Sabrina Segal

Sabrina M. Segal, Director of The Risk Collaborative, is a risk expert, attorney, and podcast host specializing in third-sector risk management, governance, and policy development. Recognizing the profound impact of effective risk management, Sabrina focuses on improving risk strategies to support third-sector organizations and the communities they serve.

What makes you a Risky Woman?

I believe that risk management in the third-sector is crucial because charities operate amid complex social, ethical, and budget constraints. Unlike businesses, nonprofits must deliver mission impact with limited power and resources. I use my knowledge, skills, and passion to enhance the impact of third-sector programs by applying risk-based thinking.

Name your top 3 achievements

1. Youngest ever legal Counsel to an Inspector General in the US government and winning a 2010 Younger Federal Lawyer award for the work I did while at USAID in Iraq.
2. Starting The Risk Collaborative to support charities and nonprofits with improving their programming, operations, and decision-making through the lens of risk.
3. Producing the Tolerable Risk podcast (on break for the moment as I juggle everything else 😊) to support third sector organizations, including boards and trustees, with managing their risk and improving their decision making.

What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career?

Pursuing my doctorate after a 20-year absence from academia has been both thrilling and terrifying. However, I believe that the third-sector is a unique operating environment and needs to have its voice heard in conversations about risk. We cannot continue to use tools, theories, and approaches that are not fit-for-purpose.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

I went to high school in Orlando, Fl USA. In high school, I worked at Walt Disney World and I was a character. Yes, a fuzzy, colorful, fun Disney character. I performed as Chip and Dale (the chipmunks), Kermit the Frog, Roger Rabbit, and various character in shows and parades. It was a great high school job. 👍

What is the best quality for successful leaders in Risk?

Curiosity. Walt Whitman is credited with saying “Be curious, not judgmental.” Risk professionals are often labeled as the latter even when they are trying to do the former and sometimes our curiosity can be misinterpreted as judgment. We will ask questions about processes and procedures and people will misinterpret those questions as accusations or faults. To combat this I try to do three things:

• Let them know that risk is on their team. We’re not there to fight the organization, we are there to assist with the achievement of objectives.
• Offer support. I get to know their objectives and offer risk support to help work through tricky situations that could be slowing them down.
• Emphasize that the risk team is a coach, not a cop. We’re there to raise awareness and develop ways of working that will prevent problems in the first place, not get people in trouble and wag our finger.

I’ve found that leading with curiosity has helped to build stronger relationships and lower the anxiety when risk conversations happen.