What AI cannot offer: The human dimension of risk management - Inclus breakfast event 12.11.2025
Inclus organized a November breakfast event where two Finnish growth companies, Olvi and St1, shared their experiences in developing risk management amid growth and internationalization.
The case presentations were complemented by philosopher Esa Saarinen's reflections on the human dimension of risk management in the age of AI.
The event provided valuable insights into how modern companies approach risk management with a participatory and strategic approach, while not losing sight of the uniquely human elements that technology cannot replace.
Olvi: Growth risks and participatory risk management
Esa Hyttinen, Olvi's General Counsel, took participants on a journey through the company's 147-year history. Founded in 1878, Olvi is the only independently surviving Finnish brewery from the original 78.
Growth story and internationalization
Olvi's growth story is impressive. The company has grown into a multi-local beverage house with operations in eight countries:
Finland (Olvi Oyj, Servaali Oy, The Helsinki Distilling Company)
The Baltics (A. Le Coq in Estonia, Cēsu Alus in Latvia, Volfas Engelman in Lithuania)
Denmark (Vestfyen)
Belarus (Lidskoe Pivo)
Products are exported to nearly 80 countries, and the share of non-alcoholic products has grown to almost 45 percent.
In recent years, the company has continued an active acquisition policy, acquiring among others Latvia's largest craft brewery Valmiermuižas Alus, Bosnia and Herzegovina's largest brewery Banjalucka Pivara, and Estonia's leading mineral water producer Värska Originaal AS.
Risk management practices
Hyttinen emphasized that internationalization and growth require a systematic approach to risk management. Olvi examines risks from four perspectives:
Strategic risks
Operational risks
Financial risks
Compliance risks
Risk management is divided into three phases: from transaction to takeover and the continuous phase. Key questions include:
What do we know ourselves?
What do we not know sufficiently?
What can be insured?
How are risks transferred to operational activities?
What can we learn from new colleagues?
Participation as a key factor
One of the central principles of Olvi's risk management is risk ownership and participation. The company has found that the best results are achieved when staff have broad access to the system and own their own risks and opportunities.
Olvi utilizes Inclus as a risk management tool that:
Enables different views from group level to country-specific management teams and individual users
Visualizes trends and changes
Links risks to strategic priorities
Makes the topic familiar through regular reviews in different forums
Hyttinen also emphasized the importance of long-term scenario work: how are scenarios implemented in the organization and transferred to operational activities?
St1: Practical experiences in developing risk management
Antti Järvinen, St1's CSO (Chief Security Officer), brought a technical and analytical perspective to the presentation. Järvinen's background in acoustics and audio processing technology, along with over 20 years of experience in security and risk management at Yle, Kesko, Nokia, Microsoft, and F-Secure, provided an interesting perspective.
St1 in numbers
St1 is a significant energy company:
Revenue of 8.0 billion euros
Approximately 1000 employees
Operating countries: Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom
Non-listed company, no IFRS financial statements or board audit committee
Comprehensive risk management portfolio
Järvinen presented St1's broad risk management field, which combines both qualitative and quantitative risk management:
Operational safety:
HSSE (Health, Safety, Security, Environment)
Seveso Directive
HAZOP analyses
Analysis of deviation reports and audits using artificial intelligence
Business continuity:
Project risk management
Supply chain continuity
Commodity price risk management
Regulatory compliance:
Data protection (GDPR)
Cybersecurity (NIS2 & CER directives)
Product responsibility certification
Biofuels
Using the Inclus tool
Järvinen shared practical tips for utilizing the Inclus tool:
Using respondent groups helps understand risks from different perspectives
Large variance in responses can indicate that different groups understand the risk differently - these risks are often the most interesting
Inclus is not an Excel replacement - its strength lies elsewhere
Transparency and creating an audit trail becomes significantly easier
Management reporting can be implemented, for example, through PowerBI
Reality first
Järvinen concluded his presentation with a quote from Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman: "For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled".
This quote encapsulated the essence of both presentations: effective risk management is based on facing reality, openness, and participation of all parties - not on beautiful-looking reports that don't reflect the actual situation.
Esa Saarinen: The human dimension of risk management in the age of AI
Esa Saarinen, philosopher and professor, took to the stage as the last presenter and brought a refreshingly different perspective to the breakfast event.
While Olvi and St1 had focused on practical and strategic aspects of risk management, Saarinen invited the audience into a more humanistic space to explore what lies beyond tools, processes, and artificial intelligence.
What AI cannot offer
Through memorable metaphors and thought-provoking observations, Saarinen explored the fundamental question: what can AI not offer in the context of risk management and decision-making? His answer centered on uniquely human capabilities:
Elevated emotional understanding: While AI can analyze data and recognize patterns, it cannot access the depth of human emotional intelligence. The ability to truly understand what lies beneath the surface - the unspoken concerns, the subtle tensions in a team, the gut feelings that often signal risks before they become visible in data - remains distinctly human.
Genuine presence: Saarinen through his anecdotes emphasized the importance of being truly present in the moment, of authentic engagement with colleagues, situations, and challenges. AI can process information, but it cannot be present in the way humans can - with full attention, empathy, and the ability to respond to the nuances of each unique situation.
The ability to rise above: Perhaps most importantly, Saarinen highlighted the uniquely human capacity to rise above a situation - to see the bigger picture, to transcend immediate circumstances, and to find meaning even in challenging situations.
‘Representation’: Information vs. meaning
A central theme in Saarinen's presentation was the distinction between information and meaning. ‘Representation’ was a key word. While AI excels at representing, organizing, and processing information, it cannot replace the human experience of meaning-making.
Risk management, at its core, is not just about identifying and categorizing risks - it's about making sense of them together, understanding their implications for real people and communities, and creating shared understanding.
Saarinen's reflections reminded the audience that effective risk management requires more than sophisticated tools and comprehensive data. It requires:
Connection: The ability to connect with others authentically
Sense-making: The collaborative process of understanding what risks mean in context
Wisdom: The judgment that comes from experience and reflection, not just analysis
Values: The ethical dimension that guides how we respond to risks