Navigating uncertainty: Key takeaways from ERM Day 2025

ERM Day 2025, hosted by FINNRIMA at Helsinki's Finlandia House, brought together leading experts to explore how organizations can build resilience in an era of radical uncertainty. Key themes included adapting risk management frameworks for unpredictable environments, navigating global economic power shifts, developing crisis leadership capabilities, and balancing quantitative methods with qualitative judgment. Inclus was happy to sponsor the event, and our CEO Mikaeli Langinvainio also participated in the TED Talk contest with Antti Hoppania from KONE, one of our customers. 

 
The landscape of enterprise risk management continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, driven by technological disruption, geopolitical tensions, and increasingly complex global interconnections. Last month, we had the privilege of sponsoring ERM Day 2025, hosted by the Finnish Risk Management Association (FINNRIMA) at the iconic Finlandia House in Helsinki. This full-day seminar brought together some of the most forward-thinking minds in risk management, strategy, and crisis communication to explore how organizations can build resilience in an era of radical uncertainty. 

The new reality of radical uncertainty 

Eeva Vilkkumaa, Assistant Professor of Management Science at Aalto University, opened the day with a compelling exploration of radical uncertainty and why it fundamentally challenges traditional ERM approaches. Her keynote, "Critical uncertainty – Preparing for the unpredictable," emphasized that we're operating in a world where the unknown unknowns have become more significant than the known unknowns. 

Vilkkumaa's presentation highlighted that traditional risk management approaches, built on historical data and predictable patterns, are increasingly insufficient for navigating today's volatile business environment. This shift requires organizations to fundamentally rethink their approach to risk identification, assessment, and mitigation. Rather than relying solely on quantitative models based on past performance, companies must develop adaptive frameworks that can respond to unprecedented scenarios. 

Global risk landscapes and economic power shifts 

Mikael Wigell, Founder & CEO of the Economic Security Forum, delivered an insightful analysis of "The new economic power struggle – risks and impacts for companies." His presentation explored how the rise of new economic powers, changing trade relationships, and shifting regulatory environments create both opportunities and vulnerabilities for organizations operating in global markets. 

Wigell's discussion highlighted the cascading effects these macro-level changes have on supply chains, market access, regulatory compliance, and competitive positioning. His insights emphasized the importance of scenario planning and maintaining organizational agility to navigate these complex dynamics. Companies that fail to recognize and adapt to these shifts risk finding themselves strategically disadvantaged or operationally disrupted. 

Leadership in unpredictable environments 

Pia Aaltonen-Forsell, CFO of Finnair, provided valuable insights on "Risk, strategy, and leadership: How to lead in uncertain times." Her presentation addressed the reality facing today's executives that traditional decision-making frameworks, which often rely on comprehensive data analysis and lengthy planning cycles, may be too slow for rapidly evolving situations. 

Aaltonen-Forsell shared practical insights on developing leadership capabilities that enable quick, informed decision-making while maintaining strategic coherence. This includes building organizational cultures that embrace calculated risk-taking, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and developing communication strategies that maintain stakeholder confidence during periods of uncertainty. 

Crisis communication: More critical than ever 

Harri Saukkomaa, Executive Chairman of the Board at Tekir Oy, presented on "Leadership in crisis – Crisis communication, ERM and uncertainty." His session highlighted how in an era of social media, 24-hour news cycles, and heightened stakeholder expectations, the way organizations communicate during crises can determine not just their immediate response effectiveness, but their long-term reputation and market position. 

Saukkomaa's presentation covered best practices including the importance of transparency, speed of response, consistent messaging across all channels, and the need for pre-established communication protocols that can be rapidly activated. He emphasized that crisis communication is not just about damage control — it's about maintaining trust and demonstrating organizational values under pressure. 

Quantitative methods and structural approaches 

While much of the discussion centered on qualitative aspects of risk management, the conference also explored advancing quantitative methods and modeling techniques. These sessions examined how organizations can leverage data analytics, artificial intelligence, and sophisticated modeling to better understand and predict risk scenarios. 

However, the presentations cautioned against over-reliance on quantitative methods, particularly in environments characterized by radical uncertainty. The most effective approaches combine quantitative rigor with qualitative judgment, human insight, and organizational wisdom. 

Collaborative approaches to global risk management 

One of the conference highlights was the collaborative TED Talk featuring our CEO Mikaeli Langinvainio alongside Antti Hoppania from KONE, which explored rapidly evolving global risks and the importance of collaborative approaches to addressing them. Their discussion emphasized that many of today's most significant risks — from cybersecurity threats to supply chain disruptions to environmental challenges — transcend organizational and even national boundaries. 

Effective risk management increasingly requires collaboration across industries, sectors, and geographic regions. Organizations that build strong networks, share intelligence, and collaborate on risk mitigation strategies are better positioned to navigate complex global challenges. 

Building resilient organizations: Key takeaways 

Several critical insights emerged from the day's discussions that organizations can apply to strengthen their risk management capabilities: 

Embrace adaptive planning: Traditional long-term strategic planning must be complemented by adaptive approaches that can respond quickly to changing circumstances. This means building flexibility into organizational structures, processes, and resource allocation. 

Invest in leadership development: Organizations must invest in developing leaders who can make effective decisions under uncertainty, communicate clearly during crises, and maintain organizational morale and direction during challenging periods. 

Strengthen stakeholder relationships: Building strong relationships with key stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, regulators, and communities, creates resilience resources that can be activated during difficult times. 

Develop comprehensive communication strategies: Effective crisis communication requires advance preparation, clear protocols, and consistent messaging that aligns with organizational values and stakeholder expectations. 

Balance quantitative and qualitative approaches: While data and modeling are important, they must be complemented by human judgment, organizational wisdom, and an understanding of the broader context in which decisions are made. 

Looking forward: The future of risk management 

As we reflect on the insights shared at ERM Day 2025, it's clear that the field of risk management is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Organizations that successfully navigate this transition will be those that embrace uncertainty as a constant, build adaptive capabilities, and foster collaborative approaches to addressing shared challenges. 

The conversations we had with attendees throughout the day reinforced our belief that building resilient organizations requires not just sophisticated frameworks and processes, but also strong relationships, clear communication, and a commitment to continuous learning and adaptation. 

We're grateful to FINNRIMA for organizing such a thought-provoking event and to all the participants who shared their insights and experiences. These connections and conversations are invaluable as we all work together to build more resilient organizations capable of thriving in an uncertain world. 

The path forward is not about eliminating uncertainty that's neither possible nor necessarily desirable. Instead, it's about building the capabilities, relationships, and mindset needed to navigate uncertainty effectively and turn challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.