In financial services, risk appetite frameworks range from high-level and qualitative to complex, and quantitative. This variation reflects different views across the industry as to what a risk appetite statement should look like, as well as the various stages of maturity of the risk appetite dialogue in different firms. Even in financial services, the process of some firms in defining risk appetite is relatively immature.

In this issue of Board Perspectives: Risk Oversight, we will take a detailed look all three elements of a risk appetite statement: risks that are acceptable or on-strategy, risks that are undesirable or off-strategy, and strategic, financial and operational risk parameters.