Enter




Reputability is the leading consultancy for educating Boards and senior leaders about the importance of behavioural, organisational and reputational risks, and guiding them in how to respond to these issues. Reputability is outstandingly effective in this because of our unique blend of research, experience and expertise.

Our research demonstrates that most big problems are predictable and avoidable, particularly to well-informed outsiders. This is where our insights will bring you valuable foresight.




Through rethinking reputational risk, we have shown that the ultimate drivers of most reputational damage and many corporate failures are behavioural, organisational and board risks. Long-term success depends on leaders who understand and deal with these risks.

The new approach of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) acknowledges these risks. This approach is valuable to all organisations as it addresses fundamental vulnerabilities that evade conventional risk analysis.

Recent FRC guidance means that the Annual Reports of UK listed companies are expected to disclose and describe Principal Risks arising from behavioural and organisational risks. The FRC now expects companies it regulates to give specific emphasis to behavioural risk, organisational risk and reputational risk.

The FRC also expects boards to consider whether they, board committees and management have the skills knowledge and experience to assess the risks the company faces.

Since behavioural, organisational and reputation risks are not adequately covered by classical risk analysis or board evaluation, we believe that most boards are currently unable to comply with the FRC guidance.



It is common to find that vulnerabilities with the potential to threaten the survival of a firm are well known to people within the firm - whilst the leadership remains in the dark. Internal politics, hierarchies, taboos, culture, incentives and glass ceilings often obscure these risks. This situation is made worse by the inability of people and organisations to see themselves as others can – what psychologists call cognitive biases.

We call this the ‘Unknown Knowns’ problem.

Our report, ‘Deconstructing failure – Insights for boards’ confirms that previously unrecognised classes of behavioural and organisational risks both cause crises and tip them into reputational catastrophes. The report goes further, finding patterns and concluding that these potentially lethal risks typically have their origins in the board.

It is especially difficult for boards to uncover these destructive risks because classical risk management hasn’t evolved far enough to find them. That is how boards find themselves with a dangerous hole in the risk management systems for which they are ultimately responsible.  And it is why the widely promoted 'Three Lines of Defence' risk management model gives boards a dangerous delusion of security.

Board Vulnerability Evaluation is a new tool designed to help boards to see into this foggy area.




We combine confidential peer review with the know-how we have accumulated from extensive research into reputational risk and its behavioural and organisational drivers. We add the experience each of us has gained in senior roles, in diverse fields over many decades, to bring you fresh and compelling insights.

We use two main approaches. First, we provide tailored education for boards and risk professionals so that they gain the skills needed to meet the FRC’s expectations.

Second, we help boards to develop an 'informed outsider' perspective which can reveal previously unrecognised risks and opportunities.




Our multi-disciplinary team shares deep and broad know-how which has been accumulated through diverse careers and thought-leading research. Each partner brings to bear a lifetime's experience and a different perspective to consideration of your issues.

Together we can offer clear insights and an attractive and persuasive proposition to all those who are seeking protection from, and mitigation of, reputational risk.

View the biographies of our team to see more:-

Anthony Fitzsimmons

Anthony read engineering at Cambridge, then became a solicitor specialising in international liability and insurance law.

During two decades as a partner in one of the leading legal specialists in the handling of international disasters, he refined strategies to prioritise and reconcile the reputational, humanitarian, commercial, legal and insurance issues arising in crises. He also advised major brands in the wake of severe adverse events.

Following his retirement from the law, Anthony founded Reputability, of which he is Chairman.  Anthony is a co-author of ‘Roads to Ruin’, the Cass Business School report for Airmic and, with Derek Atkins, of "Rethinking Reputational Risk: How to Manage the Risks that can Ruin Your Business, Your Reputation and You"

Derek Atkins

Professor Derek Atkins has 30 years’ experience in the insurance industry. Formerly UK Strategy Director for Royal and Sun Alliance, he has co-authored many books on risk analysis, risk management and insurance, notably the Chartered Insurance Institute textbook on insurance company management. He was a co-author of ‘Roads to Ruin’ and is, with Anthony Fitzsimmons, co-author of "Rethinking Reputational Risk: How to Manage the Risks that can Ruin Your Business, Your Reputation and You".

