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RIMS Risk Manager of the Year Jeff Bray
Sunday, 3 May, 2026
Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society. In this episode, Justin interviews the RIMS 2026 Risk Manager of the Year, Jeff Bray, about his award and his career at AMB, which merged with Prologis early in his career. Justin and Jeff discuss how risk management earns a strategic seat at the table, how Jeff revived the ERM Program at Prologis, tying it to the business model, and how cross-functional risk management works at Prologis today. Jeff speaks of resilience in the face of polycrisis and climate risk, and working on what he has control over while being aware of the rest. Jeff shares his excitement for developing the next generation of risk professionals and about the amazing opportunity the risk profession holds for them today. Listen for insight on ERM, resilience, and building relationships. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] We hope you are listening to this episode of RIMScast while at RISKWORLD 2026, and we are gently reminding you to download the RIMS Events App to navigate the show successfully! [:29] About this episode of RIMScast. This is our annual Risk Manager of the Year episode. We are delighted to be joined by this year's honoree, Jeff Bray of Prologis. If you are listening to this on its release day of May 4th, you might see him onstage at RISKWORLD. But first… [:59] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep Course will be on May 13th and 14th. The popular CBCP and RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Bootcamp will be held from May 18th through the 21st. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Course will be held on June 9th and 10th. [1:19] Links to registration are in this episode's notes. [1:22] Webinars. On May 14th, Origami Risk will return with a new session, "Future-Proofing Your Risk Program: Keeping Pace with Scale, Complexity, and Visibility." [1:34] On May 21st, GRC returns to present "Is Your Fire Protection Strategy Outdated? Emerging Risks Are Changing the Rules." [1:43] On May 28th, Zurich returns with "From Underwriting To Risk Management: What To Expect From The Growing Demand For Data Center Construction." Register for webinars at RIMS.org/Webinars or through the links in this episode's show notes. [1:58] Folks, RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today! [2:16] RISKWORLD 2026 is underway in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! If you are here or on your way, be sure to download the RIMS Events App. It is free and publicly available. This will help you set your agenda and provide ample navigation through the Philadelphia Convention Center. [2:36] RIMS has also released its RISKWORLD Playlist, available through Apple Music and Spotify. Whether you want to get in the zone before RISKWORLD or relive the energy after it, these official RISKWORLD Playlists are available to keep the energy going. [2:53] Links are in this episode's show notes. [2:57] On with the Show! This is our special Risk Manager of the Year episode of RIMScast! This year's honoree is Jeff Bray. [3:08] Jeff is the Senior Vice President and Head of Global Risk Management at Prologis, a global leader in logistics real estate, with 1.3 billion square feet across 20 countries on four continents, and more than 6,500 customers focused on moving goods around the globe. [3:24] That is a lot of responsibility for one person, but don't worry, he's got a mighty team who shoulder it with him. [3:31] We're going to learn all about his work, the leaps and bounds he's made over the last 20 years, his involvement with the Spencer Educational Foundation, and what it takes to succeed in an increasingly uncertain world. We're going to have a lot of fun! Let's get to it! [3:46] Interview! RIMS 2026 Risk Manager of the Year, Jeff Bray, welcome to RIMScast! [4:07] Justin and Jeff met recently for his profile in RIMS Risk Management Magazine. [4:14] This episode is released on Day 1 of RISKWORLD. When people are listening to this, they might be seeing Jeff onstage accepting his award. Jeff says, first and foremost, he is looking forward to RISKWORLD; the award is a nice cherry on top. [4:37] Jeff is 20 years into his career, and he has only missed a few RISKWORLDs. [4:45] Jeff joined AMB Property Corporation in 2005, not knowing anything about risk management and knowing only environmental insurance, a few weeks before Hurricane Katrina. It was trial by fire. Then, Hurricane Rita and Hurricane Wilma hit. It was a transformational year. [5:34] There were two years in a row of serious hurricanes affecting the property insurance market. The challenges AMB had experienced transformed the way the insurance and risk management program has been run ever since. [6:02] AMB merged with Prologis a few years