Rims, the risk management society, has announced that Jennifer Santiago will lead the organisation as president for the 2023 term.

Ms Santiago is the director, risk management and safety at Wakefern Food Corp, the largest retailer-owned co-operative in the United States with over $18 billion in revenues and 51 member companies that independently own and operate more than 360 retail supermarkets.

For Wakefern, she sets the vision and strategic direction for corporate and member risk management, insurance risk financing, captive management and safety management programmes across the enterprise.

Previously, Ms Santiago was the assistant vice-president and chief risk officer at The Pennsylvania State University.

Her experience includes leading enterprise risk management, operational risk, ethics and compliance risk, and insurance initiatives at Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation, Ingersoll Rand, Arthur J Gallagher Risk Management Services and NYU Medical Centre.

She said: “The road to organisational resilience starts with leadership of the risk management professional. Around the world, risk professionals have taken the initiative, stepping up to lead strategies that empower smart decision-making and innovation.

“However, current risks show no sign of stabilising and this highly uncertain environment will require risk leaders to lean on each other, to share experiences and embrace diverse thoughts and perspectives to successfully address them.

“Rims is an invaluable platform for risk management collaboration, and I am honoured to help ensure that it continues to deliver opportunities that unite, inspire and build a safer, more resilient world.”

Ms Santiago has been a Rims member for more than 15 years, serving on the board of directors since 2014.

She earned her BA and MBA from Rutgers University and Montclair State University, respectively, and holds a Rims-certified risk management professional certification. She is also a member of the George Mason University chief risk officer advisory council.

Officers on the Rims 2023 board of directors also include: vice-president David E. Arick, assistant treasurer, global risk management, International Paper Company; treasurer Kristen Peed, director of corporate risk management, CBIZ Inc; and secretary Kevin Bates, group head of risk and insurance, Lendlease.

Board members are: Penni Chambers, vice-president, risk management, Hillwood, a Perot Company; Tina Gardiner, manager, risk management services, The Regional Municipality of York (Ontario); Christy Kaufman, vice-president of risk management, Zillow Group; John Kline, director, risk and insurance management, Discover Financial Services; Manuel Padilla, vice-president, risk management and insurance, MacAndrews & Forbes Incorporated; Christie Weinstein, director, risk management, Honeywell International Inc; and Ex Officio, Patrick Sterling, vice-president, Legendary People, Texas Roadhouse.

Rims produces Riskworld, the largest annual gathering of global risk professionals.

The 2023 conference will be held in Atlanta from April 30 to May 3.