Welman celebrated as a leader in risk management in Africa

Octavia Tsibes
The Ohlthaver & List (O&L) group head group risk management, Dawid Welman, was celebrated as a front-runner on the African continent in the area of risk management at the IRMSA (Institute of Risk Management Southern Africa) gala dinner and awards ceremony held recently in Johannesburg.

Welman was honored with the Africa Risk Management Award for his outstanding contribution to, as well as his phenomenal role in promoting risk management. The Africa Risk Award was presented this year for the first time by IRMSA to a risk manager who operates in the position of a Head of Risk Management or as a Chief Risk Officer for a period not less than 3 years. The nominee must have an exceptional track record in Risk Management and must also have contributed significantly towards the risk industry.

Welman’s career at the O&L Group started in 2009, when he was appointed in the position of Group Risk Manager, and since 2014 as Head Group Risk Management. During this time he has contributed significantly to the success of the O&L Group through the risk management function, he also played a leading role in establishing the IRMSA – Namibia Chapter, of which he is currently the chairman. Welman attributes this accolade to the risk team of O&L for contributing towards his success. He says “It is a huge honour to be recognized by my peers for the risk management work that we do, but it also gives one the opportunity to reflect on those that made it possible. In this respect I have to thank my family for their support and encouragement through the years. It is also important to realise that awards such as these are a team effort and the award is therefore a recognition of the great work done by the O&L Group Risk team, a team that I am privileged to lead. In terms of O&L, it also is an acknowledgement of our standards, values and culture. It is also testament to the quality of people we employ in the Group as well as the leadership and freedom we provide to our employees to be competitive on the international stage.”

Welman believes that if an organization does not have a proper risk management system or structure in place, they set themselves up for failure in the long run. “Risk management has never been as important for any organization as it is today. While the world has evolved and keeps on evolving at a very fast pace, a lot of risk is accompanied by the advancement of not only technology, but also the way business is being done and how organizations are being run.” He believes that risk management should be used as a tool to provide businesses with a competitive edge, influencing business strategy and providing insight and assurance something which is essential to the success and profitability in today’s business environment.

O&L Group Executive Chairman, Sven Thieme “O&L is proud to have Dawid on the team and celebrate this accolade with him, an honor well deserved. We value the contribution that he and his team makes towards the success of the group.”