later, following a great financial crisis that occurred in June 2011. [6:32] Jeff says Prologis is an owner of logistics real estate. They don't operate any of the buildings. Jeff's purview is the 1.3 billion square feet of real estate in 20 countries, with around 60,000 assets. [6:47] Prologis has a couple of billion dollars a year of development activity. They have a renewable energy business and a digital infrastructure. [7:32] Jeff says it's critical to see properties first-hand. Warehouses are different in different countries, and seeing them helps solve problems when they arrive. Early on, he attended a captive owners conference in Bermuda, and meeting many peers accelerated his learning. [9:03] Through serving the business, Jeff built trust with senior leaders and the board. Jeff started by figuring out what people wanted or needed and helped them achieve it. He built strong relationships with every group; he's in lockstep with legal, finance, and business teams. [10:33] Jeff's risk team has seven members. He also has two members of the corporate security team. He has worked hard to grow the team as needed. He sees an opportunity with technology to scale the team's capabilities to focus on critical tasks. He's grateful for the team's efforts. [11:49] Risk management is centralized at Prologis. They operate as a consistent global program. Jeff is in San Francisco, with team members in the Bay Area, Denver, and one in Dallas. [12:45] Jeff says he takes advantage of every crisis and pays close attention to every near-miss. It's a reminder that this is why what we do is important. Sometimes it's all hands on deck. What can we do differently next time? [13:35] One big near-miss was a fire that arose from customer operations in a building, which didn't amount to much because the sprinklers operated properly. Jeff participates in Prologis's global safety board. They pay close attention to anything like a contractor injury. [14:06] June is National Safety Month. The Head of Safety of Prologis's Development Team plans Safety Month activities. Every project and team member will be involved. It sends a good message. They make it very clear to every contractor they hire that safety is paramount. [14:49] Justin says the leader of the ASSP will soon be a guest on RIMScast. Safety should be observed every month. Jeff says in the past, safety was something they focused more on when something happened, but now it's ingrained in the way they operate. It's not treated separately. [15:44] Jeff reestablished Prologis's ERM program. His ERM Committee is a sounding board with seven or eight global leads. The members are the Head of Internal Audit, the Head of Info Security, and others, who work closely across the risk register to ask, "What are we missing?" [17:14] The challenge in reactivating the ERM committee was getting the relevance right. For the first meeting or so, they brainstormed. Now it's operating at the right frequency with the right dynamic input. It will continue to evolve in every meeting. [17:55] They meet annually with the Audit Committee, and some years they meet with the Board of Directors. It evolves from the day-to-day Risk Register, working with the business teams. The Audit Committee and the Board are very invested in what the ERM Committee does. [18:34] ERM at Prologis is tied to what's relevant to the CFO, the Chief Legal Officer, and other stakeholders. With the CFO, it's tied to earnings per share and net operating income impact. Jeff is always looking at what the business is looking to accomplish and how ERM can support it. [19:17] A Quick Break! The 2026 Florida RIMS Educational Conference will be held from July 28th through August 1st at the lovely Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida. A link to the event is in this episode's show notes. [19:40] Register now for the Second Annual RIMS Texas Regional Conference, to be held from August 10th through 12th at the Grand Hyatt on the San Antonio River Walk. Advance rates are available through June 5th. [19:55] The 11th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will return to the Old Post Office on Thursday, September 24th, 2026, in Chicago. Visit ChicagolandRiskForum.org for more information. [20:08] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. Registration is open, and you can also submit a session. