The Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA) elects five new members to its board at its General Assembly in Brussels. Those elected are Sonia Cambier, head of corporate insurance and prevention at Solvay; Sharon Cilia Tortell, chief risk and sustainability officer at Steadfast Insurance Partners; Gabriella Fraire, chief executive officer of Prysmian Riassicurazioni; Panu Haapaniemi, director of risk management at UPM; and Richard Hoult, vice president of risk, audit and compliance at Synthomer. Philippe Cotelle, president of FERMA, uses his address to reinforce the federation's Together Stronger vision, which he describes as a commitment to building a more resilient European risk management community by strengthening connections between national associations. Cotelle says: "Together Stronger is our commitment to building a more resilient European risk management community by strengthening connections between our national associations, fostering greater collaboration, and creating more opportunities for everyone to contribute." He points to recent initiatives engaging national associations across Europe, including the launch of the inaugural Presidents' Workshop and the setting up of the Next Generation European Risk Council. Cotelle says: "FERMA is increasingly becoming the community hub for European risk managers. Not simply coordinating activities, but connecting people, facilitating knowledge exchange and delivering tangible value for every association in our network." He also references the recent launch of Open Sesame, a project supporting new approaches to financing climate adaptation, which he says demonstrates that risk managers have an increasingly important role to play in addressing society's biggest challenges. Commenting on the election, Cotelle says: "Our Board represents an outstanding combination of expertise, leadership, and experience across the risk management sector. Their collective insight and commitment enable us to shape the future of the profession, amplify the voices of our member associations, and champion the value of risk management across Europe and on the international stage."
