HORIZON Risk Thought >> Fast Forward

Our HORIZON initiative has always stood as a beacon for those who dare to strive forward in business. HORIZON is a platform where boundaries are pushed and the future is envisioned with clarity and determination.

This year, we embrace a renewed spirit of courage – a quality that is not simply admirable in business, but essential. This campaign brings together thinkers and innovators who are challenging the status quo across key areas – risk, sustainability, social change, technology, and governance. Their reflections invite you to consider what courage means personally: how it shapes your ambitions, fuels your imagination, and helps transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.

In the risk management context of these systemic transformations, we classified these “risk changers” that directly affect a company and use the terms:

  • “Environment in danger” for ecological,
  • “Beyond globalisation” for geopolitical,
  • “Digital transition” for technological and
  • “Social disruption” for social transformation.

We have created Horizon, firstly as a print publication and now as a platform for sharing the latest insights about ongoing transformations. Our risk specialists will continue to provide their expertise and knowledge to shine a light on the challenges of the future.

We have created HORIZON to share the latest insights about ongoing transformations.
Our risk specialists provide their expertise and knowledge to shine a light on the challenges of the future.

Discover all their latest insights, thoughts and viewpoints, or choose from our systemic risk categories to find out more.

New modelling and technical tools are being utilised more than ever as insurers want to understand the complex technicalities of cargo risks.
 The insurance sector has adopted the ESG targets with every company developing an ESG strategy. The sector is particularly affected by climate change,
Driverless transport systems, packaging, loading and reloading are already typical robotic examples which will gain in importance.
An interview with Mario Gerber, Austrian tourism expert.
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated existing trends which will continue to shape the real estate sector in the years to come.
The prevention of damage from severe weather events will play an important role in future risk management.
Motor insurance used to be a pretty standardised product. This will change.
There are three megatrends which will affect the entire healthcare system in the near future: an increasing and aging population, lack of medical staff as well as a rising dependency on new technologies
The international shipping industry produced just over one billion tons of greenhouse gases (GHG) in 2018, almost 10% more than in 2012.
“The important thing here is that managers not only need continuity, but also openness to innovation and change. At the same time, they must stand on a foundation of values and principles that is stable.” – interview with Heimo Scheuch, CEO at wienerberger.
From one of the leading hotels in Innsbruck we learn how the world’s focus on ESG is affecting the hospitality industry and what businesses can do about the increased pressure to change.
Michael Groiss, CFO at F/LIST, talked with Norbert Bucher, Account Manager of F/LIST at GrECo Austria, about how they balance their vision of handcrafting the future of interiors with the growing demand for sustainable production.
HR alone cannot promote the openness to this learning journey; it needs ambassadors to help anchor the green mindset in the corporate culture.
With many countries across the world looking at coal and oil substitutes, renewable energy sources are becoming an increasing part of insurers’ and brokers’ portfolios.
In the face of growing environmental challenges and climate change, insurance companies like UNIQA Group are taking significant steps to embrace sustainability.
“At Erste Group, we have an ESG Office, a dedicated unit focused on sustainability. We are situated within the strategy department, and our main responsibility is to implement the entire regulatory framework of the EU Green Deal within the bank. ”
Procredit Bank, compared to its competitors in Georgia, is leading the charge when it comes to reducing the Georgia’s environmental footprint.
If carefully designed and managed, a captive is a tool in the risk manager’s toolbox for large companies that can help build resilience to future transformation risks as a result of climate change, amongst other things.
Plans are underway to construct a new power plant fuelled by waste material on the premises of Rondo Ganahl AG as part of the Initiative “Energy Autonomy Frastanz”. The new plant in Austria’s most western province will cover the future thermal energy demand of the Rondo paper mill and corrugated board plant and will also supply other businesses and private households.
Emerging risks and new threats that are hard to grasp and estimate are a much-discussed topic. Add to that today’s increasing number of Black Swan events. These are unprecedented and unexpected events which nobody could have imagined, making them almost impossible to predict.
According to the International Monetary Fund food and energy are the main drivers of today’s inflation. That is obvious to each of us as we pay more for both food and energy these days.
Max Pernsteiner, Vice President Global Purchasing & Supply Chain at ENGEL Austria GmbH, spoke with Johannes Vogl, General Manager at GrECo Risk Engineering GmbH, about supply chains and their risks.
In the last two years, supply chains were exposed to unforeseen risks. The impact of the pandemic, Evergiven’s blockade of the Suez Canal, or the recent disruptions as a result of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, to name a few. What else must we prepare for?
Krystle Lippert, Strategic Sales Manager at GrECo in Austria, has spoken with Dr. Gerald Dums, Head of Purchase of Technical Equipment & Logistics at Donau Chemie AG about supply chain problems and procurement and logistics resilience.
Our multipolar world and its myriad of geopolitical forces presents us and our clients with a vast, multidimensional array of risks. As bleak as this may sound, geopolitics and its impact on energy also offers a number of opportunities.
With the aftershocks of the pandemic, the ripple effects of the Ukraine war, and more frequent and severe natural catastrophes that affect our climate and today’s population, we are at a crossroads, and the construction sector is no exception.
For the past years and certainly since 24 February 2022, we have had many opportunities to witness the power of geopolitics, its decisive impact on domestic and international politics and the supply of energy throughout the world.
Many hidden vulnerabilities can be unearthed if you are a bit creative. The key question is: can we live with the outcome? And then you need to give an honest answer.
Where does AI fit into the current policies as it stands, and what could the likely issues be?
We spoke with three leaders from different industries about energy independence in Europe.
 Paul Johannes Spittau explores transformation with Olivera Böhm-Rybak, Chief Corporate Business Officer International and CEO of UNIQA Sustainable Business Solutions.
MGAs operate within authority granted by insurers, with responsibility for underwriting, policy issuance, portfolio management and, depending on the model, claims support or coordination.
Closing the volatility gap means moving beyond reactive risk transfer.
Closing the volatility gap means moving beyond reactive risk transfer.
For both infrastructure and real estate to survive, the corporate risk manual needs to be rewritten.
AI can generate information for us, but we still need the intelligence and judgement to understand and interpret it for a particular client.  
We are excited to announce the release of the 5th Horizon Risk Thought » Fast Forward publication!
In this exclusive interview, we bring together two leading voices on digital transformation in Central and Eastern Europe: Ursula Deschka, CEO of ERGO Baltics and Georg Winter, CEO of GrECo Group.
Peter Papp, sat down with Peter Bešina, founder of Paralla and Cryptodiggers, to discuss the evolution of cryptocurrencies.
Fear appeal is a common tactic to highlight the dangers of unsafe cyber behaviour in many cybersecurity awareness campaigns.
One practical application of AI is in the digitalization of HR processes. Tasks such as document management and onboarding can be streamlined, reducing errors and saving time.
Excessive reliance on devices is leading to “digital dementia,” a rise in memory lapses, diminished focus, and cognitive fatigue – even among youth and the workforce.
Digital transformation is reshaping higher education, but what does that really look like for universities on the ground?
The new rules mean senior executives face increased scrutiny, greater personal liability, and must pay close attention to the role of D&O insurance in this new era of digital risk.
IT employees are under constant pressure. The threat landscape is dynamic, complex and often unpredictable

Dive deep into our HORIZON print edition which focuses on various transformations and looks at all the challenges they pose from different angles.

Georg Winter

CEO GrECo Group

T +43 664 962 39 06