Ben Cattaneo, allthingsrisk
For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by randomness, risk and uncertainty. I always loved to read and watch how people and organisations deal with these phenomena, particularly in geopolitics, sport, socioeconomics, markets and business, but also in all manner of other contexts. Such has been my fascination with randomness and uncertainty that I’ve made a fairly non-linear and somewhat unconventional career out of risk management.
However, my fascination with these topics goes beyond this.
Welcome to All Things Risk and the All Things Risk Podcast. The strapline and the title of my first post was a very deliberate “risk is life.” You see, the concept of risk is commonly misunderstood. It’s often considered something negative that is to be avoided.
Nothing can be further from the truth. To live with no risk or uncertainty is to not live. Want to eliminate the risk of being hit by a car whilst riding your bike? Then don’t ride your bike. Want to completely eliminate the possibility of ever getting lost in the wrong part of town in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language? Then don’t travel. It makes for a pretty boring existence doesn’t it?
Risk, randomness and uncertainty are in my view, what provides the essence of what makes life worth living. Without it, we cannot have variety, mysticism, wonder, gratitude, love or compassion. To live life to the fullest, we must embrace risk.
I plan on having some great conversations with wonderful guests and sharing some eclectic ideas, concepts and also practical tools to not only take risk intelligently, but to also embrace it with passion and elegance. I will draw upon my own experience, as well as those of many others. My hope is that this will give you at the very least, some new perspectives on life and possibly, some practical ways in which you can improve your own life and/or those of others.
