8AUGUST 2025OPINIONIN MYTHE KEYS TO BUILDING A RESILIENT RISK MANAGEMENT FUTUREBy Roy Hock, Director of Risk Finance and Casualty Insurance, ValeroRoy Hock, ARM, MBA, is a seasoned risk management professional with over 20 years of expertise in insurance, enterprise risk management, business continuity, loss control, and financing strategies. As Director of Risk Finance & Casualty Insurance at Valero Energy Corporation, he leads a team overseeing captive management, primary and excess liability programs, and risk management data systems. His experience spans multiple industries, including energy and marine, reinsurance, financial services, health and fitness, private equity, and captive management. Through this article, Hock highlights the evolving risk landscape and the increasing importance of formal education, critical thinking and industry-academic collaboration in preparing future risk management professionals.Roy HockGone are the days when most people simply "fell into" insurance and risk management. When I speak to students, they inevitably ask how I started my career, and I have to admit, like many others 25 years ago, I fell into it myself, coming from a science background with a bit of business mixed in. All of my initial industry knowledge came through on-the-job training and time. My answer usually earns an eye roll and a questioning look, as if they wonder whether they chose the right degree. I quickly follow up with this reassurance: they have made a great choice, and here is why. The risk landscape is evolving faster than ever. Organizations require well-educated, forward-thinking professionals who can help them navigate risk in this dynamic environment to survive.Risk has always been a dynamic and changing concept. However, from the earliest times of categorizing, mitigating, and transferring risk to others, risk management has been relatively reactive and based Educational programs and degrees specific to risk management help the industry meet this need by exposing students to the foundational historical risk management paradigm and giving them the tools, training and knowledge to tackle the modern risk challenges
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