As businesses face more complex and consequential risks, a strong Chief Risk Officer helps them take the right risks well. Here is how to hire one.
Match expertise to your risk landscape
A Chief Risk Officer's value depends on fit with the risks the business actually faces — financial, operational, strategic, regulatory, reputational, or supply-chain. Before hiring, define your risk landscape and the challenges ahead, and match the leader's experience to them. Deep risk experience in the wrong domain is of limited use; relevant, specific expertise across the risks that matter to your business is what counts.
Enabling the right risks, not blocking all
The strongest risk leaders help the business take the right risks knowingly and well, rather than trying to eliminate risk. Hiring for commercial judgement alongside risk expertise, and for the temperament to enable sound risk-taking rather than obstruct the business, is central. Risk leaders seen only as a blocker lose influence and do the job poorly; those who help the business grow with clear eyes on its risks earn a genuine seat at the table.
A clear, honest picture
A key part of the role is giving the business an honest, coherent picture of its risks — surfacing what others may prefer not to see and ensuring risks are owned and managed rather than ignored until they materialise. This requires independence, judgement, and the standing to be heard on uncomfortable matters. Assessing for a candidate's ability to see risk clearly and communicate it with credibility matters alongside technical risk knowledge.
How the search works
Define your risk landscape and whether the priority is building risk capability, managing a specific risk domain, or strengthening the overall framework, and a retained search can match a Chief Risk Officer who combines relevant expertise with the judgement and influence to enable sound risk-taking.
Hiring risk leadership?
We recruit Chief Risk Officers and senior risk and governance leaders across consumer and PE-backed businesses.
Explore Executive Search →Frequently asked questions
What should you look for when hiring a Chief Risk Officer?
Relevant expertise across the risks your business actually faces, combined with the commercial judgement and influence to help the business take the right risks well rather than block everything — and the standing to give an honest, clear picture of risk.
Should a Chief Risk Officer avoid risk or enable it?
Enable it — business requires taking risks, and the best risk leaders help the business take the right ones knowingly and well, rather than trying to eliminate risk. A risk leader seen only as a blocker loses influence and does the job poorly.
Related: What Does a Chief Risk Officer Do? · How to Hire a Chief Compliance Officer · What Is Management Due Diligence?
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