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [20:26] Save the dates October 18th through the 21st. That is when the 50th Annual RIMS Canada Conference will be held in Quebec City. Booth sales are already open. The call for educational sessions is open through May 8th. Early-bird registration will open in June. [20:44] Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information. Also, remember to check out RIMS.org/Canada for our spinoff show, RIMScast Canada, hosted by National Conference Committee Chair, Aaron Lukoni. [20:59] Check RIMS.org for an announcement about the RIMS ERM Conference 2026. It will be up soon! [21:07] Let's Return to Our Interview with RIMS 2026 Risk Manager of the Year, Jeff Bray! [21:24] Justin asks what Jeff loves about RISKWORLD. Jeff loves the people, the interactions in the hallways, even when racing from session to session, and meeting to meeting. There's no better place to meet people and build meaningful relationships over the years. [21:45] Jeff says there's no better place to get apprised of what's coming up in the risk industry and reconnect with our most important relationships. [22:17] Jeff says RISKWORLD is a connection point where a group of risk professionals from around the country can get together. [22:31] Jeff's team members, the Head of Risk and the Head of Claims, have attended RISKWORLD for the last few years. [23:07] Justin asks about cross-functional risk management. Jeff says that he can't imagine a problem crossing their desk that Risk Management can solve solely by themselves, figure out, and move on. Generally, they will engage Legal, HR, and the Business Teams. [23:28] Jeff says that's hugely important to be able to solve problems effectively, and in a way that enables the business. [23:55] Jeff thinks the perspective on risk has changed over time. The needs have changed over time. At the beginning of his time at AMB and Prologis, there was a focus on insurance because they were expanding to new countries and standing up a global program. [24:17] Within 90 days, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma hit, and Jeff was learning about disaster recovery and response. He saw the teams in action and how it can be a competitive advantage if they can get their properties up and running quicker than someone else. [24:37] That's absolutely a competitive advantage to Prologis, and that's been in their DNA ever since. [24:53] Justin asks about Jeff's dashboard. It's a Claims dashboard, created by the Claims team, so Jeff can look at the Claims activity every day. [25:16] Jeff says Prologis retains a bunch of risk itself. It's Prologis's money. It concerns not only Jeff, but also the Finance Team and others. None of them likes surprises. Jeff manages it like a business, managing actual claims against the forecast. [25:53] Jeff says it's been phenomenal. He's asking for more dashboards! [26:08] Jeff discusses the impacts of technological innovation on his role. One of the biggest pieces was onboarding Archipelago, a tool to intake Statement of Value information and other property characteristics and deliver it to an insurance company in a reliable and verifiable way. [26:33] Jeff says during that period, they went through $40 to $50 billion of acquisitions, so Archipelago was a game-changer in a way that insurance companies couldn't believe. [26:48] Prologis would bring on a portfolio in September and was ready for its December renewals with the full Schedule of Values. Jeff says it was about, "What questions am I asking myself, and how do we solve for that?" [27:03] Jeff was looking beyond the Cap Modeling results to what other information he could get out of the data, from the newness of the assets, different specifications, and different protections in place, and quantifying that in a way that was meaningful for the insurers. [27:25] When Prologis onboarded Archipelago, there weren't any other systems available to do what was needed. They were developing something that hadn't been in place yet. Prologis was part of the development team. [27:43] Jeff says the Claims dashboard is driven by Origami, which has been an important partner of Prologis. [27:55] Prologis has always been focused on the combination of good data and leveraging technologies to interpret that data. That's been very important to Prologis. [28:15] Another Quick Break! The Spencer Educational Foundation's Risk Manager on Campus application period is now open, and it will close on June 30th. Grant awardees, colleges, and universities are typically notified in September. [28:42] The Course Development Grant application deadline for Interval Number 2 will be on June 15th, 2026. Award notifications will be sent out in late July. [28:57] General Grant applications will open on May 1st, 2026, and the application deadline is July 30th. Internship Grant applications open on August 15th and close on October 15th. [20:08] Links to each of these grants are in this episode's show notes. Visit SpencerEd.org for more information. [29:17] Let's Conclude Our Interview with RIMS 2026 Risk Manager of the Year, Jeff Bray! [29:43] Jeff says the younger risk professionals are absolutely more well-versed in technology. The challenge is not to let technology become more important than understanding the basics of the business. [30:00] Jeff says you still need to understand what that