President’s Speech – 2025 CRO Conference

President’s Speech – 2025 CRO Conference

Good morning everyone, and welcome to the 2025 RMA Australia CRO Forum.

As custodians of risk management, we hold a profound responsibility — not just to our organisations, but to the integrity and resilience of the entire financial services industry. In a world of accelerating complexity, our role is more vital than ever. We are the stewards of trust, the architects of stability, and the quiet force that keeps the system safe.

And let’s be honest — we’re also the people who can spot a red flag in a footnote, predict a crisis from a comma, recalibrate a control framework over coffee, and still manage to turn a three-hour risk committee into a one-hour decision.

It’s a privilege to stand before you today as President of RMA Australia. This forum is more than just an event — it’s a reflection of our collective journey, our shared purpose, and our commitment to staying ahead in a world where risk is evolving faster than ever.

Today marks a major milestone in our history. This is the largest gathering of CRO’s in our 22 years — with over 90 in the room. That number speaks volumes. It reflects the strength of our community, the relevance of our work, and the trust that RMA Australia continues to earn across the industry.

And with this many CROs in one room, I’m confident we could collectively run a stress test, rewrite a policy, and still have time to challenge the assumptions — all before morning tea.

Over the past decade, RMA Australia has grown from strength to strength, and our reach has expanded significantly. Today, over 10,000 risk professionals receive our updates, and our LinkedIn network continues to grow — a clear sign of how connected and committed our community has become.

Event participation has also transformed. From 50 people in a room back in 2015, we now average 400 attendees per webinar, with some events drawing over 700 registrations. That’s not just growth — it’s momentum.

And importantly, our members consistently rate our events highly, with an average score of 4.6 out of 5. That tells us we’re delivering real value — through relevant content, strong speakers, and meaningful engagement.

Our specialty forums remain a highlight of the past year. The Quarterly Risk Forums give us fresh perspectives, while the CRO Forum — our flagship event — sets the agenda for strategic risk leadership.

We’re leading conversations on AI and operational risk — not just as emerging topics, but as transformative forces. For us as risk professionals, AI presents both challenge and opportunity: it can sharpen our predictive capabilities, streamline controls, and elevate how we manage complexity. But it also demands new thinking, new guardrails, and a renewed focus on ethical risk leadership.

Of course, AI might one day write our risk reports for us — but until it learns how to navigate a board paper with 17 appendices and a last-minute change from Legal, I think we’re safe.

I want to thank Rob Warren and the KPMG team for their efforts in organising and convening this gathering. An event of this scale takes months of planning and coordination — and for each of you, carving out time from an already packed schedule is no small ask. Your presence here today is a testament to the profile of this event, and to the value we all place on coming together as a community of risk leaders.

Finally, thank you for your continued leadership in shaping a safer, stronger, and more resilient financial system.

Chris Linde

RMA Australia President