The top risk priority for 2025, according to our network of risk leaders, is "maturing risk management in the business". This encapsulates a diverse range of initiatives united by an ambition to uplift risk practice.
In our inaugural Risk Leaders' Agenda benchmark, we set out a risk leaders' to-do list for the year, synthesising the voices of our members — risk leaders at multinational non-financial organisations.
1. Maturing risk management in the business
Risk leaders are focusing on improving risk maturity at different levels, and in different parts, of the business, from frontline employees to the executive.
For some, the key to unlocking risk maturity and effectiveness is securing greater accountability and buy-in from senior leaders. For others, a more clearly defined risk framework is crucial.
Looking across organisations in our network, what matters most to practitioners is education and enablement.
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How we're supporting risk leaders with this priority: A risk leader in our network believes that securing executive accountability is pivotal for driving a more risk-aware culture. We're connecting them with other practitioners who have successfully worked with executives to educate them on their role in the risk management framework and embed ownership for risk. Through this bespoke collaboration, the member will be able to implement solutions that have been tried and tested by other risk leaders, drastically reducing the time they spend on this challenge. Request an exploratory call to find out more about this collaboration. |
2. Risk appetite and decision-making
Building on risk appetite frameworks and, more importantly, using them to guide better decision making, will remain a key focus for risk leaders in 2025.
Some organisations have made significant progress on building engagement around risk appetite and winning the approval of the board. Meanwhile, others are working out how to effectively measure the position of risks relative to appetite and to use this information in reporting.
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How we're supporting risk leaders with this priority One of our members is currently working on setting appetite for challenging risk types. They are using board approval for the risk appetite approach as an impetus to create appetite statements for a more complex set of risk categories, such as conduct and compliance, people and culture, and environmental risk. We're facilitating collaboration so this member can learn from others who have set risk appetite for new risk categories, allowing them to validate their approach before implementation. Request an exploratory call to find out more about this collaboration. |
3. Key risk indicators
Organisation at various different stages of their maturity journey will look more closely at key risk indicators (KRIs) in 2025.
For some of our members, this means setting up KRIs and integrating them into risk appetite statements for the first time.
For others, the next step is to build on their existing KRIs and progress towards a more objective set of metrics to measure performance relative to appetite.
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How we're supporting risk leaders with this priority This risk team at one member organisation is planning to underpin strategic risk reporting with KRIs, to make it more tangible for the board. They're working with the strategy team to align KRIs to the business' strategic objectives, in order to produce a balanced scorecard that communicates business performances more succinctly. To support them, we're producing a bespoke benchmark to gather insights on how other organisations have produced similar materials. They may find they can directly lift or adapt some of the peer-contributed templates, allowing them to find a trusted solution quickly. Request an exploratory call to find out more about this collaboration. |
What next?
This article highlights the top three themes from our Risk Leaders' Agenda 2025 report. Download the full report here for more insights on how risk leaders are tackling these three challenges, as well as:
- Risk systems and data collection (GRC)
- Emerging, external and strategic risk
- Leveraging AI/technology
- Risk team capability and operating model
If you would like to find out how we can support you with a specific challenge or priority you're facing, whether it is covered in the report or not, please book an exploratory call.
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