The DCRO Institute

We draw your attention to the article by Marianne S. Hewitt, QRD®, in Directors & Boards magazine, "The Importance of Growth Executives on Boards," which offers a thoughtful perspective. You can read it here: https://lnkd.in/es6WtNFC #risk #leadership #governance #QRD

We invite you to take a few minutes to view a quick news update about members of our community at The DCRO Institute, including Teri Shaffer, Kees V., Maged Basta, IDP-C, Peter Nickman, Rachel Sandoz, Adriana Cavaliere, Rosie Bichard, QRD®, Susan Holliday, Yesim Gura, Curtis Stephens, QRD®, Ursuline (Urs) Foley, Lorraine Hendrickson, Suzanne Brown, Kuku Mesfin, Justin Kan, Sharon Bowen, Alex Sidorenko, Gideon Pell QRE®, Emmanuel Asare, CFA, FRM, PRM, Semra Kuran, Paul Zikmund QRD, CFE, GLEG, GSTRT, CBCP, CRMA, MBA, MBEC, Ken Radigan, Nada Awad Rizkallah, Marianne S. Hewitt, QRD®, Thomas Brandt, ☀️Raza Shaikh, Sergio Guzman Lagos, Joe Ayoub, and Kevin R. Brock. https://lnkd.in/gySYtStr #risk #leadership #governance #QRD #QRE

We are pleased to announce that Paul Zikmund QRD, CFE, GLEG, GSTRT, CBCP, CRMA, MBA, MBEC, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States, has received permission to use the Qualified Risk Expert™ designation.   Paul is the Chief Enterprise Risk, Compliance, and Information Security Officer for Berkadia, a joint venture between Berkshire Hathaway and Jeffries Financial Group. He serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Ethics and Compliance Officers Association in Washington, DC, Vice Chair of the Ethics & Compliance Initiative (ECI), and Chairperson of the USAW Ethics Committee. Paul is an adjunct professor at the University of New Haven and LaSalle University. In his past roles, he has served as Director Global Forensics, Compliance, and Integrity Services for Baker Till Virchow Krause, LLP. He has held various positions with Bunge, Tyco International, Dow, Nortel, and Union Carbide, among others. Paul has earned numerous professional accreditations from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, and Carnegie Mellon University. He holds an MBA from The University of Connecticut, a Masters in Accounting from Auburn University, and a BA in Accounting/Criminal Justice from the University of Pittsburgh. He is also a Qualified Risk Director®. #risk #leadership #governance #QRE #QRD

In late January, we were pleased to be part of organizing the second annual NYSE Board Services Educational Summit at the New York Stock Exchange, where Qualified Risk Directors® Susan Holliday, Yesim Gura, Curtis Stephens, QRD®, Ursuline (Urs) Foley, and Lorraine Hendrickson played a significant role in creating the content and design of the program with the NYSE team. The DCRO Institute has done this for the past two years as part of our educational mission and efforts to advance underrepresented groups on boards. Nearly 175 registered for the event. Our appreciation goes to Suzanne Brown, Kuku Mesfin, Justin Kan, and the entire NYSE events team for the excellent event they delivered and for the opportunity to work together on these events over the past two years. Lynn Martin, the President of the NYSE, led the first panel of the day, featuring WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (also a board member at McDonald's) and National Basketball Association (NBA) League President Byron Spruell (also a board member at Aon). Qualified Risk Director® Eric Mai was among the panelists, joining Shaz Kahng and Nichelle Maynard-Elliott for a session moderated by Sharon Bowen, the chair of the NYSE Board of Directors. Susan Holliday and David R. Koenig, QRD®, introduced interactive case studies, while more than a dozen Qualified Risk Directors® helped to facilitate table discussions of the cases. The DCRO Institute works with Affinity Partners around the world to coordinate and develop educational sessions like this, half-day events, webinars, and more, all in fulfillment of our mission. Photo Credits: NYSE, Marie Holive, David R. Koenig, QRD® #risk #leadership #governance #QRD

We are pleased to announce today that Maged Basta, IDP-C of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, has been given permission to use the Qualified Risk Director® designation. Maged is the global group chief executive officer of Future Pipe Industries, a family business turned into a global corporation focused on anti-corrosive fiberglass pipe design and manufacturing. Prior to his role with Future Pipe Industries, Maged served as the regional vice president for Exterran in the Middle East, Africa, Russia, and the CIS. His previous chief executive officer experience includes with CEEM Canadian Energy Equipment Manufacturing Fz-LLC and Al-Dorra Petroleum Services Co. in Kuwait. He began his career with Schlumberger and worked across multiple countries. He is a former board member of Seisquare in Luxembourg and Belgium. Maged has multiple executive credentials, including the Certificate of Corporate Governance (International Board Directors Certification) from INSEAD. His BSC is in Electrical Communication Engineering from Alexandria University. Maged participated in the DCRO Institute’s guided study cohort for board members and senior executives in the Middle East and Africa where he earned the DCRO Institute's Certificate in Risk Governance®. #risk #leadership #governance #QRD

2025 DCRO Exemplar Profile: Kevin R. Brock Kevin R. Brock brought a rare mix of experience from the highest levels of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, and his own entrepreneurial initiatives to his work. He authored the founding justification documents establishing, defining, and resourcing a new Cyber Division within the FBI. Later, he was named the FBI’s first Assistant Director for Intelligence, where he helped start-up, establish, and lead a new Intelligence Directorate in the FBI following recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. He was then asked to become the first Principal Deputy Director of a post-9/11 presidential initiative known as the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). There, he negotiated, crafted, and helped firmly establish NCTC’s operational role within the Intelligence Community. Kevin was recognized with the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service to the Nation in 2006 and served as a faculty member for the DCRO Institute. This award is granted posthumously. #risk #leadership #governance #exemplar

