RIMS Announces 2021 President and Board Directors

NEW YORK— RIMS, the risk management society®, today announced that Ellen R. Dunkin, Esq. will lead the Society as president for the 2021 term, effective January 1. 

Ms. Dunkin is the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer for Amalgamated Life Insurance Company in White Plains, New York. She is an accomplished business leader with more than 25 years of experience driving strategic and enterprise risk management programs, as well as overseeing legal initiatives for companies including: Crump Group, Inc.; Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.; and Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

From 1998–2007, Ms. Dunkin was employed by RIMS, serving as the Society’s General Counsel and Director of Government Affairs. She has been a member of RIMS for nearly 15 years and was actively involved with RIMS New York Chapter, serving as its president from 2015 to 2016. Ms. Dunkin joined RIMS’ global board of directors in 2017 and in this capacity has been the liaison to the Society’s Finance, Annual Conference Programming, Membership, Student Involvement and Canada committees and councils. She was also a Spencer Educational Foundation board of director in 2000.  

“Risk professionals from around the world met 2020’s challenges with fervor, delivering critical insight that allowed their organizations to adapt and emerge stronger,” said Ms. Dunkin. “However, it’s up to us, risk professionals, to go one step further. We must continue to promote the value that we add, our impact on business development and position ourselves as indispensable strategic advisors who are pivotal to future success.

“As RIMS President, I want to continue what my predecessors started. With the support of an exceptional group of Board Directors, passionate volunteers and dedicated staff, this Society will remain focused on developing resources to address evolving risks and that empower this professional community to demonstrate just how indispensable they really are.”

Officers on RIMS 2021 Board of Directors:

·       President: Ellen R. Dunkin, Esq.; Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Chief Risk Officer, Amalgamated Life Insurance Company, a Member of the Amalgamated Family of Companies.

·       Vice President: Patrick Sterling, SPHR, SHRM-SCP; Senior Director, Legendary People and Risk Management, Texas Roadhouse.

·       Treasurer: Jennifer Santiago, MBA, RIMS-CRMP, ARM; Assistant Vice President & Chief Risk Officer, The Pennsylvania State University.

·       Secretary: David E. Arick, ARM; Assistant Treasurer, Global Risk Management, International Paper Company.

New Board Members:

·       Kevin Bates; Group Head of Risk & Insurance, Lendlease.

·       Christy Kaufman, CPCU; Head of Governance, Risk and Compliance, American Family Ventures.

·       Penni Nelson; Assistant Vice President, Risk Management, Hillwood a Perot Company.

Incumbent Board Members:

·       Barry Dillard; Vice President of Risk Management Services, Walt Disney World Resorts and Disney Cruise Line.

·       Twane Duckworth; Managing Director – Risk Management, City of Garland, Texas.

·       Tina Gardiner; Manager, Risk Management Services, The Regional Municipality of York (Ontario).

·       Gary A. Nesbit, RIMS-CRMP, CPCU, CSP, ARM, AIC, ALCM, SPHR; Senior Director of Risk Management, Young Life.

·       Kristen Peed, AIC, ARM-E, CPCU, CRM, RPLU; Director of Corporate Risk Management, CBIZ, Inc.

·       Robert Zhang; Business Risk & Compliance Manager, INGKA China.

·       Ex Officio: Laura Langone, JD, MBA; Head of Insurance Operations, Airbnb, Inc.

About RIMS

RIMS, the risk management society®, is a global not-for-profit committed to advancing the practice of risk management throughout the world. We bring networking, professional development, certification, and education opportunities to our membership of 10,000 risk management professionals in over 60 countries. Founded in 1950, the Society represents more than 3,500 industrial, service, nonprofit, charitable and government entities throughout the world. 

Source: Press Release

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