policy says and what the submission process looks like, so you can get the right outcomes out of the technology. Most of the folks Jeff works with are younger than he is. [30:21] Jeff says what they're doing with AI, dashboards, and other insights is super impressive. They balance that with learning the fundamentals. [30:47] In a new risk professional, Jeff looks first for curiosity and questions. When Jeff hit stagnant parts of his career, he had stopped asking questions, so today, he asks a lot of questions. Curiosity is key to investigating what's happening in the company to solve problems. [31:18] Jeff says connecting the dots is something he still works on today. We live in a complex world. There's generally not one threat or risk that operates in a silo. Risks are connected. Someone who can understand how different risks might be interconnected will be critical. [31:43] Jeff says that being hungry, learning, and striving to do more than the person who started next to you is more important than ever. [32:06] Jeff says polycrisis is an interesting term, and he fully believes in it. He spends a fair amount of time thinking about what he has control over and what he doesn't have control over. Jeff says Prologis doesn't let the polycrisis drive its strategy on a day-to-day basis. [32:45] Jeff says awareness is key, and knowing how you can respond as an organization. [33:02] On mitigation and navigation, Jeff says, it's like being on defense versus offense. Risk mitigation works if it's a very simple solution. Putting a floodwall in a building to prevent flooding is a great mitigation. [33:15] Most risks are not that simple, and they require navigation. They require keeping options open and multiple solutions. Navigation lends itself to how risks evolve and how we respond to those risks. [33:40] Jeff says Prologis is an owner of 1.3 billion square feet of real estate, with two to three percent of the world's GDP flowing through its buildings. Supply chain resilience is key. Prologis focuses on climate risk, but Jeff wants to look at it from more of a resilience perspective. [34:04] Jeff's perspective is about what Prologis should be worrying about, and how that affects how they build a building and how they operate an asset. Climate risk is front-of-mind to this day for many of Prologis's investors. [34:17] Investors want to know what Porlogis is doing about things and how they are looking at exposures. So Prologis has always tried to be on the front end of that discussion with investors. The decisions Prologis makes just need to make good business sense. [34:41] As long as Prologis can communicate, this is a concern, and this is how it translates into a business impact or impacts performance. That remains key, and we are in an environment that is evolving in frequency and severity. It's something Prologis pays close attention to. [35:16] Solar panels are part of Prologis's sustainability goals. Thicker rooftops are needed. Solar panels affect how air conditioning is used and the temperature levels within a building. It affects how Prologis might construct the building to have a better working environment. [35:51] Jeff says it all ties together, which comes back to a more resilient and better-performing portfolio. [36:00] Justin asks about earthquake resilience for new construction. Prologis has a lot of property on the California coast and has been focused on earthquake risk for the life of the company, doing voluntary retro-fittings and seismic upgrades. [36:33] That's not to get reduced insurance premiums but to take steps to reduce interruptions that may occur for Prologis's customers' activities when an earthquake does arise. It's about taking Prologis's objectives and aligning them with the business, not to save premiums. [37:16] Jeff is very excited by the level of abilities he sees in college students. He was recently at Old Dominion for Risk Manager on Campus. This industry has an amazing amount of opportunity. Risk is at the crossroads of finance, operations, legal issues, and HR. [38:27] Jeff's words to students and aspiring risk professionals: "There's an incredible amount of opportunity. What risk strategy means today is very different than what it meant 15 years ago. It's a hidden gem of an industry, still today." [38:44] Justin congratulates Jeff on being named RIMS Risk Manager of the Year 2026. Nobody accomplishes anything by themselves. Is there anyone you want to thank? Jeff says thanking a whole host of folks might take its own podcast. [38:59] Jeff thanks his team across Risk, Resilience, and Claims, and the deep bench of external risk advisors, from broker placement to consulting, technology partnerships, and the insurers. He couldn't do this without all of those team members. He's very grateful for it all. [39:49] Justin says, I look forward to meeting you and seeing you