There are 45 companies (combined value $10 trillion) on the MAGA anti-DEI hit list.“The worst thing that can happen to a company is: You’re still on that list, but you’ve lost all your good faith and credibility with folks on the other side of these issues.” We call this situation a reputation crisis and a clear need for reputation insurance.
Securities class-action lawsuits increased. There were 225 filings last year, up from 215 in 2023 and 208 in 2022.
Is Reputation Risk Beyond Control and Oversight? Interest in reputation insurance surged 700% in December 2024.
Boards…will need to nudge their risk managers and insurance carriers to present reputation insurance options. Podcast: https://www.directorsandboards.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ReputationRisk.mp3
DOJ has updated its expectations expanding the potential for reputation risk. Under the new guidelines, prosecutors will consider whether companies have a process for identifying and managing emerging internal and external risks related to the use of new technologies, such as AI, and whether they are integrated into broader enterprise risk management practices.
Reputation risk arises from the failure to meet expectations. All too frequently, reputation risks arising from material operational problems known to insiders are dismissed by those in charge or authority. Nicknames can indicate an issue with ethics, innovation, safety, security, sustainability, and quality. “Junior doctors were referring to Lucy Letby as “Nurse Death” … two years before she was arrested. […] Letby, 34, was sentenced to 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted across two trials of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others.” Board members should note that there are many windows into human resource-based organizational risk.
At the end of reputation risks’ long tail are board-level consequences, exemplified by the denouement of this infamous winter 2022 crisis precipitated by software quality issues, unaddressed. “Southwest Airlines on Tuesday announced an overhaul of its board of directors, including the planned departure of its executive chairman, Gary Kelly, after a meeting with a hedge fund that has called for sweeping changes at the company.” The takeaway: reputation risk management is always a vital governance issue.
Affirming in practice what it disclosed in January, Blackrock “engaged 2,683 times on strategy, purpose and financial resilience-related themes with 2,014 companies — more than any of its other engagement priorities — this proxy year. Given this information, board directors may want to prioritize financial resilience in their own work and in engagement with index funds.” Steel City Re can provide metrics and tools to support innovative strategies for strengthening financial resilience.
Reputation risk management is a battle for the mind of the stakeholder. A range of parametric insurance products linked to reputation value and volatility help authenticate stories about the quality of risk management. It is how risk management and risk communications work together to create value.
5-Minute Adventures in Risk & Resilience: The Podcast A Reputation for Truth Neutralizes Fake News at a $7bn Media Company: Getting Valued For Good Information That Neutralizes Bad Information.: In this episode, as a matter of national security after the fake tweet at Eli Lilly, a risk executive outlines a sophisticated strategy to make his …