Boards are accountable for the risks their organisations take, yet many meet only a few times a year and depend on information that management prepares. Investors, regulators, donors and the public increasingly expect directors to show that they understand the principal risks, challenge assumptions and ensure that controls work. Gaps in oversight can result in financial loss, regulatory sanction, personal liability and damaged trust.

The Risk Management for Corporate Governance and Board Effectiveness Training Course brings together two topics that are often handled separately. It first establishes how risk management and corporate governance fit together, from the legal and ethical duties of directors to the design of risk policies, appetite statements and reporting lines. It then examines how boards actually behave: how agendas are set, how information is presented, how dissent is handled and how committees add value rather than duplicate effort.

Sessions rely on board pack extracts, governance failure cases and simulated meetings in which participants take director and executive roles. Exercises include reviewing a risk register, challenging a management presentation and evaluating a board's own performance. Delegates leave with practical tools to raise the quality of oversight in their own boards and committees.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the duties of directors in overseeing risk and internal control.
• Apply ISO 31000 and COSO ERM principles to board-level risk governance.
• Draft risk appetite and tolerance statements linked to strategy.
• Review risk registers, heat maps and key risk indicators critically.
• Define the roles of the board, audit and risk committees, management and internal audit.
• Design board agendas and papers that support timely, informed decisions.
• Evaluate board composition, dynamics and performance, and plan improvements.
• Respond to emerging risks such as cyber threats, fraud and reputational crises.

The programme is designed for people who sit on, serve or report to boards and committees, including:

• Non-executive and independent directors
• Executive directors and chief executives
• Board chairs and committee chairs
• Company secretaries and board secretaries
• Chief risk officers, heads of internal audit and compliance managers
• Board members of state corporations and public agencies
• Trustees and council members of NGOs, foundations and universities
• Senior managers preparing to join a board

Participants take away:

• A draft risk appetite statement with measurable tolerances.
• A set of probing questions for challenging risk reports and strategy papers.
• A board and committee calendar with risk items built into the agenda.
• A self-assessment tool for board effectiveness.
• A clearer map of responsibilities among directors, management and assurance providers.
• An action plan for strengthening governance in their own organisation.

The programme respects participants' seniority and uses boardroom-style learning:

• Simulated board and committee meetings with rotating roles
• Analysis of board pack extracts and risk reports
• Governance failure case discussions
• Peer exchange on challenges in different sectors
• Self-assessment instruments applied to participants' own boards

Participants who attend all sessions and take part in the simulations and exercises receive a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion issued by Vision Reach Global Consultancy.