Interview with Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS USA)

Navigating the Risk Landscape: Key Takeaways from My RIMS-CRMP Interview

Recently, I had the privilege of sharing my professional journey with the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) following my recognition on the 2024 RIMS Risk Management Honor Roll. The interview focused on my path to achieving the RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) certification and its tangible impact on my career. For fellow and aspiring professionals, I’ve distilled the three most important takeaways from our conversation.

1. The RIMS-CRMP Provides a Practical, Actionable Framework.
While I was initially skeptical, the RIMS-CRMP provides a structured, step-by-step framework that is invaluable in a complex role like Global Head of Insurance at Tata Consumer Products. The certification’s methodology acts as a “ready reckoner” for any ERM professional. It begins with understanding an organization’s unique risk exposure and then categorizing those risks—operational, strategic, hazard, etc. This structured approach is critical for the next step: analyzing whether a risk is insurable and performing a cost-benefit analysis to decide between self-insurance or risk transfer. This knowledge is not theoretical; it is applied daily.

2. On-the-Job Experience and Peer Learning are Crucial.
My two decades as an insurance and risk management professional provided the foundation for the exam. However, the real learning was amplified through a workshop with other risk managers from India. Hearing their perspectives on implementing risk frameworks was a pivotal experience. Life’s challenges can intervene—I had to delay my exam by five months due to family illness—but it was my deep, on-the-job learning and the knowledge shared by peers that enabled me to succeed.

3. Certification Elevates Your Profile to a Thought Leader.
The RIMS-CRMP has been instrumental in helping me understand and structure holistic risk solutions. More importantly, it has elevated my professional profile beyond my day-to-day role. It has directly led to more opportunities for speaking engagements, participating as a panelist, and leading guest lectures for students. My favorite way to maintain my certification is by leading webinars and speaking at conferences, which allows me to share knowledge and continuously learn from others in our dynamic field.