All kinds of financial pressures are building up on UK businesses right now, so what's the best way to navigate through such difficult times? Surging inflation, energy crisis, supply chain issues and that's just the tip of the iceberg. UK businesses are facing all kinds of financial risks and challenges right now. Our guest for this podcast episode is Hannah Justice, a director at BSN Associates, a team of Chartered Accountants, which helps small and medium sized businesses with their financial and strategic decisions. Hannah offers insight around current financial risks and tells us the one thing businesses do not want to get wrong right now. Listen in...

According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, three quarters of employers in the UK now offer hybrid working. But what are the risks? For this episode we're joined by Paula Eckton, partner at award winning law firm Steele Raymond, to discuss not only some of the legal aspects, but the broader business risks and opportunities linked with offering a mix of workplace and home-based working.

There’s been a significant increase recently in the number of organisations seeking to align with the Business Continuity Management Standard ISO 22301. So what is this standard about, and what else can we do to encourage more businesses to adopt it?

Our guest for this episode of the RiskACUMEN podcast is Colin Crone, a director at IT Konstruct and an implementer and auditor for ISO 22301 and several other standards. We talk about ISO 22301, its benefits and some of the barriers to implementation, as well as a few of the current hot topics around resilience. 

Award winning trainer Peter Larkum supports organisations such as the Ministry of Defence, NHS, HSBC and Boots with managing mental health risks at work. For this episode, Peter talks about how and why mental health has risen to the top of everyone's agenda recently and whether that's a good or a bad thing!  He also explores the new ISO 45003 standard around Managing Psychological Health in the Workplace, aspects of legal liability and discusses the role we can all play in supporting others and ourselves. Listen in to this fascinating and open conversation today...

It's safe to say we all now know what a crisis situation is like. However, do we have the knowledge and understanding to play our part better than before? Our guest, author and consultant Jonathan Hemus, talks us through some of the biggest mistakes people make, as well as the critical success factors around crisis management. Listen to the end for how you could receive a free copy of Jonathan's award winning book Crisis Proof - essential reading for business leaders, risk consultants, safety managers, insurance underwriters or brokers or anyone else with a role to play. 

Is it time to end the silo-mentality around cyber-risk? Isn't it all just risk? Our guest, Guy Warren of enterprise IT and operational resilience providers ITRS Group, offers some useful insight around cyber-risk and explains why it's time for all of us, whether we're in operational, risk management or even risk underwriting roles, to fully understand and take ownership of digital risks and their very real-world outcomes. Listen in...

Lucian D'Arco, Group HSE Leader at O’Keefe Group, explains why he and many of his construction industry counterparts are concerned that health and fire safety basics are being neglected due to Covid-19 distraction. He talks about five key areas for the industry to focus on in order to get back to simple risk management practices to keep people safe and avoid liability costs. Lucian has also kindly provided some guidance text to accompany this episode, which can be found in an accompanying pdf.

Our guest this time is Finlay Smith, former Chief Underwriting Officer with RSA and now Chairperson of innovative MGA Accelerate Underwriting. Finlay talks openly about the insurance industry's approach to risk management, customer-centricity and the importance of relationships and mutual value. And with risk becoming 'a more important factor for business across the world' he encourages an 'evolution' in the way risk engineering and management is delivered to clients.

Our guest for Episode 3 of the Risk ACUMEN podcast is Wembley Stadium's Health and Safety Manager Tom Wike. Speaking at the end of 2020, Tom reflects on how the iconic venue's plans were thrown into turmoil last year, the way the team responded and some of the positive thoughts he'll be taking into the New Year.

For this episode we talk to Business Continuity and Crisis Management author and consultant Charlie Maclean-Bristol about the Covid-19 crisis and what lessons can be learned.