Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

In this episode, Justin interviews François Beaume about the AMRAE 2026 RMIS Panorama available now and about the RISKWORLD 2026 session that François presented. Justin and François discuss ESG functional coverage. They discuss how François uses AI daily. They discuss the continuing increase in RMIS users, moving RIMS out of the niche tool category into an enterprise governance platform. They discuss the 2026 RMIS Panorama findings, the Panorama database, and how you can access it.

Listen for insight into the 2026 RMIS Panorama and how your organization compares.

Key Takeaways:

[:01] About RIMS and RIMScast.

[:16] About this episode of RIMScast. We are delighted to welcome back to RIMScast AMRAE President François Beaume. He's here to discuss the findings of the 2026 AMRAE RMIS Panorama. We'll talk all about emerging trends. But first…

[:48] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep with AFERM will be held on June 16th and 17th. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA will be held virtually on July 21st and 22nd. Links to registration are in this episode's notes.

[1:06] You can enroll now in the RIMS CRO Certificate Program in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management hosted by the famous James Lam. Beginning July 15th, workshops will be held bi-weekly from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The registration link is in the show notes.

[1:27] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 19th and 20th in Columbus, Ohio. We want to hear from you. Submit a session proposal by June 19th to reach engaged practitioners, innovators, and leaders looking for guidance they can utilize right away.

[1:45] Help define what's next for Enterprise Risk Management. Submit a session proposal by Friday, June 19th. A link is in this episode's show notes.

[1:53] Folks, through the generosity of industry partners, RIMS has launched The Foundation for Risk Management™, which provides scholarships for early-career professionals to attend RIMS events like the RIMS Texas Regional Conference, RIMS Canada Conference, and RISKWORLD.

[2:11] The Foundation also helps beneficiaries earn their RIMS-CRMP and fund research projects. To learn more or contribute to the Foundation, visit RIMS.org/FRM and visit the link in this episode's show notes.

[2:27] RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today!

[2:46] On with the Show! Our guest today is making his third appearance here on RIMScast. He is the Senior Vice President for Risks and Insurance at Sonepar, and he is the President of AMRAE, the Association for the Management of Risks and Insurance in Enterprises.

[3:04] François Beaume is here to discuss the 2026 RMIS Panorama, published by AMRAE, in partnership with EY. Panorama is free and publicly available.

[3:14] Panorama provides an in-depth look at the organizations and professionals who are using risk management information systems, how well they've adapted, and guidance for those seeking their first or newest framework. It's always great to speak with him. Let's get to it!

[3:28] Interview! François Beaume, Welcome Back to RIMScast!

[3:36] François has been Chairman at AMRAE for a year and will be for two more years. Because of his role at AMRAE, Justin wanted to have him on the show to speak about this year's RMIS Panorama.

[4:04] Justin mentions a difference between last year's RMIS Panorama and this year's RMIS Panorama. Last year, AI felt like an emerging capability. This year's report shows a 20-point jump in planned or actual AI integration and an 8-point increase in functional coverage.

[4:19] At the same time, people aren't always happy with AI. The satisfaction part is still a little bit behind. Justin asks, Are we entering a phase where expectations are outpacing execution?

[4:32] François says, Yes, probably. AI has moved faster in CEOs' and leaders' minds than in the organization. Everyone wants the data, governance, and skills. Educating the workforce users takes time. The ambition was there, but the "plumbing" is catching up.

[5:11] François says that is what is being reflected in the 2026 RMIS Panorama's deep dive on AI.

[5:29] François says he uses AI all day long for various things. As a risk manager, he uses it to increase his efficiency and daily productivity. He thinks that is quite common. He says it's also what we need for faster and better analysis.

[6:00] Daily analysis from an AI engine using trusted sources is much faster than manual analysis. Now he has the time to tighten it, understand it, and complement it.

[6:44] SONEPAR is using it for their benefit and to better spread risk management principles throughout the organization through Helpdesk or Chatbot, allowing people who are less skilled in risk management or insurance to ask questions through the tools to get support.

[7:05] Those tools answer almost 90% of the questions. The remaining questions go to the Risk Management team because they are in a gray area. SONEPAR is using AI more and more and is entering a phase where they are looking at automating some risk management processes.

