Risk and Insurance Management Society Ontario Chapter Presents Jim Swanson With the 2019 Donald M. Stuart Award

EDMONTON, Alberta, Sept. 10 -- The Risk and Insurance Management Society issued the following news release:

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- Leading By Example: Province of Manitoba Risk Manager Drives Risk Management Success Through Communication, Education and Volunteerism

- Ronnie Yuen Presented with the 2019 Fred H. Bossons Award

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RIMS Ontario Chapter (ORIMS) presented the Donald M. Stuart Award to Jim Swanson, Director, Insurance and Risk Management for the Province of Manitoba (retired). Presented each year at RIMS Canada Conference, the Donald M. Stuart award is widely recognized as Canada's highest honour within the risk management field. Since 1979, the annual award has celebrated Canadians who have made outstanding contributions to the risk management profession.

"Throughout my career, I have focused on being a strong communicator, embracing varying perspectives and ideas, and promoting the invaluable potential of a collaborative, enterprise-wide approach to risk management," said Mr. Swanson. "As a volunteer and an educator, I continue to be amazed by the new strategies implemented by my fellow professionals and am so proud to be a part of this outstanding business community. I can't express enough how honoured I am to be this year's Donald M. Stuart Award recipient."

During Mr. Swanson's 30 years with the Province of Manitoba, he played a critical role in the development of insurance and risk management policies for its 12 departments and 39 agencies. His contributions led to the development and implementation of enterprise risk management practices, as well as the creation of an adaptable Business Continuity Plan and Fraud Reporting and Prevention Policy. Additionally, during his tenure, he built one of the most comprehensive centralized records of physical assets held by any Provincial government in Canada.

"In addition to his remarkable achievements with the Province, Jim Swanson continues to generously donate his time and experiences to help advance the profession," said ORIMS President Valerie Fox. "Jim is a tremendous RIMS Canada Council volunteer, a mentor to so many up-and-coming risk professionals and a role model for us all. The RIMS Ontario Chapter is proud to recognize his career."

Mr. Swanson is an active member of RIMS. He has held several positions on the RIMS Manitoba Chapter Board of Directors including serving as the chapter's president from 1992 to 1994. He was a member of RIMS Canada Council's advisory committees and chaired the RIMS Canada Conference in 1994, 2004 and 2014. Mr. Swanson successfully incorporated risk management into the Red River College certificate program and was a part of the National Education Committee, a group responsible for updating risk management textbooks and course curriculums. He is also a Canadian Risk Management designation (CRM) instructor.

Mr. Swanson holds a degree in Psychology from the University of Manitoba, as well as the FCIP, CRM and RF risk management and insurance designations.

Fred H. Bossons Award

Also presented at RIMS Canada Conference was the Fred H. Bossons Award. Each year, the award honours the risk management professional who earns the highest average mark on the three examinations required to attain the Canadian Risk Management (CRM) designation. This year's winner is Ronnie Yuen, Underwriting Assistant at Starr Technical Risks Canada Inc.

The CRM designation provides risk professionals a foundation of knowledge and skills needed to identify, assess, monitor and limit risks. The award is recognized by RIMS and awarded by the Global Risk Management Institute (GRMI).

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About RIMS Canada Council

The RIMS Canada Council (RCC) is a standing committee of the Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS). The RCC addresses the strategic initiatives of RIMS and risk management issues in Canada.