Shaking the Prime Directive: Rethinking Risk from the Ground Up with Adrian Clements

Recorded live at Risk-!n Conference 2026, this episode of Risk Is Our Business begins with a warning from Adrian Clements. Before agreeing to come aboard, he made it clear that he intended to "shake the tree." Captain Michael Rasmussen's response was simple: engage. What follows is a conversation that challenges some of the profession's most deeply held assumptions. Adrian argues that many organizations are still navigating with outdated star charts, relying on inherited frameworks and conventional wisdom that no longer match the realities of today's environment. Rather than tweaking existing approaches, he makes the case for stepping back, questioning first principles, and rebuilding from the ground up. They explore what that looks like in practice. How do organizations break free from legacy thinking? How do leaders create the conditions for better decision-making? And what practical steps can be taken to transform risk from a compliance exercise into a driver of performance and value creation? The discussion also examines the role of technology. Not as the destination, but as an enabler that helps organizations operationalize better thinking, improve visibility, and support more intelligent decisions. Along the way, Adrian and Michael reflect on their key takeaways from Risk-!n Conference 2026, discussing the ideas and trends that suggest the profession may be entering a new phase of evolution.