In this episode of Risk Is Our Business, Captain Michael Rasmussen welcomes Rookie Nagtalon, technology executive, strategist, and AI advocate, for a conversation about how governance, risk, and compliance are evolving in one of Asia's fastest-changing digital economies.

The discussion begins with the realities keeping Philippine organizations awake at night. From increasingly complex regulatory requirements to the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, Rookie explains how organizations are balancing innovation with governance while strengthening the people, processes, and technologies that underpin effective risk management.

Michael and Rookie explore what makes the Philippine approach to risk and compliance distinctive, where organizations continue to mature, and why developing AI capabilities, improving workflows, and investing in the right skills have become strategic priorities. They also examine the remarkable diversity of the Asia-Pacific region, arguing that there is no single APAC model for GRC and discussing how the Philippines is helping shape regional thinking around digital transformation and modern governance.

Artificial intelligence remains a central theme throughout the conversation. Rookie shares his perspective on AI governance, AI risk, and why successful AI initiatives depend less on sophisticated models than on trustworthy, well-governed data. The discussion also explores the current state of AI regulation in the Philippines and how organizations can prepare for a regulatory landscape that continues to evolve alongside the technology itself.

The episode concludes by looking toward 2030, considering how governance, risk, and compliance may change over the coming years and what organizations can do today to build the capabilities they'll need for tomorrow. It's a thoughtful discussion about leadership, technology, and why the future of GRC will belong to organizations that combine innovation with disciplined governance.

In this episode of Risk Is Our Business, Captain Michael Rasmussen welcomes Ellen Holder, Managing Director and Sustainability & ESG Lead EMEA at Protiviti, for a conversation that asks a deceptively simple question. Is sustainability really about reporting, or is it something much bigger?

Together they explore how the conversation has evolved from sustainability to ESG, and why many organizations are now shifting back again. Ellen explains that sustainability was never just about the environment. It has always encompassed environmental, social, and governance considerations, but without some of the political baggage the term ESG has accumulated in recent years.

The discussion draws on an unexpected lesson from Ted Lasso, where the idea that "doing the right thing is never the wrong thing" becomes a useful way of thinking about sustainability. Rather than treating it as another compliance requirement, Ellen argues that sustainability should be understood as a long-term strategic capability that helps organizations create value not only for today, but for future generations.

Michael and Ellen also examine the relationship between sustainability and enterprise risk, the role of double materiality assessments, and the practical challenges organizations face when trying to integrate sustainability into existing governance and risk management programs. They discuss where technology, and particularly AI, is beginning to make a meaningful contribution, and how approaches to sustainability differ between Germany, the rest of Europe, and other regions around the world.

At its heart, this episode is about looking beyond quarterly reporting cycles and asking a more fundamental question. How do organizations build resilience and create lasting value by making decisions that remain the right ones tomorrow as well as today?

Recorded live at Corporate Risk Minds 2026 in Berlin, this episode of the Risk Is Our Business Podcast features returning guest Benjamin Lüders, Partner and Risk Consulting Service Leader for Europe West and Germany at EY, for a conversation on how enterprise risk management is being reimagined for an increasingly unpredictable world.

Drawing on EY's recent research into risk transformation, Benjamin and Captain Michael Rasmussen explore why traditional models of risk management are reaching their limits. As organizations contend with accelerating change, geopolitical uncertainty, AI, and growing interconnectedness, risk functions must evolve from monitoring the business to helping shape its future.

The discussion centers on what it means to operate at the speed of trust, where risk becomes an enabler of confident decision-making rather than a governance checkpoint. Benjamin shares how technology is supporting this transformation, not simply through automation, but by creating connected capabilities that improve visibility, coordination, and action across the enterprise.

A significant part of the conversation focuses on agentic AI and how organizations should think about it within three complementary layers: systems of orchestration, systems of intelligence, and systems of action. Rather than viewing AI as another tool, they discuss its potential to reshape how organizations sense, interpret, and respond to uncertainty.

They also explore EY's work recognizing organizations leading this transformation, highlighting the practical innovations and leadership approaches that are redefining modern risk management. Check out the links for the EY Risk Transformation papers . . .

EY Risk Transformation Series for the show notes.

• Reimagining risk for an unpredictable world
• How risk can operate at the speed of trust
• How AI can build resilience for future risks