Welcome to the MPF Risk Panel

The MPF Risk Panel is a group of partners, risk management professionals and consultants working across the field of professional services organisations. Members are those responsible for recognition of risk, risk evaluation, developing strategies to manage it, and mitigation of risk using managerial resources.

The objectives of the Panel include

  • Link members through a formal network.
  • Exchange ideas and best practice.
  • Benchmark best practice through membership surveys.
  • Promote the role of risk managers in the eyes of professional employers.

WHY HAVE A RISK PANEL?

  1. There is a lack of understanding at firms and the wider community about the emergence of Risk as a management discipline in its own right.
  2. Whilst other forums focus on technical aspects of the 'craft', the MPF Risk Panel takes a lead on recognising and representing the contributions of risk professionals to management.
  3. Although effective risk management is a business imperative, many firms have yet to embed risk in the DNA of the whole firm.
  4. Many firms do not yet employ designated risk managers and therefore the responsibility for the function falls upon a non-risk professional.
  5. There are a growing number of risk professionals contributing to the executive committee at firms with no personal background in professional service firm management.

KNOWLEDGE

Structured: The committee consists of leaders of risk worldwide selected on the basis of their contribution to management at their firm. They create a forum for the discussion of risk related topics through regular surveys, education and the sharing of best practice.

All findings are published for free to provide the ammunition for risk managers to make a valued contribution to management at their own firm based on knowledge, distilled wisdom and the collective views of the sector.

Ad hoc: A member sends a question to mpfpulse@pmint.co.uk on a topic causing an immediate and relevant issue. HQ canvasses experts and members, and publishes a summary of contributions.

EVENTS

Panel events are open to all MPF and Panel members. Participants can tap into rich case studies and anecdotes - great to supplement dry statistics from surveys when presenting to management. These are intimate peer-group events to discuss issues under the 'Chatham House Rule', governing the confidentiality of the source of information received at a meeting. Much of the benefit comes from people sharing tacit know how on how to use explicit knowledge more widely or effectively in their organisation or externally.

Participants will learn new ideas and approaches, but what they share will be difficult to copy for quick commercial advantage because it will be culture specific - culture being the "deep" differentiator in most excellent knowledge businesses, regardless of sector. So each event will cover not only best practice but also ways participants have found to tackle typical cultural barriers to implementation.

As a membership organisation, all events are member only. However, those interested in joining are welcome to attend one event as our guest in order to 'smell the coffee'.

DETAILS OF OUR NEXT EVENT

Coming soon...

COMMITTEE

Co-Chair: Roy Welsby has been with Grant Thornton since 1979 and became a partner in 1989. He splits his time between Grant Thornton UK, where he is the Head of Risk & Technical for the Recovery & Reorganisation practice, and Grant Thornton International, where he is responsible for risk management globally for Specialist Advisory Services. He is a member of the Risk Management Advisory Committee, which advices the Global Leadership Board on risk management issues.

Co-Chair: Julia Graham is the Chief Risk Officer for DLA Piper the largest legal services organisation in the world. Previously, head of Global Group Risk Management at Royal & Sun Alliance Julia has over 30 years experience in risk management, insurance and related issues. Most recently Chairman of AIRMIC, the UK association of insurance and risk managers, Julia is a frequent conference speaker and regular author of articles on risk and insurance. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute, a Chartered Insurer, and Fellow of the Business Continuity Institute. Julia was Chairman of the British Standards Institution (BSi) committee which published the first British standard for Risk Management BS31100 and a member of the British Standards committee which developed the British Standard for business continuity management BS25999

Co-Director: David Hancock is an independent consultant with over 20 years risk experience and an Associate Fellow with Cranfield University where he works with the international project management and the supply chain research groups and a board member of ALARM the public risk management association. Prior to this he was the risk and audit manager for the London Development Agency and public sector risk manager of the Year. In the private sector he was a Director of Halcrow and the risk manager for the hugely successful £4.3bn Heathrow Terminal 5 project and the Copenhagen Metro where he developed, implemented and operated the risk management systems.

Co-Director: Nick Hedley is a Founding Partner of Hedley May. He is a recognised leader in the compliance, in-house legal, risk, company secretarial and internal audit markets and has worked for a broad spectrum of corporates and financial institutions. Nick has also completed a number of significant searches for leading law firms. Previously Nick led the Legal, Governance and Risk Practice at Whitehead Mann. Nick is a qualified solicitor and has an LLB from Queen Mary & Westfield College, London.

Ray Brown is a Managing Director of Marsh Inc, the insurance broking arm of Marsh & McLennan Companies involved in its Financial and Professional Services Group (FINPRO) in London. His day to day duties include responsibility for a number of leading Financial Institutions and a number of Law Societies and service firms globally on Professional Indemnity arrangements, together with the placement of reinsurance for Medical Defence organisations. He is also a member of the firms Global Professional Indemnity Practice. Prior to locating to London in 1992 ran the Marsh FINPRO operations in Australia.

Clinton Douch (Prime Professions)

Martin Ellis specialises in the arrangement of professional indemnity insurance for solicitors and has done so for over 23 years. He has represented many of the larger international law firms advising them on a wide range of insurance and risk management issues. Martin is the head of the Solicitors Practice Group at Prime Professions.

Richard Skelley heads up the RBS Professional Practices Group operating out of the bank's Corporate Banking business based in London. Looking after the needs of organisations drawn from the Legal, Accounting and Real Estate Services professions Richard has a wealth of experience in dealing with people businesses, and previously held Senior Management positions within RBS Business Services and Media sector teams for a number of years during his 28 year tenure with the Bank.

Sue Weatherson is the Risk and Compliance Director of Withers LLP, London's leading Private Client firm. Sue is an accountant and worked in the accountancy profession for 10 years before joining the Investigation unit of the OSS as a Senior Investigation Officer. During her 7 years there, Sue gained first hand experience regarding lawyers' involvement in fraud, investment scams and money laundering and has lectured on this subject extensively. Sue then specialised in the field of risk management in the solicitors' profession and joined Withers in December 2002. Sue is responsible for ensuring compliance with legislative, regulating and ethical requirements for the Firm's 7 international offices. Her Team manage all due diligence, conflicts and client risk analysis as well as pro-actively managing risks that face the Firm.

MEMBERSHIP

Two independent referees are required. Panel membership is free for 'Full 'MPF members and £500 plus admission fee for others.

Consultants are only eligible for Panel membership in exceptional circumstances. Membership renews on 1 July with a sliding scale in the first year. If interested, please complete the registration form.

DETAILS OF OUR NEXT SURVEY

Coming soon...

COMMITTEE

Julia Graham

Co-Chair:
Julia Graham,
DLA Piper

Roy Welsby

Co-Chair:
Roy Welsby,
Grant Thornton

Nick Hedley

Panel Co-Director:
Nick Hedley,
Hedley May

David Hancock

Panel Co-Director:
David Hancock

Richard Skelley

Richard Skelley
RBS Professional Practices Group

MartinEllis

Martin Ellis,
Prime Professions

Sue Weatherson

Sue Weatherson,
Withers LLP

Ray Brown

Ray Brown,
Marsh Inc

FUTURE EVENTS

Thursday 8 April 2010 (Breakfast)
Risk lessons from the World Economic Forum




Thursday 3 June (Evening)
Exploiting best practice from other sectors

PREVIOUS EVENTS