Jana Utter, vice chairman of danger administration at Centene Company, provides her tackle the rewarding features of danger administration and alternatives for enchancment.
R&I: What was your first job out of faculty?
I used to be a workers accountant for Texas Japanese Transmission Company in Houston, Texas.
R&I: And the way did you find yourself in danger administration?
I used to be working for Texas Japanese as a workers accountant and had the lucky alternative after a couple of years to maneuver into their pure fuel buying and selling firm. So I first bought concerned with danger administration, within the power markets specializing in market and credit score dangers, even longer than 20 years in the past. However that principally paved the best way for beginning to acquire experience in danger administration.
So far as my present place, I had began two enterprise danger administration features. One for Kansas Metropolis Energy and Mild [now Evergy], after which one for the Midcontinent Unbiased System Operator (MISO), the facility grid operator. I felt like ERM was a transferrable talent so I used to be actually eager to take that have attempt doing enterprise danger administration in one other sector.
R&I: What’s it about this work that you just discover essentially the most rewarding and most fulfilling?
I believe, for me, it’s been the ever-evolving world of danger administration. At any time when I first bought into ERM, it was proper after the autumn of Enron. I labored for Kansas Metropolis Energy and Mild.The board had requested the CFO, which is who I labored for at that individual time, to pilot an ERM operate.
I had the chance ever since that got here up at KCPL 20 years in the past, to be on the forefront of various traits. For example, compliance. I began working at MISO , the facility grid operator, in 2006 and shortly thereafter, compliance was turning into an even bigger matter throughout the electrical sector as a result of authorized enforceability by FERC (Federal Vitality Regulatory Fee) of the NERC (North American Reliability Company) requirements. I reported to the CFO and he knew I had some expertise with establishing finest practices for compliance applications within the power sector as a result of a white paper I had co-authored for the CCRO. So, he requested me to assist formalize the corporate’s compliance program.
Now, it’s ESG. There’s simply been these alternatives associated to ERM that has made ERM all the time one thing contemporary and new. It’s not the identical factor on a regular basis.
R&I: Are there locations the place the danger administration neighborhood may very well be doing a greater job?
I believe danger quantification continues to be difficult for lots of danger administration professionals. With the ability to do danger quantification and current the leads to such a method that it’s really helpful for resolution making. To me, that’s been one of many age-old challenges.
The primary problem was simply getting ERM a seat on the desk and getting individuals to consider that it was greater than only a guidelines exercise.
Now, I believe there’s the continuation of making an attempt to make it possible for ERM is and stays related talking and reporting in govt phrases quite than an excessive amount of ERM lingo which might be disregarded fairly rapidly by the senior degree, except there’s some supporting proof – together with quantifying danger in greenback phrases and utilizing metrics to exhibit mitigation effectiveness.
R&I: If there have been two individuals in your profession, or in your life, who served as mentors to you, who would they be and why?
There are two those who come to thoughts. One is earlier in my profession. I had a supervisor after I began as a workers accountant who noticed some potential in me that I didn’t even notice I had. He began working behind the scenes to land a job for me in our pure fuel buying and selling firm which I discussed earlier and this function turned out to be foundational to what I’m doing at this time in ERM and ESG..
You all the time say you may have a very good boss, however do you actually have somebody that appears out on your finest curiosity, such that they care about you as a person in addition to the corporate?
The opposite individual is somebody I labored with briefly after I moved from my job at Texas Japanese to work for Missouri Fuel Vitality in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri. Throughout that point, I labored carefully with Duane Lock.
Duane had perception in me, and that perception plus the sources and help I had at KCPL helped me to succeed.
R&I: What have you ever achieved in your life that you just’re most happy with?
I’ve 4 youngsters and a husband as nicely. I’m actually happy with what they’ve achieved, as a result of I’m probably not profitable in the event that they’re not profitable too. That’s been essential to me.
I’ve two youngsters which have graduated from school. I’ve bought a 3rd, third to the oldest that simply bought his warrant officer rank within the Military Nationwide Guard, and is simply beginning helicopter faculty at Fort Rucker in Alabama. He’s a paramedic as nicely. My youngest is a sophomore at my alma mater, Abilene Christian, and is energetic within the marching band and her sorority.
My husband is an authorized bike rider coach, and has all kinds of certifications to show individuals the right way to safely experience a motorbike. He has taught hundreds of individuals, from first-time ever to seasoned riders, discover ways to safely experience a motorbike and be taught new and superior expertise.
None of my youngsters wished to enter the company world, although. So, what does that let you know? I ’m undecided I do know!
R&I: What sort of feedback do you get at cocktail events about what you do?
You recognize, any time you say you’re in danger administration, for one, they normally go straight to, “Oh, you’re over company insurance coverage.” Even when I say enterprise danger administration, most individuals usually are not acquainted with the function so I briefly clarify that I report on all varieties of vital dangers throughout the corporate and the motion plans in place to handle.
As well as, normally I’ve to handle a ‘double don’t know’ – not solely are they not acquainted with the function however most individuals have by no means heard of Centene, regardless of the actual fact it’s a Fortune 24 firm.
So, I’ve a couple of hurdle to get previous as nicely! Centene operates below nationwide and native branding so as soon as I point out the native market model, individuals notice they do learn about Centene in any case. &