The Question Every Risk Manager Should Ask

The Question Every Risk Manager Should Ask

The risk manager slumped behind his desk. It had been a long day, troubleshooting the latest emergency. He was tired. We both were. He was coming to terms—everyone was—with the fact that there would be no bonuses this year. Bonuses were tied to the firm achieving its...
How To Start A New Risk Management Job

How To Start A New Risk Management Job

You finally did it! You landed that senior risk management position at a fabulous firm. The job search took a while, and the vetting was intense. But you made the cut. They chose you! A bigger challenge is yet to come. Starting a new job is exciting. It can also be a...
A Revelation

A Revelation

I have written about it before, and I am sure I will write about it again. … how financial risks that devastate firms aren’t random occurrences, as if the gods on Olympus toss dice to determine a company’s fate. No. There are causes. And these are usually...
Fooled By Black Swans

Fooled By Black Swans

Imagine you are presenting to the board about risk management. The presentation is going well, and you are about to finish up when a board member stirs. He hasn’t said a word the entire meeting, so this is his chance to look smart. He asks “What are you...
What Exactly is an Infinitesimal?

What Exactly is an Infinitesimal?

During the 1800s, mathematicians, and especially Cauchy, finally got around to rigorizing calculus. They got rid of the “infinitesimal” business once and for all, replacing infinitesimals with limits. It is troubling how widespread misunderstanding of calculus is 150 years later. Instead of understanding calculus from Cauchy’s rigorous standpoint, people embrace a hodge-podge of infinitesimals AND limits.