RIMS Announces Executive Moves in 2024

RIMS CFO Kathy Gledhill Steps Down Paving the Way for Bereket Haile

RIMS Strengthens MDG Partnership to Advance Strategic Marketing Capabilities

NEW YORK (November 21, 2024) - Throughout the course of 2024, RIMS, the risk management society®, has implemented four staff promotions and welcomed three new employees. In addition, RIMS strengthened its existing partnership with the multi-faceted strategic marketing firm mdg, A Freeman Company, that is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.

"As today's volatile risk landscape forces global risk leaders to quickly shift gears, RIMS too must adapt and strengthen staff capabilities to support the evolving needs of members, certification holders and customers," said RIMS CEO Gary A. LaBranche, FASAE, CAE. "2024 continues to be a banner year for RIMS and the Society is proud to celebrate the achievements of its talented staff, welcome new professionals to the team, and advance partnerships to keep this extraordinary momentum going."

RIMS Executive Promotions

• RIMS Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Kathy Gledhill, who has served in the role since 2019, will retire at the end of the year. Kathy was integral in steering the organization's strategy and finances through the global pandemic that included the cancellation of RISKWORLD 2020, navigating a faltering global economy, critical reserve management, and the development of comprehensive financial projections for a range of unpredictable risks and scenarios. Most recently, Kathy and her team successfully implemented a new accounting platform to modernize administrative financial obligations, address the Society's evolving membership structure, and provide volunteer chapter leaders with more efficient tools to manage finances.
  
  Bereket Haile will be promoted to RIMS CFO in January 2025. Bereket joined RIMS in 2023 as the Society's Controller. Prior to that, Bereket was the Controller for the Financial Planning Association from 2021 to 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from University of California-Irvine, as well as completing the institution's NextGEN CFO Program and CFO University. He will report to RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche.
• Cherise Papadopolo was promoted to RIMS Vice President of DEI, People, & Culture in July 2024. To further affirm RIMS' commitment to delivering welcoming and inclusive spaces for the Society's diverse membership and to effectively support the evolving needs of RIMS staff, Cherise was appointed to RIMS Director, DEI, People, & Culture in 2022. Cherise will continue to lead RIMS DEI initiatives including overseeing the RIMS DEI Advisory Council and guiding DEI content, networking, and partnerships. Her responsibilities also include overseeing the overall execution of RIMS human resources programs. Cherise joined RIMS as its Human Resource Generalist in 2017. She continues to report to RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche.
• Eric Bernard was promoted to RIMS Director, Member and Chapter Engagement in October 2024. Eric joined RIMS in 2013 and, prior to the move, was RIMS Senior Operations Manager, Professional Development supporting the delivery of the Society's breadth of thought-leading educational programming. In his new role, Eric reports to RIMS Chief Membership Experience Officer Leslie Whittet and serves as the principle point of contact for RIMS chapter leaders while also supporting RIMS membership recruitment and retainment efforts. He will also lead RIMS Member Services Team.
• Marshane Mulligan was promoted to RIMS Manager, Certification Programs in July 2024. Joining RIMS as a Credentialing Specialist in 2022, Marshane has been integral in increasing the number of RIMS-CRMP certification holders around the world (currently, more than 1,300 risk professionals hold the certification). In her new role, Marshane will manage the implementation, enhancement, and maintenance of RIMS certification programs, ensuring its effectiveness and value to the global risk community. Marshane reports to RIMS Vice President, Professional Development Denise Osorio.

  RIMS Strategic Partnership

• In May 2024, RIMS announced that mdg's Liz Sakellarideswill serve as RIMS Director of Marketing and Digital Strategymoving forward. Prior to the announcement, Liz served as RIMS interim Director of Marketing since November 2023. In this new role, Liz will continue to lead RIMS strategic marketing initiatives. While Liz will serve as RIMS fully integrated Director of Marketing, she will remain an employee of mdg through the company's Embedded Services Program. Also as part of the program, mdg's Zaakirah Fofana will serve as RIMS Marketing Coordinator. Liz and Zaakirah report to RIMS Chief Membership Experience Officer Leslie Whittet.

  
  RIMS New Employees

• Victoria Novickisjoined RIMS as its Events Coordinatorin January 2024. In this role, Victoria supports all conference operations both pre-, onsite, and post-conference. Additionally, she supports all off-site RISKWORLD VIP events and receptions with the local destination and is responsible for researching and recommending locations for off-site meetings and events. Victoria reports to RIMS Chief Events and Sales Officer Stuart Ruff-Lyon. Prior to RIMS, Victoria held the position of Programming and Events Intern at the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission.

• Allison McMannusjoined RIMS as its Exhibitions & Sponsorship Sales Managerin February 2024. Allison is responsible for the overall management of selling exhibitions and sponsorships for RIMS events. The role includes exhibition booth management, supporting customers' marketing efforts at RIMS events, identifying educational opportunities for partners, and serving as the staff liaison to RIMS Exhibits Advisory Council. She will report to RIMS Director of Sales Kris Wolcott. Prior to RIMS, Allison was the Conference Sales Manager with Human Resource Executive.

• Bethany Buttonjoined RIMS as its Manager, Educationin September 2024. Prior to RIMS, Bethany was the Manager, Sales Strategy and Operations at Gartner where she supported the organization's global professional development program. During her nine years at Gartner, Bethany's responsibilities included workshop administration, financial management, data analytics, developing and implementing sales strategies, and supporting the organization's overall operations. Bethany reports to RIMS Vice President, Professional Development Denise Osorio.

To learn more about RIMS, visit www.RIMS.org

About RIMS
RIMS, the risk management society®️, empowers risk professionals to make the world safer, more secure, and more sustainable. Through networking, professional development, certification, advocacy, and research, RIMS and its 80 chapters serves more than 200,000 risk practitioners and business leaders from over 75 countries. Founded in 1950, the Society publishes the award-winning Risk Management Magazine and produces RISKWORLD®️, the largest annual gathering of global risk professionals. RIMS embraces diversity, equity and inclusion and welcomes all risk professionals to connect and learn, explore the online Risk Knowledge library, tune into the RIMScast podcast series, and engage via social media. To learn more, visit https://www.RIMS.org.