Risk & Resilience

In this article, Norman Marks reflects on a recent exchange sparked by Alex Sidorenko’s thinking on risk and decision-making, exploring where they strongly align and where a critical distinction emerges around the concept of uncertainty. While agreeing that risk management should move beyond static risk lists and toward enabling better decisions, Marks challenges how the term “uncertainty” is often understood and applied in practice. The result is a pragmatic reframing of risk conversations—one grounded in real managerial decision-making rather than abstract definitions or theoretical precision.

In my earlier piece, Risk Management Is Not a SOX Coloring Book: A Call for Risk Management as a Strategic Discipline, I argued that decades of Sarbanes-Oxley gravity have quietly reshaped how organizations understand risk—narrowing it into a compliance exercise defined by documentation, evidence trails, and audit satisfaction. That article challenged the idea that shaded boxes and completed control matrices equate to managing uncertainty. This follow-up goes a step further. It explores what risk management looks like once we finally put the coloring book down.

The Portuguese Insurance and Pension Funds Supervisory Authority (ASF) has released the third edition of its Annual Report on Climate Risk Exposure, offering a grounded look at how climate transition and physical risks are shaping Portugal’s insurance and pension fund sectors. Developed throughout 2025 with data referenced to year-end 2024, the report shows that investment portfolios are gradually aligning with the climate transition, while the value of assets exposed to floods and wildfires continues to rise.

In the digital age, brand reputation is more vulnerable than ever. Viral misinformation—false or misleading information rapidly spread via social media, news outlets, or messaging platforms—poses a significant threat to companies of all sizes and industries. Even unintentional misrepresentations can erode consumer trust, trigger regulatory scrutiny, and lead to long-term financial and reputational damage. Brands that fail to monitor, anticipate, and respond to misinformation risk amplified negative impacts. This report examines the mechanisms of viral misinformation, its impact on brand perception, and strategies to protect corporate reputation in 2025 and beyond.

Europe’s insurance sector is proving resilient in an increasingly unsettled world but the clouds are not lifting. According to the January 2026 Insurance Risk Dashboard published on Thursday by European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority, overall risks in the European insurance market remain stable at a medium level, even as persistent geopolitical tensions continue to weigh on the broader economic and market outlook.

In its newly released Risks in BaFin’s Focus report, the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority cautioned that record-high valuations, geopolitical tension, and fast-moving financial innovation are combining in ways that could test financial stability in 2026. The watchdog pointed to a growing risk of abrupt market corrections, even as banks and insurers continue to report solid profits and strong capital positions.

A week after publishing my first reflections on the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2026, I find myself returning to the same unease that prompted that first piece—not because the report needs more explanation, but because the initial reaction to it already feels familiar.