ERM for Optimization - Presented by Guidehouse

In today's environment, agencies are forced to run their operations with reduced capacity. This creates an incredible challenge for agencies and puts the mission at risk. Effective ERM can enable organizations to make the optimal use of resources in even the most complex and challenging environments.

This session will explore how ERM practices and capabilities can be best applied to support agencies in this difficult time as they strive to meet their mission amidst significant change in their internal and external environments. 

With the significant focus on efficiency across government, it presents a unique opportunity for ERM programs to revisit their messaging and approach. This session will provide federal risk professionals with information and examples around how ERM can enable optimization.

Meet the Speakers:

Thomas Holland, Director, Guidehouse (moderator)

Thomas Holland is a Director in Guidehouse’s Financial Services segment with over 14 years of experience in program optimization, enterprise risk management, and designing and implementing loan, loan guarantee, equity investment, and grant programs. Mr. Holland has worked with a variety of entities varying in size and mission to manage risk and enhance performance to achieve greater outcomes. Mr. Holland regularly assists clients in high profile environments facing heightened transparency expectations and often under intense scrutiny with program and operational design, governance, process improvement, and risk management. Mr. Holland specializes in bringing together diverse skillsets into cohesive teams to solve complex challenges. Mr. Holland was a Principal Contributor to the Compendium of Examples for the 2017 COSO ERM Framework. Mr. Holland also served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Association for Federal ERM (AFERM) from 2019 to 2022.

Tom Brandt, Director of Planning and Risk, Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board

Tom Brandt is a risk management practitioner and senior executive in the federal government. With three decades of federal service, he is currently the Chief Risk Officer (CRO) and Director of Planning and Risk for the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB). He previously served as CRO for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). He is a fellow with the National Academy of Public Administration, a past president of the Association for Federal Enterprise Risk Management (AFERM) and also served as chair of the OECD Forum on Tax Administration’s ERM Community of Interest from 2018–2021. In November 2021, the IRS’s Enterprise Risk Management Program was awarded by RIMS (The Risk Management Society) their 2021 Global ERM Award of Distinction. In November 2024, the FRTIB was also recognized with the same award. In November 2024, Tom received the ERM Hall of Fame Award from AFERM in recognition of longstanding efforts to advance the practice of ERM in the U.S. Federal government.

Matt Jarm, Director of Business Risk & Analytics, Mars, Inc.

Matt Jarm directs the configuration and effective delivery of business risk management capabilities across Mars, Inc. to address perils that potentially prevents Mars Inc. from achieving its corporate objectives and financial targets. His work includes administration of Mars’ Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Program which enables senior stakeholders to align risk-taking, whether positive or negative in nature, to the Company’s strategic priorities and growth goals. Matt also oversees digital process integration of ERM with Mars’ global governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platform to ensure the integrity and accessibility, of mission-critical risk information whilst driving an enterprise-wide risk culture from the business to the Board. Matt’s ERM responsibility is part of a broader portfolio as he leads the Risk Data & Analytics (RD&A) function at Mars, Inc.