Thread by @SAH16928046

You are an entry-level risk analyst at a financial institution working in investments/portfolio management?
What you need to do to make yourself relevant.
This thread is about that....

Dos and Don'ts of a #Risk Profession =>

Do not =>
1. Don't brag about your degree/uni
2. Don't brag about your mathematical skills
3. Don't brag about your academic knowledge
4. Don't brag about your being proactive compared to Audit or Compliance or any other back-office unit

Dos =>
1. Do bring yourself down to the level of those engaged in the front offices/sales, etc.
2. Do try to understand the Enterprise IT Systems, Enterprise and Business Architecture
3. Do integrate your silo with the ERM Program
4. Do always compare theory with reality.

Must remember that most of the treasury dealers/traders/brokers and other upscale fund managers alongside the C-Suite level staff such as CIOs, CCOs and CFOs, won't be willing to trust you!
You have to be diplomatic.
Try and speak to them in a language they understand.

The common error made by Risk Specialists is that they just fire salvos at their counterparts and co-workers!
If you talk to them in an alien language, that might create more contempt and jealousy against your job role.
Forget using technical expressions.

Actuaries normally make many communication follies.
I hired one a long time back!
The poor chap used to prepare the volatility analytics report for the morning meeting at the asset management company.
None of the C-Suite Staff got their head around his jargon.
GARCH Models,etc

Actually, these morning meetings at asset management firms need a distinct thread.
But, the people who are usually asked or expected to comment on the situations evolving are the Risk Units, Buy side Research Analysts or the Portfolio Managers.
Must read the local newspaper!

Positive betas, negative betas, momentum betas, upside and downside betas, etc
Avoid using these mumbo-jumbo words from the academic pit.
Morning meetings require simple, sweet and short sentences.
I learned a lot from the Investor Relations Desk.
Spend time with them.

And, one suggestion to you, irrespective of your role in the organization.
Never bring your cup of coffee or tea to the morning meeting.
Secondly, don't run gesticulating to the smoking-room, immediately after the meeting ends.
These are bad optics!
C-suite staff observe this.

Avoid overtly textbook scholarly discussions as a risk specialist across all morning or afternoon meetings for that matter!
Unless, it's a board event, where subject specialists are appointed as Directors who are paid to create pedantic confusion.
Just keep the reports with you!

Note:
The no so educated crowd within the office space will always try to push back well-educated professionals using market and business intelligence and information.
Risk Professionals fall into this trap as they are more theory savvy!
Follow the industry trends always.

Don't talk about Market and Credit VaR Metrics to fund managers unless things warm up and are required by the committee.
Describe Risk as a potential hazard or opportunity in business lingua using supportive examples.

Risk managers must explain the difference between actual and potential losses.
They should be able to differentiate and explain the risk taxonomy, as distinct things appear to distinct men.
This is the problem of the other minds, as explained in philosophy.

So good luck being a silo specialist risk manager across the GRC Space.
Its the most difficult job.
Organizational Communications and Culture will be dependent on how to you behave, interpret and translate human habits and attitudes.
IT Systems and Machines come next!

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