The Risk Institute Creates a Distinctive Student Experience

Luis Garcia-Fuentes (Left)

My name is Luis Garcia-Fuentes, alumnus of The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business. I now work for PwC in New York helping banks navigate financial reporting requirements. During my time at Ohio State, one of the organizations that furthered my education the most was The Risk Institute. The Risk Institute compliments Fisher’s academic programs by providing insights into the art and science of risk management, a theme that any business student must be familiar with in order to succeed in this ever-changing world. The Institute achieved this by providing networking sessions with risk professionals from multiple industries and by providing first-hand experiences through business simulations. I was able to participate in two of these simulations. The first was co-hosted by DHL professionals, and for the second I was a team member of the prestigious RIMS national case competition, which allowed me to better understand the risk environment of the Fintech sector.

My experience at the RIMS case competition was unique, as I worked within a group of five talented business and actuary science students to understand the risk environment of PayPal. Unlike any other case competition, where a problem is presented to be solved, the RIMS case competition asked a broader question; what PayPal risks are and what the best way to mitigate them is. This forced our team to spend weeks of research getting to know PayPal’s business environment, leveraging our findings with the guidance of our project mentor Philip Renaud, Executive Director of The Risk Institute. Our experience during that semester long project closely mirrored the profession of a risk consultant. We even had the opportunity to spend an hour in a conference call with one of PayPal’s C-suite executives.

To say that the Risk Institute creates value to the university by co-organizing case competitions and hosting networking events is an understatement. The Risk Institute serves as a host for ideas across different business disciplines, where all students can learn how to think about risk and how to act during a business crisis. Furthermore, The Risk Institute not only focuses on enhancing the education of Ohio State students, but they also host executive courses for professionals and share their industry expertise with the community of Columbus. The Risk Institute, through the active engagement of all its members, has made of my education at Ohio State a distinctive experience.

 

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