[7:33] François says he is looking at automating business partner assessments, a cumbersome and complex process that the Risk Management team is doing with multiple tools.

[7:49] Now, they are trying to streamline it, still with humans making the decisions, based on an AI data set that will be faster and easier to produce and much more reliable.

[8:24] Justin says one of the more surprising findings in the RMIS Panorama is that ESG Functional Coverage dropped by 15 points this year. François explains why he thinks this is the case. It's not ESG fatigue, but it's in the way companies are approaching ESG.

[9:22] François says a lot of ESG features are moved out of risk management information systems into dedicated tools and sometimes into dedicated teams. In the beginning, some ESG features were encapsulated in Risk Management systems.

[9:39] François says it's less and less the case, at least in the tools that are sold in Europe. In the U.S., it could be more mixed. Separating ESG from Risk Management is more linked to maturity and topical evolution, rather than fatigue or a decrease in the importance of ESG.

[10:06] Justin says the report also suggests that functional coverage overall has stabilized, which Justin asks if that indicates a mature market. François speaks of maturity and breaks down the RMIS Panorama, made from three surveys: Vendors, Risk Managers, and Insurers.

[10:43] Maturity is reflected by a mix of these studies. Almost 250 Risk Managers from 36 countries took the survey. They want smarter features, better insight, better connections, and better decisions. They want the tools RMIS is using to be part of the group's way of functioning.

[11:27] François says this is not yet the case. The tools are a bit apart and not fully connected with the CRM and other tools. François says they are starting to change. The risk managers using these tools are expecting change to come in the next few years.

[11:52] Justin asks if it's easier today for a startup to build from the ground up with their Risk Management Information System embedded in their processes, or for an established organization. François says today it's easier for both, but big groups are more complex.

[12:39] A Quick Break! There are so many other wonderful RIMS events coming up in 2026. The 2026 Florida RIMS Educational Conference will be held from July 28th through August 1st at the lovely Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida. A link to the event is in this episode's show notes.

[12:57] Register now for the Second Annual RIMS Texas Regional Conference, which will be held from August 10th through 12th at the Grand Hyatt on the San Antonio River Walk.

[13:08] The 11th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will return to the Old Post Office on Thursday, September 24th, 2026, in Chicago. Visit ChicagolandRiskForum.org for more information.

[13:18] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. Registration is open, and you can also submit a session. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information.

[13:35] Save the dates October 18th through the 21st. We will be in Quebec City to celebrate the 50th Live RIMS Canada Conference. Booth sales are already open. Advance registration will open on June 10th.

[13:50] Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information. Also, remember to check out RIMS.org/Canada for our spinoff show, RIMScast Canada, hosted by National Conference Committee Chair, Aaron Lukoni.

[14:04] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 18th and 19th in Columbus, Ohio. The deadline for educational content submissions is Friday, June 19th. Get submissions in now. The link is in this episode's show notes. Registration opens in July.

[14:27] Let's Return to Our Interview with François Beaume!

[14:36] François Beaume presented at RISKWORLD 2026. You can check out the materials from his presentation on RIMS.org/ASC. You will have had to have registered for or attended RISKWORLD 2026 to check it out. We're here to continue the dialog.

[15:12] François feels his session went well. There were 50 to 55 people gathered there to listen and take notes. For François, it was pleasant to do.

[16:00] François says you have a feeling when you are connecting with an audience. You can see that they are following you, and the message is passing from you to them.

[16:51] François says, If you are losing your audience, you can try to use humor. Sometimes you succeed. He tells of a session in a noisy room, where everybody, including himself, was provided with a helmet, to listen to like a podcast. He could not feel if they were getting the message or not.

[17:47] When presenting, you try to hold the attention of the room. Justin says that sometimes he locks eyes with somebody who's listening and then talks to that person and hopes that others will pick up on that energy.

[18:18] Justin says risk management is not the easiest topic to make exciting. You have to figure out ways to jazz it up a little bit.

[18:31] François says if you are convinced that the topic is interesting, that conviction, at a certain point, will pass through the mic and go to the room. If you are not convinced, the public will feel it. Justin says, If you are not excited to present, the audience will not be captivated.

