Christopher E. Mandel, President & Lance Ewing, First Vice President & Chief Risk Officer

It is our business to take the lead on issues affecting our entity and be prepared for the unexpected. We are pleased to report that the health and welfare of your Society has markedly improved in the last year because of our initiatives. Some evidences of this improvement include: a growing membership base (up 4 percent) after a few years of stagnation; planned addition to surplus for each of the next three years; a stabilized income statement where operating revenues covered operating costs and the Society was able to add funds to the investment portfolio for the first time in over five years; another year of enhanced visibility in multiple media, including importantly, the mainstream press; a growing list of partnerships with industry players that measurably contribute to our strategic plan and objectives; and the advancment and expansion of our educational opportunities. All these examples reflect the successful execution of the strategic plan recently updated after an extensive review by the Strategic Plan Task Force, led by former President, Roger Andrews. Our thanks to Roger and his team for this excellent work.

The post 9/11 world has created unprecedented opportunities for risk managers that may not have emerged so quickly otherwise. While this is not the way we would prefer to see our discipline grow, it is nevertheless, a time for RIMS and its members to leverage these new opportunities and facilitate our progression from a corporate staff function, closer to a profession tied directly to critical core competencies of the entities for which we work. This is more than a possibility; we think it is a mandate for all of us who aspire to greater things and to make more of a difference. The leadership of RIMS is dedicated to making this happen for the benefit of all members. However, your part is critical to success and thus we encourage you to catch this vision and help drive it to its successful completion. Together, we can make this a reality.

We want to thank all our members for their support of the Society and its mission. We hope that you get as much from your membership as you expect and where you do not, we hope you'll communicate with either the staff or volunteers to close that gap

Thank you for your contributions to RIMS success in 2002.