfully deconstruct in this book.”

Tom Ridge, first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania, and Chairman, Ridge Global

In Global Risk Agility and Decision Making, Daniel Wagner and Dante Disparte, two leading authorities in global risk management, make a compelling case for the need to bring traditional approaches to risk management and decision making into the twenty-first century

Based on their own deep and multi-faceted experience in risk management across numerous firms in dozens of countries, the authors call for a greater sense of urgency from corporate boards, decision makers, line managers, policymakers, and risk practitioners to address and resolve the plethora of challenges facing today's private and public sector organizations.

Set against the era of man-made risk, where transnational terrorism, cyber risk, and climate change are making traditional risk models increasingly obsolete, they argue that remaining passively on the side-lines of the global economy is dangerous, and that understanding and actively engaging the world is central to achieving risk agility. Their definition of risk agility taps into the survival and risk-taking instincts of the entrepreneur while establishing an organizational imperative focused on collective survival.

Terrorism
Climate change
Cyber risk
Socio-political risk

The agile risk manager is part sociologist, anthropologist, psychologist, and quant. Risk agility implies not treating risk as a cost of doing business, but as a catalyst for growth. Wagner and Disparte bring the concept of risk agility to life through a series of case studies that cut across industries, countries and the public and private sectors. The rich, real-world examples underscore how once mighty organizations can be brought to their knees - and even their demise - by simple miscalculations or a failure to just do the right thing. The reader is offered deep insights into specific risk domains that are shaping our world, including terrorism, cyber risk, climate change, and economic resource nationalism, as well as a frame of reference from which to think about risk management and decision making in our increasingly complicated world.

This easily digestible book will shed new light on the often complex discipline of risk management. Readers will learn how risk management is being transformed from a business prevention function to a values-based framework for thriving in increasingly perilous times. From tackling governance structures and the tone at the top to advocating for greater transparency and adherence to value systems, this book will establish a new generation of risk leader, with clarion voices calling for greater risk agility. The rise of agile decision makers coincides with greater resilience and responsiveness in the era of man-made risk.

Dante A. Disparte

Dante Disparte is an entrepreneur, business leader and global risk expert. He is the founder and CEO of Risk Cooperative, an innovative strategy and risk advisory firm based in Washington, D.C. Dante serves on the board of the American Security Project, where he chairs the Business Council. He is a frequent speaker and commentator on business and political issues shaping the world. From entrepreneurship, where he was invited by the White House to speak at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Kenya, to risk, economic competitiveness and security issues, Dante's wide ranging views are regularly featured in leading publications and news media. A graduate of Harvard Business School, where he chairs the D.C. alumni association and sits on the global alumni board, Dante also holds an MSc. in Risk Management from the NYU Stern School of Business and a B.A. in International and Intercultural Studies from Goucher College. He is fluent in 6 languages and has conducted business all over the world.

Daniel Wagner

Daniel Wagner is CEO of Country Risk Solutions, a Connecticut-based cross-border risk advisory firm. CRS provides a range of services related to the management of country risk.

Daniel was previously Senior Vice President of Country Risk at GE Energy Financial Services where he was part of a team investing billions of dollars annually into global energy projects. He was responsible for advising senior management on a variety of country risk-related issues, strategic planning, and portfolio management. Daniel created a Center of Excellence for country risk analysis in GE and led a team that produced a comprehensive automated country risk rating methodology.

He began his career at AIG in New York and subsequently spent five years as Guarantee Officer for the Asia Region at the World Bank Group's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) in Washington, D.C. During that time he was responsible for underwriting political risk insurance (PRI) for projects in a dozen Asian countries. After then serving as Regional Manager for Political Risks for Southeast Asia and Greater China for AIG in Singapore, Daniel then moved to Manila, Philippines where he was Guarantee and Risk Management Advisor, then Political Risk Guarantee Specialist, then Senior Guarantees and Syndications Specialist for the ADB's Office of Co-financing Operations. Over the course of his career Daniel has also held senior positions in the PRI brokerage business in London, Dallas and Houston.

Daniel is the author of two other books - Managing Country Risk and Political Risk Insurance Guide - and more than 500 articles on risk management and current affairs. He holds master's degrees in International Relations from the University of Chicago and in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) in Phoenix. He received his bachelor's degree in Political Science from Richmond College in London.

Selected reviews

"Globalization's 'interconnectedness' is moderating our tribal savage instincts; Conflict has become a growth industry. This book reveals what diplomats know - if you accept a risk environment for its hidden opportunities, your interests will be greater, and better served. The rest is up to us -- to be able to identify risks and realize those opportunities. The authors' lens adds clarity to this risk/opportunity landscape to illustrate that agility, not fear, will capture those opportunities. Wagner and Disparte split the atom on risk, and their book shows how to harness it."

Hugh T. Dugan, U.S. Department of State career diplomat, senior advisor to ten U.S. ambassadors to the United Nations, and Distinguished Visiting Scholar of UN Studies, School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University (USA).

"A true treasure chest of insights that provides the reader with a clear understanding of how risk can be managed. Global Risk Agility is a wonderful tour de force across the shifting landscapes of risk, providing deep insights about how to navigate our globalized and interconnected world. A must read for business executives and anyone who has been entrusted with risk preparedness."

Georg Kell, Chief Architect and former CEO of the United Nations Global Compact (USA).

"Globalization offers enormous opportunities, but also exposes companies to a host of risks that span the continuum from currency volatility and geopolitics to cyber security and climate change. Risk management is complex, layered and multifaceted, and requires interdisciplinary coordination and insight. Threats abound, and their capacity to undermine customer trust and market confidence can level incalculable damage."Global Risk Agility and Decision Making" thoughtfully examines these threats and makes the case that containing risk is not only a strategic imperative, but essential to organizational survival in the 21st century."

Wanda Felton, Vice Chair and First Vice President, The Export-Import Bank of the United States (USA).

"Global Risk Agility and Decision Making is a must read for government officials (either elected or career), for business men and women, and for all those who value their economic future. Sun Tzu famously said in his epic book The Art of War, "if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." That book is a must read at every military school. Wagner and Disparte's book gives you the knowledge and ability to know about the enemy --risk -- and what the threats are. They address innovation, agility, and preparation, along with a treasure trove of other recommendations. Put this book at the top of your reading list for 2016!"

Steve Cheney, Brigadier General, United States Marine Corps (Retired) and CEO of the American Security Project (USA).

"What I particularly valued about this book is the emphasis the authors place on the importance of achieving risk agility. Agile entrepreneurs always anticipate, innovate, and where possible, avoid headwinds, by changing tack and direction. Professional risk managers must do the same, and this book drives that point home very effectively."

Tony O. Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings & Founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation (Nigeria).

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