We are pleased to announce today that M. Semra Kuran of Istanbul, Türkiye has been given permission to use the Qualified Risk Expert™ designation.   Semra serves as a board member and chair of the audit committee for ING Türkiye, a member of the board of directors for ING Securities; ING Leasing and Türkiye Finans Yöneticileri Vakfı - Finans Kulüp, a professional association developing Istanbul as a financial center and supporting Turkish finance sector institutions, and an advisory board member for YASED International Investors Association of Turkey and Genç Başarı Eğitim Vakfı - Junior Achievement Türkiye. She is also a former board member of the Risk Managers Association of Türkiye. Semra is a designated IFC - International Finance Corporation Nominee Director. In her past executive work, she served as the director of risk management for Garanti BBVA. Semra earned her MS, Banking and Finance from Istanbul Bilgi University and BS, Engineering from Middle East Technical University. #risk #leadership #governance #riskcommittee #QRE

2025 DCRO Exemplar Profile: Joe Ayoub Joe Ayoub is the founder of Varuna Strategies, where he works with companies to increase enterprise value through best governance practices, aligning them with the current and future needs and strategies of their organization. Joe also works with clients, particularly founder and family-owned and operated companies, to address management structure, succession planning and shareholder issues. Joe is the co-host of the On Boards Podcast, now in its 11th season, which focuses on issues that are facing boards, company leadership, and stakeholders. Prior to founding Varuna Strategies, Joe was a partner in the Boston law firms of Nutter, McClennen & Fish, Greenberg Traurig, and Robinson & Cole, where he focused his practice on civil litigation, governance issues, legal risk management, and alternative dispute resolution. Joe is actively involved in a number of civic and charitable organizations, including as a member of the Board of Directors of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the Tufts University School of Medicine Board of Advisors, and the Advisory Board of the Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate . He is an emeritus member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts, having served on its board for 33 years, including as the board chair. #risk #leadership #governance #exemplar

Celebrating our 4th Anniversary As we mark the fourth anniversary of the DCRO Institute today, we are filled with gratitude and appreciation for the journey we’ve shared with you. Over the past four years, we have worked tirelessly as a peer collaboration among board members and C-suite executives to advance the positive governance of risk-taking around the world. We teach organizational leaders to embrace risk, rather than fear it. We seek to elevate under-represented groups to serve on boards. And we serve both developed and developing markets.   Your support and engagement has been instrumental in helping us achieve remarkable milestones. Today, we celebrate not just our achievements but also the incredible community that has grown around our shared purpose. Here are some markers we'd like to share with you:   * Our nearly 300 credential holders now serve on boards in over 60 countries * These credentialed leaders are found serving on six continents * 56% of our credential holders are women * Leaders enrolled in our programs come from 127 countries * Program enrollees come from 56 developing market economies * We have Affinity Partnerships with leading organizations on five continents * Our Qualified Risk Directors® are identified to serve on any board committee * Our Qualified Risk Experts™ bring technical expertise to board risk committees * More than 250 people from 50+ countries hold our Certificate in Risk Governance® * Certificate in Cyber Risk Governance® holders come from more than 25 countries * Nearly 90% of our program graduates have offered public endorsements of them * We developed a robust public library of over 30 white papers and publications * We've hosted over 35 Positive Case Study Sessions and Emerging Risk Briefings * Our Mastering the Age of Strategy Disruption™ masterclass was 3x oversubscribed * Over the past year, our LinkedIn company page followers have increased by > 60% * That's the fastest growth rate among ten leading governance organizations we admire As we look ahead to the future, we remain committed to driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and delivering impactful programs that empower leaders worldwide. Thank you for being an integral part of our journey. Together, we can continue to make a difference and shape a brighter future. Here’s to many more years of success and shared accomplishments! Kind regards, David R. Koenig, QRD® President and Chief Executive Officer #risk #leadership #governance #QRD #QRE

We are pleased to announce today the award of the prestigious Certificate in Cyber Risk Governance® to Adriana Cavaliere of Brussels, Belgium. She is the first person in Belgium to earn this global recognition.   Adriana is the senior manager risk for skeyes, the autonomous public company that serves as the Belgian air traffic control agency. There she facilitates board and senior management risk governance and leads skeyes’ integrated risk management in view of strengthened corporate resilience, strong global risk culture, and enhanced safety management effectiveness. Moreover, she serves on skeyes’ security board. In 2023, she was named European Risk Manager of the Year at the European Risk Management Awards. Adriana is a member of the Board of Directors of BELRIM - Belgian Risk Management Association, is a member of the Sustainability Committee for FERMA | Federation of European Risk Management Associations, and is a member of the Steering Committee for ERMINe Network. Her past work includes senior risk management roles with Swift, Lantis, and Aleris, among others. Adriana earned her Master's Degree in Business Engineering from Hasselt University (UHasselt), and she has completed postgraduate work in Risk Management (graduating with honors), corporate finance, and international management. She was previously awarded the Certificate in Risk Governance® by the DCRO Institute.   "Adriana is an impressive leader," said David R. Koenig, QRD®, President and Chief Executive Officer of the DCRO Institute. "Her colleagues have recognized this with the European Risk Manager of the Year award, and we see it in her commitment to continued professional growth and service. We’re proud to count her among our credential-holding community." “As cyber risk becomes increasingly important and rises on boards' agendas, mastering key principles and gaining the right insights are crucial,” said Ms. Cavaliere. “The DCRO Risk Governance Institute program gives you the right answers and inspires you to engage with effective cyber risk governance as a board member or an aspiring one. Be a step ahead and embrace the upcoming challenges,” she continued. #risk #leadership #governance #cyber #cybersecurity