Participants will receive a high-level overview of risk management practices and how effective risk management supports operations, long-term strength, and resilience in Canadian Independent Schools. This module will address such topics as the fundamentals of risk management, liability, emergency response as well as highlighting the intersections between risk management and the 2021 CAIS National Standards.

The module will be delivered through a combination of presentations, case studies, group discussions, and individual assignments.

Learning Intentions:

• What school leaders need to know and understand about risk management in governance, compliance, educational programming, school operations, campus/facility development, and strategic planning.
• How risk management contributes to the school’s overall strength and resilience.
• How to develop or enhance a risk management framework within independent schools.
• How investing in risk management can lead to the development of strategy, effective management, and mitigation of future risks.
• About best practices in risk management through concrete examples.

Facilitator Biography:

Andrew Shirkoff is the Director of Risk Management at St. George’s School in Vancouver, British Columbia. With over a decade of experience in Risk Management in independent schools, he has worked with faculty and staff, school leadership and boards to implement Enterprise and Strategic Risk Management practices.

A member of the Senior Leadership team, Andrew oversees the insurance portfolio, Critical Incident and Emergency Response planning, Privacy and Data Protection, disaster recovery, crisis communications and business continuity development. During the pandemic, he was seconded to the Federation of Independent Schools Associations as a member of the Independent School Rapid Response team, working with local health officials to support schools' efforts to address challenges posed by COVID-19.

Andrew has presented to school leaders and was a member of the CAIS National Standards Refresh sub-committee that contributed to and reviewed the indicators of effective risk management practice.

In his spare time, Andrew can be found hiking or hurling himself down trails on his mountain bike.