Get a read on risk.

The risk industry and the professionals within it have changed drastically over the last few decades.

Once, risk professionals simply purchased insurance to transfer losses onto another company. Now, they are expected to monitor the risk environment, identify and predict risks, and implement proactive strategies to prevent issues from occurring or minimize their impact when they do. Top-leadership positions based on risk management, such as Chief Risk Officer (CRO), are becoming increasingly common.

With this in mind, what skills and competencies are now necessary for a risk professional to be successful? Certainly a general knowledge of the insurance industry and financial risk will no longer suffice. In addition to an understanding of many topics and environmental factors, there are necessary personality traits, such as influential, flexible, and collaborative.

If you've never formally managed risk before, starting can be a daunting process. However, it's likely that you're already using strategies throughout the business. These 25 tips are simple to implement in your insurance process and will help you lower costs and better manage risk.