up onstage and cheering you on. I hope we can continue to stay in touch because you've got so much knowledge to share with the global risk community, here through RIMScast. Thank you so much for your time! [40:16] Special thanks again to Jeff Bray, the 2026 RIMS Risk Leader of the Year. We are delighted for him and congratulate him once again. Be sure to check out last week's episode, featuring RIMS Rising Risk Professional, Tyler Vaughan. [40:32] In May, we intend to have Honor Roll Awardee, Emily Buckley, back on RIMScast. Check RIMS Risk Management Magazine for the Awards Digital Edition, which also features profiles on the Chapters of the Year and other special awards. More winners will be on RIMScast in 2026. [40:55] I hope everyone who's listening in Philadelphia at RISKWORLD is having a blast! Next week's episode will feature interviews recorded live while in Philadelphia. Let's relive the magic! [41:08] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [41:37] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [41:55] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [42:13] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [42:29] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [42:43] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [42:55] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continued support! Links: RISKWORLD Playlists: 🎧: Apple Music: https://lnkd.in/eXdYHHs3 | Spotify: https://lnkd.in/evweeT8u RIMScast on YouTube! Spencer Educational Foundation — Scholarships and Grants | Open Calls and Timelines. RIMS-CRO Certificate Program In Advanced Enterprise Risk Management | July‒Sept. 2026 Cohort | Led by James Lam 2026 Florida RIMS Educational Conference | July 28‒Aug. 1 | Register Now RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2026 | Aug. 10‒12 in San Antonio | Register Now! ChicagoLand Risk Forum | Sept. 24, 2026 RIMS Western Regional Conference — Oct. 4‒7, 2026 | Seattle, WA | Register Today and Submit an Educational Session! RIMS Canada Conference — Oct. 18‒21, 2026 | Quebec City | rimscanadaconference.ca | Submit Your Session by May 8! RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute RIMS Now RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Video Series Featuring Joe Milan! The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS-CRMP Stories RIMScast Canada — Episodes Now Live RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy Press Release: "RIMS Risk Manager of the Year Award Goes to Prologis Head of Global Risk Jeff Bray" Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep | May 13‒14 RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep | June 9‒10 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops Upcoming RIMS Webinars: "Future-Proofing Your Risk Program: Keeping Pace with Scale, Complexity, and Visibility" | May 14 | Presented by Origami Risk "Is Your Fire Protection Strategy Outdated? Emerging Risks Are Changing the Rules" | May 21 | Presented by Global Risk Consultants "From Underwriting To Risk Management: What To Expect From The Growing Demand For Data Center Construction" | May 28 | Presented by Zurich RIMS.org/Webinars Related RIMScast Episodes: "Still in the Weeds with Medical Marijuana and Workers' Compensation, with Kiersten Cash" (RISKWORLD Presenter) "Navigating Marine Risks in 2026 with Joshua Gold" (RISKWORLD Presenter) "RIMS Rising Risk Professional 2026 Tyler Vaughan" "Board Reporting and ERM in 2026 with Trisha Sqrow and Suzanne Christensen" (RISKWORLD Presenter) Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: "AI-Scale, Risk Ready: Engineering Controls for the New Data Center Boom" (New!) | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Facing Into Risk: Navigating the New Risk Landscape" (New!) | Sponsored by AXA XL "Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenges" | Sponsored by AXA XL "The ART of Risk: Rethinking Risk Through Insight, Design, and Innovation" | Sponsored by Alliant "Mastering ERM: Leveraging Internal and External Risk Factors" | Sponsored by Diligent "Cyberrisk: Preparing Beyond 2025" | Sponsored by Alliant "The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL "Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs" | Sponsored by Zurich "Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding" | Sponsored by Zurich "What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping" | Sponsored by Medcor "How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips" | Sponsored by Alliant RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Manny Padilla! RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information. Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org. Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. About our guests: Jeff Bray, SVP of Global Risk Management at Prologis Production and engineering provided by Podfly.
