In this episode of Risk Is Our Business, Captain Michael Rasmussen beams aboard Renee Murphy, independent industry analyst, storyteller, and one of the most recognizable voices in GRC, to tackle one of the most misunderstood dimensions of risk: reputation.

Renee explains why reputational risk remains so elusive for many organizations, and why ERM frameworks often have metrics for finance and operations but almost none for reputation, customer experience, or employee experience. Together, they dissect recent examples of brand turbulence (from Cracker Barrel to Anheuser-Busch to Target) and explore why reputational fallout can and should be quantified.

The conversation ventures into ESG and stewardship, showing how environmental and social commitments carry enormous reputational weight and why they can’t be managed in isolation. Renee emphasizes the need for risk leaders to engage with every department, especially sales and marketing, since some of the biggest reputational crises are born from campaigns gone wrong.

For boards, CROs, and GRC professionals, this episode reframes reputational risk not as an abstract concept but as a measurable, manageable force that determines whether your organization is trusted or left adrift in the void.

In this episode of Risk Is Our Business, Captain Michael Rasmussen beams aboard Amir Ramezanpour, Vice President of Global Risk Technology and Intelligence, and Global Risk Transformation Office at Manulife, to explore how risk must be defined, framed, and operationalized in a world of constant unpredictability.

Michael and Amir both lean on ISO 31000’s central principle, risk as the effect of uncertainty on objectives, to emphasize why context and clarity of objectives are mission-critical. From there, the conversation dives into risk intelligence, and how organizations can plan for the unplannable by building frameworks and operations designed to thrive in turbulence.

They explore engagement with the first line of defense, asking whether risk is still seen as a bureaucratic pain or whether it can become a trusted partner in helping leaders make better business decisions. Amir shares his vision for how agentic AI and digital twins will power the future of risk management, automating the routine, enabling what-if scenario planning, and equipping leaders to simulate futures before charting their course.

Rather than striving to eliminate uncertainty, Amir reminds us that the real mission is to navigate it. By grounding risk in objectives, engaging the first line as active copilots, and harnessing new tools like risk intelligence and AI-driven simulations, leaders can transform unpredictability into strategic advantage. For those ready to lead at warp, the path forward is to embrace uncertainty with purpose, clarity, and resilience.

In this warp-speed episode of Risk Is Our Business, Captain Michael Rasmussen connects across the comms with Akira Muranaka, GRC/IRM/ESG Technology Manager and global risk assurance veteran, to explore how enterprises can reimagine GRC as a driver of objectives rather than a compliance checkbox.

Akira explains why the future of risk management depends on moving away from ritualistic controls and toward a risk-based approach that enables the business to take the right risks with confidence. Together, they navigate the question every enterprise faces: should GRC run on a single monolithic platform, or is the future an architecture of integrated technologies stitched together to match organizational needs?

The discussion dives into what Akira looks for in GRC tools, the core capabilities that matter most for scalability, resilience, and trust. From there, they scan the horizon: what GRC technology and the risk programs they support will look like in the next five years, as AI, automation, and architecture reshape how enterprises govern uncertainty.

For GRC leaders, technologists, and boards alike, this episode is a star chart to the next era of digital trust, one where GRC isn’t trapped in compliance nebulas but powered by risk engines designed to accelerate the enterprise mission.