Is ERM Just "Stapled to the Back of the Strategy Report"? with Chrystina Howard
November 4, 2026
In this episode of Risk Management: Brick by Brick, host Jason Reichl sits down with Chrystina Howard, ERM Leader in the Complex Risks Practice at HUB International. Chrystina shares her expertise on managing layered, complex corporate exposures and breaks down why enterprise risk management (ERM) should be a dynamic decision-support engine rather than an afterthought "stapled to the back of the strategy report."
Discover why buying fancy risk tech platforms before establishing organizational practice causes "the tail to wag the dog," and how keeping ERM simple, structured, and cross-collaborative builds true internal accountability. Chrystina highlights real-world wins—from diffusing community fallout during an electric bus battery manufacturer's expansion to aligning logistics, engineering, and marketing teams against global tariff pressures. She also dives into why human capital remains an organization’s greatest asset and largest blind spot, how M&A introduces rapid integration risk, and the exact analytical framework risk leaders must use to prove ROI and premium value directly to the CFO.
To find out how TrustLayer manages risk so that people can build the physical world around us, head to TrustLayer.io.
Podcast Host: Jason Reichl
Executive Producer: Don Halliwell
In this episode of Risk Management: Brick by Brick, host Jason Reichl sits down with Chrystina Howard, ERM Leader in the Complex Risks Practice at HUB International. Chrystina shares her expertise on managing layered, complex corporate exposures and breaks down why enterprise risk management (ERM) should be a dynamic decision-support engine rather than an afterthought "stapled to the back of the strategy report."
Discover why buying fancy risk tech platforms before establishing organizational practice causes "the tail to wag the dog," and how keeping ERM simple, structured, and cross-collaborative builds true internal accountability. Chrystina highlights real-world wins—from diffusing community fallout during an electric bus battery manufacturer's expansion to aligning logistics, engineering, and marketing teams against global tariff pressures. She also dives into why human capital remains an organization’s greatest asset and largest blind spot, how M&A introduces rapid integration risk, and the exact analytical framework risk leaders must use to prove ROI and premium value directly to the CFO.
To find out how TrustLayer manages risk so that people can build the physical world around us, head to
TrustLayer.io.
Podcast Host: Jason Reichl
Executive Producer: Don Halliwell
Episode Highlights:
- 00:00 – Complex Risk Defined: Alternative risk financing and layered structures
- 00:54 – Decision Support: Delivering value through scenario analysis for growth opportunities
- 02:00 – Surfacing the Gaps: Why cross-departmental collaboration uncovers hidden risk
- 02:50 – Structuring ERM: Keeping it simple, building champions, and avoiding early bloat
- 03:45 – The Tech Trap: Why platforms shouldn't lead governance ("tail wagging the dog")
- 04:30 – Universal Principles: Scaling ERM from small businesses to global enterprises
- 05:22 – Common Sense: Risk management as the "sheriffing of business decisions"
- 06:05 – Case Study: Managing public perception & stakeholder risk in clean tech manufacturing
- 07:34 – The People Factor: Why human capital is your biggest asset and greatest risk
- 08:18 – Risk Meets HR: Enhancing onboarding, talent evaluation, and regulatory alignment
- 09:12 – Cross-Functional Accountability: Metrics and ownership without slowing execution
- 10:00 – Strategy Alignment: Moving ERM off the back page of board reports
- 11:15 – Macro & Supply Chain Volatility: Breaking silos between logistics, legal, and ops
- 12:55 – M&A and Restructuring: Resetting risk profiles during periods of rapid scale
- 14:05 – Speaking CFO Language: Communicating loss profiles, volatility reduction, and premiums
- 15:45 – Decision Criteria: Treating risk financing with the same rigor as investments
Episode Resources:
Risk Management: Brick by Brick is handcrafted by our friends over at:
fame.soPrevious guests include: Seth Hausman of Kraus-Anderson Insurance, Matthew Meyer of The Horton Group, Diana Rich of Foundation Building Materials, Christy McHenry of Suffolk Construction, Mark Rieder of NFP, and Cory Mangum of Primoris Services Corporation.
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:
If you are interested in being a guest on Risk Management: Brick by Brick, please complete this form:
fame.so/trs-guest