"I want fastTrack to be a household name in the market"

Published on Mon, 02/02/2015 - 00:00

At the inaugural fastTrack Forum this month, Pam Joshi will officially become fastTrack chair, taking the reins from Kate Wallin. Joshi talks to Jessica Titherington about her plans for the year ahead.

fastTrack has come of age, according to Joshi. It is no longer a new idea, something that requires explanation or justification. After just one year since its launch it has its own momentum and its own place in the market.

“It’s been a fantastic first year,” says Joshi who has been involved since the beginning. “We’ve had so much support from senior members of the industry – both in risk management and insurance – and I’m really excited about building on that.”

fastTrack was launched in January 2014 as a way of engaging less experienced Airmic members and providing career and training support tailored to their needs. If Joshi could achieve just one thing during her time as chair, it would be to further raise awareness of the support fastTrack offers. In her own words, she wants it be a household name in the world of risk and insurance: “I want fastTrack to become the first port of call for anyone new to risk who wants help with their career and developing an understanding about the risks of today.”

With that in mind, she has three core objectives for 2015. The first is to continue to grow the membership from just shy of 200. This is an impressive start, she says, but there’s still room to grow. She hopes the re-launch of the fastTrack website later this year and a push to explore newer and more interactive ways of engaging with members will help.

Her second related aim is to broaden the type of professional fastTrack appeals to. “I want to move the focus on from just young people, or people solely in the risk industry. It should also be focused on professionals with a broader role who have taken on risk responsibilities within their remit and, like all of us, want reassurance and guidance on industry practice.”

Thirdly, Joshi is keen to engage with senior Airmic members who are responsible for more junior risk managers within their team, but may not know about the opportunities fastTrack provides. “fastTrack is completely free for Airmic members so my message for risk leaders is to encourage your junior colleagues to get involved.” Echoing comments from Patrick Smith, Airmic’s senior deputy chair, this month, she added: “It would be a huge shame to pass on that opportunity from a personal development perspective.”

Joshi is excited about fastTrack’s first conference this month. She sees it as a chance for fastTrackers to get a head start with their careers and a unique opportunity to discuss with peers current issues and the topics that will be affecting the industry in the years to come.

This is not, she says, just about teaching individuals, it’s about developing the risk industry as a whole to be prepared for the future. “The role of the risk manager and the risks they are facing are changing. The talent and the knowledge in the industry is fantastic. But with new and emerging risks the knowledge isn't always there. In my opinion, the knowledge is going to be sat in that room. Tomorrow's risk leaders are sat in that room and they're the best advocates for emerging risks and the future of the industry.”

Pam Joshi