By David Wald

Jan 16, 2026

We are witnessing a significant shift in the risk landscape. Over the last 12 months, there has been a notable influx of new risk managers entering organizations across various industries. It appears that the dual pressures of economic uncertainty and strategic growth are driving both turnover and the creation of new, critical opportunities for risk leaders.

If you are one of these new leaders, you likely have a specific playbook based on your background. However, after speaking with numerous risk professionals, we’ve identified a set of foundational priorities that are essential for making an immediate and lasting impact.

Whether you are stepping into a newly created role or taking over a legacy department, here are the top 5 items that should be on your list.

1. Build Trust with Leadership and the Frontline

Your first job isn’t to buy insurance; it is to understand the business. This requires viewing the organization through two critical lenses:

  • The Executive Lens: Meet with leadership to understand their strategic goals, their tolerance for risk, and the "big decisions" on the horizon. As industry expert noted in our recent discussions, understanding the strategic plan allows you to inform the risks related to those decisions, impacting business outcomes quickly.

  • The Frontline Lens: Connect with the employees facing operational realities every day. You cannot manage risk effectively from behind a desk; you need to understand the hazards and hurdles the frontline team navigates to get the job done.

2. Audit the Program and the Playbook

Before you can improve the current state, you must fully understand it. This requires a two-pronged audit:

  • The Insurance Review: Conduct a thorough review of the entire insurance program—coverages, limits, deductibles, and exclusions.

  • The Process Map: Map out the key internal processes. How are incidents reported? How does information flow from the site level to corporate? How are claims managed from first notice to closure? You need to know the mechanics of the machine before you can tune it.

3. Become a Historian

To predict the future, you must analyze the past. Pull your loss runs for the last 3–5 years.

  • What are the most frequent claims?

  • What are the most severe?

  • Are there recurring issues in specific locations, departments, or roles?

This historical analysis helps you identify "low-hanging fruit" for immediate safety improvements and pinpoints systemic risks that require long-term strategy.

4. Evaluate Your Partners and Vendors

No risk manager succeeds alone. Your external partners—brokers, TPAs, carriers, and safety vendors—are extensions of your team. Schedule introductory meetings to review where the program stands, what has worked, and what needs improvement.

A note on legacy relationships: Navigating historical relationships can be one of the trickiest parts of a new role. As Aclaimant President David Wald noted, some organizations have broker or vendor relationships that are 10+ years old. Navigating these deep-seated ties as "the new person" requires diplomacy, but an honest evaluation is necessary to ensure your partners are motivated to help you achieve your new vision, not just maintain the status quo.

5. Demystify the Tech Stack

You can’t improve what you can’t measure. Your final priority should be a deep dive into the systems of record.

  • How are incidents and claims currently reported?

  • Is your data trapped in silos, spreadsheets, and emails?

  • Are you using a modern RMIS (Risk Management Information System) like Aclaimant to streamline workflows?

Understanding where your data lives and assessing its quality is the only way to eventually move from reactive claims handling to proactive risk prevention.

The "Bonus" Priority: Patience

While the urge to make a mark immediately is strong, community feedback from experienced leaders suggests a critical addition to this list: Evaluate broadly and patiently. There are always quick wins to be had, but charging headfirst into change management without understanding the context, interconnections, and nuances of the organization can cause more ripples than intended. Take the time to understand why things are the way they are before tearing them down.

Moving from Cost Center to Strategic Partner

The ultimate goal for a new risk manager is to evolve the function from a necessary cost center into a strategic partner that empowers the entire organization. By focusing on these five areas, you lay the groundwork for a risk management program that is data-driven, transparent, and aligned with the company’s growth.

Check back soon for more detailed posts in our risk managers playbook series!