In today's volatile and interconnected world, a board's ability to provide effective enterprise risk management oversight is paramount to an organization's long-term success and resilience. This training course moves beyond traditional compliance-focused approaches, providing a strategic framework for directors to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risks that can impact shareholder value, reputation, and competitive advantage. By integrating risk management into strategic planning and decision-making, boards can transform potential threats into opportunities for innovation and sustainable growth, ensuring robust governance and confident leadership in an era of constant change.

This intensive five-day program is designed to elevate the board's role from a passive monitor of risk to an active strategic partner in its management. Participants will gain a deep understanding of how to establish a strong risk culture, leverage modern risk intelligence tools, and link risk appetite to corporate strategy. By the end of this course, you will be equipped to challenge assumptions, ask the right questions, and guide your organization in building a resilient and forward-thinking risk management program that protects the company's value while enabling bold, strategic action.

Duration: 5 days

Target Audience:

• Board of Directors (Executive and Non-Executive)
• C-Suite Executives (CEO, CFO, COO)
• Members of Audit and Risk Committees
• Corporate Secretaries and Governance Officers
• Senior leaders in compliance and internal audit
• General Counsel and Legal Professionals
• Institutional investors and fund managers
• Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Leaders
• Business Unit Heads and Strategy Directors
• Senior advisors in governance and risk consulting

Objectives:

• Understand the board's fiduciary duties and role in risk oversight
• Align enterprise risk management with corporate strategy
• Define and communicate the organization's risk appetite and tolerance
• Establish a robust framework for identifying and assessing emerging risks
• Develop effective reporting and communication channels for risk information
• Integrate risk culture and governance into the company's DNA
• Provide oversight of cybersecurity and digital risks
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the organization's ERM program
• Use risk intelligence to drive strategic decision-making

Course Modules:

Module 1: The Board’s Fiduciary Role in Risk Oversight

• The distinction between management's and the board’s risk responsibilities
• Fiduciary duties and legal obligations related to risk management
• The link between risk oversight and corporate governance
• Setting the tone from the top for a risk-aware culture
• Case studies of governance failures and successes

Module 2: Aligning Risk with Corporate Strategy

• Integrating ERM into the strategic planning process
• Translating strategic objectives into key risk indicators (KRIs)
• The importance of a well-defined risk appetite statement
• Using risk to identify and seize strategic opportunities
• Balancing risk and reward in major investment decisions

Module 3: Advanced Risk Identification and Assessment

• Techniques for identifying both traditional and emerging risks
• Leveraging modern risk intelligence and data analytics
• Scenario planning and stress testing for future-proofing the business
• Assessing risks related to technology, ESG, and geopolitical factors
• Building a comprehensive risk taxonomy and heatmap

Module 4: Risk Culture and Governance

• The definition and importance of a strong risk culture
• How to assess and improve the risk culture across the organization
• The role of the risk committee and its charter
• Best practices for board committee structures and responsibilities
• Linking risk performance to compensation and incentives

Module 5: Financial and Operational Risk

• Oversight of financial reporting and internal controls
• Identifying and managing liquidity, credit, and market risks
• Operational resilience and business continuity planning
• Auditing the effectiveness of operational risk controls
• Managing risks related to supply chain and third-party vendors

Module 6: Cybersecurity and Digital Risk

• The board's role in overseeing the cybersecurity program
• Understanding cyber threats and vulnerabilities
• Assessing the organization's readiness for a cyber incident
• The governance of data privacy and data protection regulations
• Monitoring technology and innovation risks

Module 7: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Risk

• Identifying and managing climate change and environmental risks
• The board's role in overseeing social risks and human capital
• The impact of ESG on brand reputation and investor relations
• The governance of sustainability and corporate responsibility
• Responding to stakeholder and regulatory pressures on ESG

Module 8: Crisis Management and Communication

• The board's role during a crisis
• Developing a robust crisis communication plan
• The importance of timely and transparent reporting to stakeholders
• Managing reputation risk in the digital age
• Post-crisis review and learning from the experience

Module 9: Evaluating and Improving the ERM Program

• Key metrics for measuring the effectiveness of ERM
• Conducting an annual board-level review of the ERM program
• Benchmarking against industry best practices and standards
• The role of internal and external auditors in ERM oversight
• Building a roadmap for continuous improvement in risk governance

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org Tel: +254 702 249 449

Training Venue

The training will be held at our Skills for Africa Training Institute Training Centre. We also offer training for a group at requested location all over the world. The course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, and buffet lunch.

Visa application, travel expenses, airport transfers, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Skills for Africa Training Institute certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: info@skillsforafrica.org, training@skillsforafrica.org Tel: +254 702 249 449

Terms of Payment: Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 7 working days before commencement of the training.