Managing Operational Risk: 20 Firmwide Best Practice Strategiess

Published in association with the Global Association of Risk Professionals
As e-commerce and globalization continue to expand, so does the level of operational risk, increasing the need for guidance on how to measure and manage it. This is the definitive guide to managing operational risk in financial institutions. Written in a concise, no-nonsense style, and containing numerous real-life case studies, it covers all the bases from the basics of what operational risk is to how to design and implement sophisticated operational risk management systems. Readers will appreciate the up-to-the-minute coverage of the latest techniques and practices to manage operational risk. They will learn how to enhance their positions in the face of anticipated new regulatory standards and capital requirements.
Douglas G. Hoffman (Fairfield, CT) is an independent consultant in operational risk management. His firm, Operational Risk Advisors, provides executive training and assists financial institutions and corporate clients worldwide in operational risk analysis and mitigation.

Reviews:

Timely and dense, this comprehensive treatment of risk assessment and management maps the minefield of business and financial risks. Although professional-level information on banking and financial risk management cannot avoid a certain intensely mathematical character, this volume also pays careful attention to the "softer" side, and stresses the importance of cultural and attitudinal factors. It is a very well-balanced presentation of the subject. However, this very valuable information is written in a turgid, repetitive, convoluted and confusing style that makes it a chore to read. This risk could have been managed by a ruthless editor able to cut half of the undergrowth to clear a path to the meaning. Are advice to bankers and risk managers: brew some strong coffee and slog through the text. The content is too important to ignore.

I found this book to be very theoretical and not practical at all. Save your money!

This book is good for those who already know what OpRisk is all about, or at least are familiar with banking terms and financial measurement systems. If you are new to the game, you are likely to become very frustrated. Mr Hoffman throws a multitude of operational risk "building blocks" on the floor in the opening chapter, tells us that we will use them to build a "house", picks them up one-by-one and explains them - sometimes well, sometimes poorly. If you already have the big picture, i.e. you know what the finished "house" is supposed to look like, you will be able to follow - most of the time (see below). If you know little or nothing about OpRisk, I am fully convinced that the book would be easier to understand backwards - i.e. the chapters are read in reverse order (no joke).There are also several points in the book which had me scratching my head at the consistency of it all! To pick just one example, on page 186 there is a list of what Mr Hoffman calls "Top Down" and "Bottom Up" risk assessment methodologies. In this list, "Delphi Scenarios" is listed as one of the TOP DOWN methods. Two pages later, under the heading "BOTTOM-UP RISK ASSESSMENT METHODS", Delphi Scenarios are discussed/mentioned!!! What is it really - a Top Down or Bottom Up method??There are several other examples throughout the book likely to cause more than a little confusion to the attentive beginner.

Douglas Hoffman's extensive experience in the field of operational risk shines through in this book as he takes operational risk out of the classroom and applies it to real world examples. This is an insightful read for any operational risk professional.

I am new to the field of operational risk and this book provided a good introduction. It is readable and practical. I especially found the discussion of Banker's Trust's operational risk department and methodology fascinating. This book is actually readable unlike so many others in the field.

Doug Hoffman's new book is a welcome addition to the growing body of literature on operational risk. This is a balanced discussion of operational risk which serves to dispell myths and unfounded positions. The book offers another dimension which is invaluable, which is to place operational risk in the context of practical applications and uses. The book is readable and well organized, with many examples and cases. This book will be useful reading to the Chief Executive, Chief Risk Officer, Chief Finanical Officer, as well as managers and staff at all levels.

Doug Hoffman's book provides the most balanced and wide reaching view of operational risk in print -- the book addresses large corporate, societal, and management issues, in addition to the more standard operational risk topics, such as quantification and regulatory matters. This is the type of perspective that only someone from the industry -- who spent a number of years as a practitioner can provide. And the inclusion of real life cases brings the whole discussion of operational risk down to a practical level and can serve as a blue print for the implementation of an operational risk program. This book is a great value and already a classic text in the field.

Do you like key risk indicators? A good one for 'book purchase' is to see the number of people reselling it, trying to cover the loss of buying a bad book or a book they do not need anymore. In this particular case, this book was released like two months ago and the number of people already reselling it in the secondary market is very high. For example, today 6 readers are selling this book. I believe this tells more than anything else. Buy at your own risk!

This book brings the author's opinions on what might caused a number of operational risk events and suggest a few "best practices" for the area. Frankly,...General ideas are also suggested on how a few practical problems in OR must be tackled. No practical methods or practical examples are shown at all. How do I solve a specific problem? The author suggests "try fuzzy logic, for example". Good suggestion, but how? It is not said here. You have to buy another book to do that. To be fair to the potential buyers, the book should be titled "General Suggestions and Personal Opinions on Operational Risk"...

Doug Hoffman's natural writing style makes this representation of twenty best practice principles for operational risk management a compelling read. Surpassing the strong efforts of previous authors on this subject matter, Doug imparts his wisdom and experience in a thought provoking analysis of the organisational context for operational risk management, with clear and practical take-aways from every chapter.The book is littered with case histories, war stories and contributions from many industry professionals and current practitioners, ensuring a rich and balanced view.Of particular note are the chapters addressing risk response strategies and risk financing alternatives, reminding practitioners that quantification and regulatory lobbying are not ends within themselves. The book is suitable for any business professional with an interest in harnessing enterprise risk, those practitioners who are just starting out on their operational risk journey, and those seasoned players who believe that they have not yet mastered the subject (which is just about all of us).

Doug Hoffman's natural writing style makes this representation of twenty best practice principles for operational risk management a compelling read. Surpassing the strong efforts of previous authors on this subject matter, Doug imparts his wisdom and experience in a thought provoking analysis of the organisational context for operational risk management, with clear and practical take-aways from every chapter.The book is littered with case histories, war stories and contributions from many industry professionals and current practitioners, ensuring a rich and balanced view.Of particular note are the chapters addressing risk response strategies and risk financing alternatives, reminding practitioners that quantification and regulatory lobbying are not ends within themselves. The book is suitable for any business professional with an interest in harnessing enterprise risk, those practitioners who are just starting out on their operational risk journey, and those seasoned players who believe that they have not yet mastered the subject (which is just about all of us).