Brokerslink begins Rims certification training as risk consulting comes to the fore

Brokerslink has held its first Rims-Certified Risk Management Professional (CRMP) certification training as it looks to improve risk management knowledge among its members and their customers.

The move reflects the mounting demand for risk consulting services from risk managers and Brokerslink’s ongoing push to deliver on this front, executives at the global broker network told Commercial Risk.

Rims and Brokerslink announced a multi-year programme earlier this year to help develop risk management by providing greater access to the Rims-CRMP certification through Brokerslink’s network. The aim is to get more risk managers certified but also educate brokers so they can better discuss risk management with clients.

As part of the collaboration, Brokerslink will deliver both private and public Rims-CRMP Exam Prep Workshops to its global network, which comprises more than 45,000 professionals in 133 countries. Rims will provide the course materials, instructors and exam to help Brokerslink workshop attendees earn the Rims-CRMP certification.

The first training took place at Brokerslink’s annual conference in the Middle East. “In Abu Dhabi we started a partnership with Rims. We are very proud of this. We ran a two-day educational workshop as part of the multiyear partnership with Rims to train risk managers and brokers and enable them to get certification from Rims,” said José Manuel Fonseca, president and CEO of Brokerslink.

The certification covers five risk management elements – analysing organisational models, designing organisational risk strategies, implementing the risk process, developing organisational risk competency, and supporting decision making.

The benefit of certification to risk managers is obvious, but Brokerslink thinks ensuring more of its members have a base level of risk management knowledge will help them better discuss risk management with clients and, ultimately, improve its risk consulting services.

Maurizio Castelli, head of Brokerslink risk management practice, explained why the Rims certification initiative is not just for risk managers. “It is for risk professionals,” he said. “Brokers can use it as a tool for their clients but they can also use it as a tool for themselves to understand the needs of their clients.”

The former Ferma president believes brokers increasingly need to help clients with risk management as the relationship between the two goes down the risk consulting route.

“More and more clients, particularly mid-sized clients, are looking for help on the risk management side. The philosophy of the Brokerslink risk management practice is to support brokers on the risk management side of things. But some brokers do not have the basics to be able to discuss risk management. So while the Brokerslink risk management practice supports its brokers when they have a need with clients, it is important that in the initial stage of contact, when clients approach them, our brokers have sufficient knowledge to be able to begin talking the same language as the risk managers,” he said.

“That is why we think it is important for our brokers to get the training and certification from Rims. We think it will help them and risk management,” said Castelli.

Both he and Fonseca, himself a former risk manager and Ferma vice-president, said risk consulting is in demand, particularly when it comes to mid-sized clients.

“For smaller firms without a dedicated risk manager, the consulting dynamic is definitely becoming stronger. At that level, companies need the broker to access risk management knowledge. Very often, the broker is trusted by the main stakeholders – ownership or board – so can help give trusted advice,” said Castelli.

“Brokers are focusing more and more on consulting,” agreed Fonseca. “While there cannot be risk experts everywhere, it is important that we can provide this service inside Brokerslink through our risk management practice and specialist risk consulting affiliate firms to give clients a different perspective.”