In an era of black swan events, economic volatility, and rapid technological change, leaders must balance growth with governance to build organizations that endure. In this episode of CIO Talk Network, Dr. Ramesh Gopal, Chief Risk Officer for UAE & Saudi and Head of Credit Risk at CEEMEA for Deutsche Bank, joins host Sanjog Aul to share lessons from past crises, strategies for aligning agility with control, and ways to embed a risk-first mindset across the enterprise. Topics Covered: 00:00 – Introduction 02:49 – When assumptions fail: Lessons from 2008 07:12 – Thresholds, policing, and human bias in risk 10:09 – The biggest illusion of preparedness 13:05 – Appetite, tolerance, and execution 16:54 – Bridging the GRC–business gap 20:51 – Real-time, modern risk management 24:04 – Risk in the citizen development era 27:20 – Decentralizing risk ownership 33:29 – Challenges in building a risk-aware culture 36:08 – Blueprint for future-ready risk management 40:30 – An appeal to business & tech leaders 43:16 – G² + R²: Good growth and right risk 🎧 Listen on your favorite platform: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1109100382 Full Transcript & Episode Details: https://www.ciotalknetwork.com/how-risk-aware-leaders-build-what-lasts/ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/how-risk-aware-leaders-build-lasts/id1089793150?i=1000722274046 About CIO Talk Network: CIO Talk Network (CTN) is a global, peer-led platform where enterprise business and technology leaders think out loud—without pitch or fluff. Hosted by Sanjog Aul, CTN delivers authentic, experience-driven insights that challenge conventional thinking. Follow CIO Talk Network: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/cio-talk-network X (Twitter): twitter.com/ciotalknetwork Website: ciotalknetwork.com Guest Bio: Dr Ramesh Gopal Expert Insights and Contribution #RiskManagement #Leadership #BusinessResilience #CIOLeadership #CTNTalks