One of the top risks South Africa is facing and must address urgently in order to avoid country and corporate failure is that of continuing private and public governance failure, as highlighted in the Institute of Risk Management South Africa (IRMSA) Risk Report 2021. Closely related to this is the top risk noted in the report, that of a scarcity of unified, ethical and visionary leadership. 

A well-governed country, institutions, and organisations are essential for the economy to thrive to meet the country’s fiscal needs, to build resilience, and to secure the hopes of future generations. The report says that in order to address and recover from all of the risks outlined, we need a risk-intelligent public and private sector, where leaders at the highest levels embrace an enterprise-wide culture of integrated risk management to secure South Africa’s future through robust risk-informed decision-making. 

To aid risk and compliance professionals, and corporates in general, to address and mitigate against governance failures, LexisNexis – a partner and brand sponsor of the report’s launch in February – will host a free webinar (see bit.ly/GovernanceFailures) on 5 May 2021 at 10h00, specifically interrogating the issue of continuing private and public governance failure. 

The virtual session will feature expert insights from guest speaker Nicola Comninos, Group Chief Risk Officer of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Attendees can expect to leave with knowledge and tips on how they can be proactive rather than reactive when striving to create a resilient and sustainable organisation.

Nicola will discuss the necessity for risk-based decision-making in achieving strategies, not only as companies, but as a country as a whole.  

Having the right tools and intelligent data which companies can integrate into their own resources is essential in effectively mitigating against risks and ensuring compliance with the law. Nicola will ensure attendees are well equipped to protect against risk in a robust way. 

Visit bit.ly/GovernanceFailures to reserve your space for the free webinar, Ensuring Risk Resilience Amid Continuing Governance Failures, on 5 May 2021 from 10h00 – 11h00. 

Nicola Comninos is a Chartered Accountant (SA) with over 15 years’ experience in financial markets and is the 2020 recipient of the coveted IRMSA Risk Manager Award.  She chairs the JSE Pension Fund Board and CFA SA Society Risk, Governance & Audit Committee, and co-heads the Women in ETFs South Africa chapter. She participates in various industry committees, including the World Federation of Exchanges Risk Working Group, SARB Financial Sector Contingency Forum and IRMSA Risk Intelligence Committee.  Her qualifications include B.Com Honours and B.Com Investment Management degrees (both Cum Laude) and she is passionate about mentorship and sharing her knowledge and experience.