vol. XVII no. 3

				Page 1 Page 1 2 3 4 5 It is a fundamental of business education: no risk, no reward. In the corporate world, risks are inevitable, and in today's marketplace, they come from all directions - from within companies (corporate governance and employee retention), from external forces (natural disasters, global events, terrorism), and during transitions as businesses consolidate and merge. To cope with the increasing risks that mark the corporate landscape, the field of risk management has evolved to encompass far more than its traditional area of insurance. Today risk managers handle risks across enterprises. Rather than being experts in a specific field, they know a little about a lot of areas. They are generalists who predict risks, educate workers throughout the company "to think risk," and collaborate to mitigate those risks. Their backgrounds are diverse, ranging from finance to general business to the law. They often rank among top management, and their trained eye for risks informs the decisions of boards. Here we examine the role of four leading risk managers at companies that have strong roots in Atlanta: BellSouth, Delta Air Lines, First Data Corporation and The Home Depot. Although these companies differ in the services they offer and even in the way they organize the role of the risk management function, they share overarching similarities in approaching risk. Each works strategically to integrate risk management throughout its operations. Because of their large size, they absorb many risks internally, focusing insurance on catastrophic coverage. And, most important, none of these companies shies away from taking on risk - for therein lies the reward. Top | Next Page

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