How did Pete Johnson's career in risk management begin, and how does he see the future of the profession? We're delighted to introduce you to Risk Leadership Network member, Pete Johnson, PD business continuity lead at Roche.
Meet Pete
The interview:
What are your main responsibilities at Roche?
My main responsibilities include driving the organisation's response, preparation and recovery from business disruptions, while also keeping an eye on future threats and opportunities, through emerging risk monitoring and horizon scanning.
How did you get into business continuity management (BCM) and risk management? And what do you enjoy about it?
I originally wanted to be a firefighter and started looking at university courses related to firefighting. I found a disaster and emerging management university course, which I completed, and through that, I found a passion for BCM and risk management. I've not looked back since.
Are there any parts of the job you really dread?
Talking to senior leaders about BCM and risk can be challenging because there's so many different opinions and levels of understanding about it.
In the pharma industry, we work with a lot of senior leaders who are scientists or doctors. Their train of thought is very scientific, clinical and evidence based, so it's about making sure that I speak their language when discussing BCM and risk.
What are the main challenges facing risk leaders in the years ahead - and in your sector specifically?
The increasing uncertainty around the world, whether that is geopolitical, environmental or access to market. All these impact multinational organisations, particularly in pharma.
What are you doing at Roche to make sure that you're in the best place to address those challenges?
Being a "nuisance"! I want to use risk to help drive difficult business decisions and be as pragmatic as possible to achieve this. Risk management isn't all about theory and terminologies — it has to make sense to the business and add value to what they do.
Also, I want to educate the organisation on what we do in BCM and risk and to inform the business about what's on the horizon at the right time and with the right people. Incorporating risk management in various parts of the business in pharma can be challenging due to the size and diversity of the business units.
How long have you been a member of Risk Leadership Network? And why did you join?
Roche has been with RLN for just over 4 years. We joined because we see value in the peer insights, benchmarking and collaborations within our sector and with other global non-financial organisations outside pharma.
Aside from personal networks, there isn't really anywhere else where I can get together with a group of pharma leaders from around the world to discuss specific BCM and risk issues on a neutral platform under Chatham House Rule.
What would you say to anyone thinking of joining Risk Leadership Network?
It's really worthwhile, particularly if you have a small team or are new to risk management. For larger companies, the peer validation of your thought process is invaluable, as well as the benchmarking.
If I wasn't a risk leader, I would be...
A firefighter!
Pete's network manager
Upon joining Risk Leadership Network, Pete's risk team was given a dedicated risk engagement manager from our team, Rufus. Through onboarding and regular catch-ups, Rufus has worked to gain a clear understanding of Roche's risk priorities and facilitates targeted collaboration to support the team and Pete directly.
Pete really values the work we do to bring the pharma sector together to share insights and approaches. Other members really benefit from the experience and practical knowledge of BCM that Peter brings to the network, and his willingness to share lessons learned with others."
Rufus Jay
Pete's engagement manager, Risk Leadership Network
How to join Risk Leadership Network
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