Managing director of tax and risk management
National Rifle Association
After a career in governance, risk and compliance, Emily Cummins moved into risk management, and the first piece of advice she received has stuck with her to this day: “The earliest and best advice I received was to become active in RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society,” she says. “RIMS enabled me to transform and elevate my career path.”
Currently, Cummins is the managing director of tax and risk management for the National Rifle Association, the gun rights advocacy group with a membership of more than 5 million. At the NRA, Cummins focuses on risk mitigation by methodically working through the risk maturity model, which uses a depth of understanding to have meaningful impact on risk mitigation. When choosing an insurance partner, Cummins looks for “diversity of perspectives, open-mindedness and innovative approaches.”
Though Cummins’ primary risk focus today might come as a surprise to some, it is one that’s an industry-wide concern. “The talent gap is top of mind due to the generational shift in the risk and insurance industry,” she says. “This looming concern affects all of us, and it’s why I support the Spencer Educational Foundation and participate with student groups. Leaders bear the responsibility to attract new people into the field.”
