National stereotypes aside, the fact that one of the great national myths of the Netherlands is the story of the boy who kept his finger in the dyke and so saved hundreds of people from drowning is surely a sign of a society that understands the importance of risk awareness.

In a way, the Netherlands is a country-sized tribute to human ingenuity: the ability of people to manipulate their environment to manage risk. Dutch achievements in land reclamation and coastal defence engineering have been matched by centuries of innovation in agriculture, industry and commerce, including fi nancial services. Risk management requirements and practice in the Netherlands are now as sophisticated as those seen anywhere in the world. The country’s insurance market is highly developed, but companies and other organisations in the Netherlands face a series of ever-changing risk challenges. These might include the expansion of Dutch companies into foreign countries, brand and reputation risks, cyber risks and other risks related to the adoption of new technologies. This report examines how effectively insurers, brokers and risk managers are addressing the issues that most preoccupy the thoughts of Dutch risk managers, and considers the benefi ts enjoyed by organisations that have implemented advanced risk management and made it a high-profi le function within their organisation.

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