[18:58] François notes that he is French and speaks English like a Frenchman, so he has to manage that. His message may not be phrased as the audience expects. The way an American would phrase it is not the way I am using it. Justin stresses listening better to different accents.

[19:58] Justin says François is a very good presenter, and the RISKWORLD audience seemed engaged in his message. Justin says if one person walks away with something actionable, it was worthwhile. François says, "Mission accomplished!"

[20:23] Another Quick Break! The Spencer Educational Foundation's Risk Manager on Campus application period is now open, and it will close on June 30th. Grant awardees, colleges, and universities are typically notified in September.

[20:43] The Course Development Grant application deadline for Interval Number 2 will be on June 15th, 2026. Award notifications will be sent out in late July.

[20:58] General Grant applications are open, and the application deadline is July 30th. Internship Grant applications open on August 15th and close on October 15th.

[21:09] Links to each of these grants are in this episode's show notes. Visit SpencerEd.org for more information.

[21:17] The Spencer 2026 Funding Their Future Gala will be held on Thursday, September 17th, from 6:30 to 10:00 p.m. at a different venue this year. It will be at the fabulous Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

[21:32] Sponsorship opportunities and benefits are available now. A link to the Funding Their Future Gala is in this episode's show notes.

[21:40] Next week's guest is the Funding Their Future Gala Honoree, Marya Propis! More Spencer celebrities and board members will be making appearances on RIMScast this summer, as well.

[21:53] Let's Conclude Our Interview with François Beaume!

[22:09] Justin says the Panorama notes an increase in organizations with more than 200 RMIS users. Does that signal that RMIS is becoming an enterprise-wide infrastructure, or is it still a niche tool for risk teams?

[22:26] François says that this is really positive. A Risk Management Information System is not a niche risk tool anymore. It's becoming part of the company infrastructure.

[22:44] Once you have hundreds of users, expectations explode, the momentum is there, and user patience drops. As the tool starts to become more massive and interconnected with other tools, you have to manage expectations. The scope of usage of these tools is widening.

[23:16] You have not only niche risk usage, but you also have risk management, internal control, insurance, compliance, etc., that are managed inside the tool. The tool reaches all areas of development. The momentum is self-generating.

[24:15] François says executive involvement in RMIS usage is positive. Executives want clarity from dashboards. They want to know what matters, why it matters, and what we can do next. They want the deep insight of the tool. They may not go into the tool, but will use the dashboard.

[25:10] François speaks of the progress of the techniques of Risk Management Information Systems. Data mining, SaaS contracts, and AI usage have contributed to making RMIS easier to deploy, connect, and access in order to load data, analyze data, and extract data.

[26:08] Now is a time of wider usage of Risk Management Information Systems; once they have been adopted, they are there for life, and then you have to make them evolve.

[26:21] This means that we have more discussions inside the corporations on RMIS evolutions and replacement. Are we able to make it evolve on its own, or is it time to change? If yes, what kind of process can I depend on to contemplate and manage that change?

[26:56] This is executive level. You have created expectations. You have provided dashboards and KPIs, and you have to manage the production. Once it's done, you need a different momentum to run the production and make it better and more accurate over time. It's not easy.

[27:40] With their partner EY, AMRAE is finalizing the deployment of the 2026 Panorama Sessions. The French translation will be released by mid-June, and explanation sessions will be run with vendors, risk managers, insurers, and brokers.

[28:05] François says AMRAE is already working on the 2027 Panorama, which will be ready for the next RISKWORLD session in New Orleans.

[28:27] If someone wants to participate in the Panorama, they need to contact AMRAE. Risk managers will be contacted by the risk management association of the country where they operate. If you are a vendor, you can contact AMRAE. AMRAE contacts insurers and brokers.

[29:35] Justin says if you wish to participate, reach out. Go through your risk association where you have membership, like RIMS, FIRMA, or IFRIMA. The confidential information collected helps educate the global risk community. This Panorama is very important for us.

[30:08] François says that inside the Panorama, all the contact details are available. As part of the panel, you have access to an online data form. The Panorama has a PDF version, a snapshot of what's in the database. The full database is accessible to anyone.

