Absence of growth is biggest peril for lenders

Risk managers play larger role in helping the industry reignite profitable expansion

For banks facing continuing market volatility and concerns regarding nonperforming loans, risk management plays a double role. Defensive risk management-focused on regulatory compliance, controls and, basically, on staying out of trouble-remains vitally important. But more and more often, risk management is playing an active role in helping banks identify and achieve growth.

Accenture's 2015 Global Risk Management Study, based on interviews with 470 top-level risk decision-makers at banks, insurers and capital markets firms, found that banking respondents reported broad-based efforts to prepare the risk management function to play both roles.