He currently teaches risk management, reputational risk, and insurance on the Cass Business School MSc course. Derek is chairman of a City insurance broker, chairman of the Board Risk Committee for Trust Re and a partner at Reputability. He was also a member of two UK government working groups on risk related issues, and was awarded the Exceptional Service Medal of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Mike Bell

After graduating as an aeronautical engineer, Mike flew fast jets for the RAF and went on to become the UK’s Chief Test Pilot.

As Group Safety Director and Executive Board Member of the Civil Aviation Authority, he was responsible for all safety regulation in the UK aviation industry and built a global reputation for aviation and safety assessment. He also worked in the design of safety cultures and implementing design changes with aircraft manufacturers worldwide.

A Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Mike was awarded a CBE for services to UK civil aviation.

Jane Howard

After graduating in economics from the LSE, Jane joined a team, which sold into Saatchi and Saatchi. She went on to head the Leedex PR Group, joining the board of its parent company, Birkdale plc.

One of only a few Chartered Communicators, Jane has 30 years’ international and award-winning experience. Republic, the corporate communications business she founded was sold to Engine, the UK’s leading independent marketing services consultancy.

Jane is a partner at Reputability, a fellow of the Chartered Institute for Public Relations, a founding Fellow of the Public Relations Consultancies Association, a trustee of Fair Trials International and a Quantum NED.

Vanessa Sharp

Vanessa started her professional life as a solicitor in a city firm specialising in handling multinational commercial and insurance issues.

She joined KPMG LLP as an in house lawyer and was rapidly promoted to General Counsel, a role she performed for 17 years. She advised on a wide range of legal, risk and reputational management issues, and as board secretary advised on, and managed board structures across UK and Europe. Having left KPMG, she is a charity trustee and a Council member and Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee at Goldsmiths College, University of London. In all of these positions she has led or played a role in governance and board effectiveness reviews.

John Tyce

After leaving Manchester University where he was a Research Fellow in Monetary Economics, John trained as an equity analyst at Philips and Drew, which later became UBS.

He has dedicated most of his working life as an investment analyst covering banks and financial companies. He was a partner at Laing and Cruickshank and was appointed as Head of European Research at Nomura, before moving on to Société Générale as senior bank analyst in London.

Today John is a partner at Reputability and Chairman of Blue Planet European Trust – a quoted Scottish Investment trust.

Peter Ayton

A Professor of Psychology at City University, Peter’s research centres on the psychological theories of judgement and discusses how people make decisions and judgements. His published books include ‘Subjective Probability’ and ‘Judgemental Forecasting’.

A member of the European Association for Decision Making, Peter has been a visiting Professor at the Anderson School of Business UCLA, Princeton and Carnegie-Mellon universities in the USA, as well as the Max Planck Institute in Berlin.

Richard Murray

Educated at Harvard, Rick went on to become a Director and Executive Committee Member at the IMD Business School in Lausanne.

Later he was first Chief Claims Strategist at Swiss Reinsurance Company, one of the world’s leading reinsurers, General Counsel and COO of Touche Ross, and Global Director of legal and regulatory affairs for Deloittes.

Richard is currently Chairman of the Board of the Center for Capital Markets at the US Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Board of the Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation and Director of Liability Research for the Geneva Association.



Our services help boards to meet the latest standards good risk governance and to promote the long term success of their organisation.

Board Resilience Evaluation provides both a more effective response to the Financial Reporting Council requirement for external board evaluation and evidence needed to fulfil the FRC‘s new obligation to report on reputational, behavioural and organisational risk. We assess board-level strengths and vulnerabilities in these fields.