[30:27] François says that as a risk manager or a vendor, you can run your own analysis by filtering and sorting the Panorama database.

[30:45] Justin says that's the nice thing about it: AMRAE has made it complimentary and is broadening the horizons of the global risk community by doing so.

[30:57] Justin says, I do miss recording with you in person. So, next year, hopefully we get a chance to see each other and have some Cajun food, put the mic up, and eat some jambalaya and talk. It will be great. I want to thank you again, and you're welcome back any time.

[31:17] Special thanks again to François Beaume for joining us here on RIMScast! We look forward to seeing him at a future RIMS event. You can visit AMRAE.fr to access the free and publicly available RMIS Panorama 2026.

[31:34] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes.

[32:03] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact [email protected] for more information.

[32:21] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email [email protected] for more information.

[32:39] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more.

[32:55] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management.

[33:09] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at [email protected].

[33:21] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continued support!

Links:

RIMS ERM Conference 2026 | November 19‒20 in Columbus, Ohio | Session Submission Deadline: Friday, June 19

RIMS Canada Conference — Oct. 18‒21, 2026 | Quebec City | www.rimscanadaconference.ca | Registration Opens June 10

RIMScast on YouTube!

Spencer Educational Foundation — Scholarships and Grants | Open Calls and Timelines.

RIMS-CRO Certificate Program In Advanced Enterprise Risk Management | July‒Sept. 2026 Cohort | Led by James Lam | Register Now!

2026 Florida RIMS Educational Conference | July 28‒Aug. 1 | Register Now

RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2026 | Aug. 10‒12 in San Antonio | Register Now!

ChicagoLand Risk Forum | Sept. 24, 2026

RIMS Western Regional Conference — Oct. 4‒7, 2026 | Seattle, WA | Register Today and Submit an Educational Session!

RIMS Risk Management Magazine | Contribute | Look for the Awards Edition in "Digital Issues"!

RIMS Now

RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Video Series Featuring Joe Milan!

RIMS, the Foundation for Risk Management

The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center

RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council

RIMS-CRMP Stories

RIMScast Canada — Episodes Now Live

RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy

RISKWORLD 2026 Presentations Available via Attendee Service Center — www.RIMS.org/Asc - and via the RIMS Events App

RMIS Panorama: https://www.amrae.fr/bibliotheque-de-amrae/2026-rmis-panorama

Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops:

RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA | July 21‒22, 2026 RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep with AFERM | June 16‒17, 2026

Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule

See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops

Upcoming RIMS Webinars:

RIMS.org/Webinars

Related RIMScast Episodes: "Strategy and Change with Ward Ching and Aaron Olson"

"Live from RISKWORLD 2026!"

"The Evolving Role of the Risk Analyst"

"AI and the Future of Risk with Dan Chuparkoff"

"Live from RISKWORLD 2025"

"AI Risks and Compliance with Chris Maguire"

Sponsored RIMScast Episodes:

"AI-Scale, Risk Ready: Engineering Controls for the New Data Center Boom" (New!) | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company

"Facing Into Risk: Navigating the New Risk Landscape" (New!) | Sponsored by AXA XL

"Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenges" | Sponsored by AXA XL

"The ART of Risk: Rethinking Risk Through Insight, Design, and Innovation" | Sponsored by Alliant

"Mastering ERM: Leveraging Internal and External Risk Factors" | Sponsored by Diligent

"Cyberrisk: Preparing Beyond 2025" | Sponsored by Alliant

"The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL

'Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company

"Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs" | Sponsored by Zurich

"Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding" | Sponsored by Zurich

"What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog

"Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping" | Sponsored by Medcor

"How Insurance Builds Resilience Against an Active Assailant Attack" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog

"Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips" | Sponsored by Alliant

RIMS Publications, Content, and Links:

RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community!

RIMS Virtual Workshops

On-Demand Webinars

RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP)

RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy

RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center

RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Manny Padilla!

RIMS Events, Education, and Services:

RIMS Risk Maturity Model®

Sponsor RIMScast: Contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.

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About our guest: François Beaume, SVP Risks and Insurance, Sonepar

President of AMRAE

Production and engineering provided by Podfly.