"Risk management is not about colors and matrices. It's about people." – Horst Simon

In this CPD-accredited episode of RiskMasters, host Julien Haye welcomes Horst Simon, veteran risk management expert and pioneer of people risk and risk culture. Drawing from decades of experience across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, Horst shares his journey, his challenges to outdated risk practices, and his vision for the future of risk management.

As organisations face an unpredictable world shaped by interconnected threats and rapid change, Horst argues that the real competitive advantage lies not in more controls or more reports — but in empowering every employee to be a risk manager.

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In this edition of RiskMasters, you will learn:

🔹 Why Risk Culture Starts with People, Not Policies: Horst shares how true risk resilience depends on embedding risk thinking into every employee’s mindset — and why outdated models like the Three Lines of Defense miss this opportunity.

🔹 How to Rethink Leadership, Reporting, and Risk Strategy: Discover why boards must stop relying on sanitized historic reports, how to measure risk culture maturity meaningfully, and why leadership must move from control to empowerment.

🔹 The Future of Risk Management in an Unpredictable World: Explore the biggest emerging risks for 2025 — including cyber threats, social cohesion risks, and the misuse of AI — and how cross-cultural awareness and proactive risk intelligence will define future success.

More about Horst Simon:

Horst Simon is a recognized global expert in risk culture, operational risk, and people risk. With experience across continents and industries, Horst is the founder of Risk Culture Builders, a network dedicated to helping organizations embed effective, sustainable risk cultures. His non-conformist and practical approach challenges outdated thinking and redefines how organizations should approach risk in a fast-changing world.

📌 Connect with Horst Simon on LinkedIn for insights into risk culture, leadership, and future-proofing risk management.

🎙 Tune in now to learn how you can future-proof your organization by embedding risk thinking into every layer of the business.

Discover related risk management topics:

• Embracing a Dynamic Risk Culture
• Embedding Psychological Safety into Risk Management
• Leading Through Uncertainty: Risk and Decision-Making in a Nonlinear World
• Beyond Checklists: The Human Factor in Risk Management

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