Corporate Resilience Evaluation delivers the information the board needs to fulfil the new FRC obligation to report on reputational, behavioural and organisational risks. Working below board level, this complements board resilience evaluation.

Corporate Resilience Triage provides a preliminary ‘X-ray’ view of reputational, behavioural and organisational risks in your organization.

Insights from “Rethinking Reputational Risk: How to Manage the Risks that can Ruin Your Business, Your Reputation and You” is a seminar led by the authors, Anthony Fitzsimmons and Derek Atkins.  It is illustrated from the book, our library of case studies and the latest research. It explains how rethinking reputational risk revealed new insights into how unrecognised behavioural and organisational risks cause reputational damage that shocks leaders.

We use our minimally intrusive processes to help boards and leaders to see and appreciate what intelligent, experienced outsiders would conclude if only they knew what insiders know.




  • "Quite superb. You packed a great deal into the short period available."

    - Senior Actuary and Active Investor

  • ''It exceeded my expectations and we now have something to build upon. As I said, the timing could not have been better''.

    - Non Executive Director of an international energy company.

  • ''Let me thank you cordially for your excellent workshop [for Chief Risk Officers] on organisational and behavioural risk management. We had planned your contribution to be the climax of the event, and so it was.''

    - Organiser of International Round Table for Insurance Chief Risk Officers




  • ''Many thanks again for your presentation.......we got very positive feedback from the Committee members, who found your presentation highly interesting, relevant and well presented.''

    - Intergovernmental Conference organiser

  • ''I thought it was a (well moderated!) fascinating discussion and it was great to get so many different perspectives. ..This topic is obviously relevant to a large number of boards and I suspect we're at the beginning of a significant change in the way they address their duties''.

    - Venture Capitalist

  • ''Your presentations were uniformly well received and highly valued. We are most grateful to you all for making this event such an unqualified success......The feedback from delegates was uniformly positive. ''

    - Organiser of training event for Non-Executive Directors























Blog

Reputability LLP are pioneers and leaders in the fields of behavioural, organisational and reputational risk. We help business leaders to find the widespread but hidden behavioural and organisational risks that regularly cause reputational disasters.  Our process also helps them to find unrecognised strengths.

Here are our thoughts on some recent stories which have captured our attention. We are starting to include views from guest bloggers.  We are always interested to know what you think too.

BLOG

Contact

Please get in touch if there’s anything you’d like to discuss – in confidence, of course.
You can call us on +44 20 3755 3309 or email us at enquiries@reputability.co.uk

Reputability LLP
Amadeus House, Floral Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DP
T:+44 20 3755 3309
Contact

Contact






  • Rethinking reputational risk:03. 10. 2016

    "Rethinking Reputational Risk:  How to Manage the Risks that can Ruin Your Business, Your Reputation and You”, the new book by Anthony Fitzsimmons and Professor Derek Atkins, went on pre-publication sale today.
    Read more...

  • Financial Times Non-executive Director Diploma01. 10. 2016

    Reputability has been appointed to revise and extend the course materials on Risk Management and Internal Control for the  Financial Times Non-executive Director Diploma course.

  • A new book on reputation risk14. 03. 2016

    Anthony Fitzsimmons and Derek Atkins have been commissioned to write a new book on reputation risk by Kogan Page.  The first draft is complete and presents a radical rethink of reputational risk and its root causes.


    Read more...

Legal

© Reputability LLP 2013

Reputability LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England.
Registration Number: OC371538.
Registered Office: 14 Westmead, London SW15 5BQ.
Reputability Partners LLP is registered for VAT in the United Kingdom.
VAT Registration Number GB 127 7787 71.


Privacy,

We are registered on the UK Data Protection Register, No. Z3134753

We respect the privacy of every individual that enters our website.

All information that you provide to us will be kept private. We will not pass information about you to anyone outside our organisation.

You may from time to time receive emails or other mailings from us. These will typically contain news or other publications from us. If you no longer wish to receive these, please inform us by email or post.