June 13, 2025

Your Company's New MVP? Meet the CRO!

SPM Mythbusters Series

3 min read

Key Takeaways

See how CROs are no longer just compliance officers; they are strategic leaders actively remediating risks.
Discover how AI and third-party relationships are speeding change, making the CRO's function increasingly critical.
Establish effective risk management, which focuses on transforming identified risks into projects for active remediation.

Ever wonder who keeps your business from hitting icebergs? That's the chief risk officer (CRO). Forget dusty reports and spreadsheets; these pros are your company's strategic superheroes, especially in our hyper-speed world.

Good news for them: 80% of companies are pumping up their risk management teams. So, yeah, it's getting serious!

From watchdog to war generals

CROs aren't just spotting danger; they're actively fixing it. Think of it like this: identifying a problem isn't enough—you've got to solve it. And solving it? That's a project.

So, CROs often act like project managers, rallying the troops to make sure that identified risk isn't just a bullet point, but an issue that gets stomped out. It’s all about action, not just observation.

AI's wild ride and third-party traps

With AI zooming onto the scene, change is the only constant—and change always brings risk. CROs are grappling with everything from internal tech glitches to external cyber threats.

And let's talk about third parties. Your vendors, your partners, your suppliers—they're awesome, but they also bring risk baggage. A hacked help desk, for instance? That mess lands right back on your company's doorstep.

A CRO's job is to weigh the cool benefits against the potential headaches.

The ultimate balancing act

So, a CRO's day is spent walking a tightrope: maximizing value while minimizing disaster. They're the silent guardians ensuring your brilliant next big thing doesn't become your next big oops.

In short, they're not just important; they’re indispensable to staying safe and sane in today's wild business jungle.

Tag(s): ValueOps , Clarity , Strategic Portfolio Management , Risk Management , Chief Risk Officer , SPM

Brian Nathanson

Brian Nathanson is a recovering certified Project Management Professional now serving as the Head of Product Management Clarity at Broadcom. He is the host of several popular Clarity-related customer webcasts (Office Hours, Release Previews, and the End-to-End Modern UX Demos) and has conducted many hours of both...

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