Meet our Members: Chyono Flynn, Head of Group Risk at Network Rail

The “Meet our Member” series profiles a cross-section of risk professionals within our network, revealing their day-to-day responsibilities, their company’s risk priorities for the year ahead, and why they joined – and continue to value – Risk Leadership Network.

Download now [Member Meeting Summary]: How to be a good leader and improve organisational resilience

In this interview, Chyono Flynn – head of group risk at Network Rail – discusses her unexpected route into the world of risk management, why she has been looking to build risk connections through the Risk Leadership Network, and what has provided the most value to her and the team at Network Rail since becoming a member.

Name: Chyono Flynn

Role and Company: Head of Group Risk, Network Rail

My day-to-day responsibilities at Network Rail

I lead the implementation of the risk strategy at Network Rail. Day-to-day, that means working with stakeholders to prioritise planned enterprise risk improvements and ensuring my team deliver these.

I am also responsible for the risk framework, working across the business to ensure it is adhered to as well as providing guidance on all things risk. Finally, I am the main point of contact in the risk team for external stakeholders.

How I entered the field of risk management

I got involved in the world of risk accidentally – I headed up a team assuring programmes, many of which were risk mitigations or, conversely, contributing to transformation risk. Subsequently, I became director of ERM.

What I enjoy most about being a risk leader is that you work with every area of a company and see how all of the strategic puzzle pieces fit together.

Why I joined Risk Leadership Network

I joined Risk Leadership Network as I was looking to rebuild my risk network after many of my colleagues had moved into different roles, and the lack of in-person events during the pandemic was making it very difficult to make new risk connections.

How being a member of Risk Leadership Network has provided value

What I find most useful is hearing from other risk colleagues how they have approached the implementation of a risk strategy and framework in their organisations.

What makes Risk Leadership Network different – and what provides greatest value – is the ability to propose topics for discussion and guidance, giving members an active role in shaping the conversation.

Our priorities and outlook for 2022

Our 2022 priorities are to implement and embed our chosen risk tool, as well as to update and simplify all our risk guidance across the whole organisation.

Upcoming industry-wide changes are causing some uncertainty– however, this is also an opportunity to improve risk management even further.

If I wasn’t a risk manager, I would be…

No idea! I assume I would have gone back into the field of programme management from my previous programme assurance role (my original ‘plan A’!).

To find out how becoming a Risk Leadership Network member could benefit you, discover our approach here.