Sound Policy

Major resilience projects rarely happen quickly. They are built through years of planning, partnership, and persistence.When officials identified the risk of a levee breach in Muscatine, Iowa, addressing it would require far more than an engineering solution. Success depended on bringing together businesses, local government, engineers, regulators, and community leaders around a shared goal.On this episode of Sound Policy, Rich Dwyer, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Kent Worldwide, joins host Brian Amaral to share lessons from a decade-long effort to strengthen flood protection along the Mississippi River. Their conversation explores stakeholder engagement, public-private collaboration, infrastructure investment, and the challenges of maintaining momentum through a long-term resilience project.More resources:Get ahead of the storm with our flood preperation toolshttps://www.fm.com/resources/nathaz-toolkit/flood

“The easy part is to buy insurance.” For Juliana Fernandez Loiacono, the global insurance manager for aerospace giant Embraer, the job is much more than getting a policy and filing claims when losses happen. It’s about deeply understanding Embraer’s operations. It’s about building relationships across the supply chain. It’s about working to prevent loss in the first place. On the latest episode of Sound Policy, we break down how this approach is essential to managing risk in a complex, high-stakes industry.More resources:What are the biggest business risks manufacturers face?https://www.fm.com/solutions/industries/manufacturing

On this episode of Sound Policy, we explore how organizations across the digital infrastructure ecosystem are thinking about resilience. As investment in data centers accelerates to support AI, cloud computing, and digital services, stakeholders are navigating a growing web of dependencies that extends far beyond any single facility. Host Brian Amaral speaks with Jonathan Birdwell, global head of policy and insights at Economist Enterprise, about Built for What's Next: Designing Resilience into Digital Infrastructure, a new report based on a survey of 1,800 stakeholders across 21 countries. They discuss how organizations are approaching resilience, where risks exist across the digital infrastructure value chain, and why understanding interconnected systems is becoming increasingly important as no single stakeholder can manage every risk alone.The conversation also explores the importance of collaboration, the growth-resilience balance facing the industry, and why the next evolution of risk management may depend on understanding the relationships between infrastructure, technology, people, and supply chains.More resources:Built for What's Next: Designing Resilience into Digital Infrastructurehttps:/insights.economistenterprise.com/technology-innovation/built-for-what's-next/designing-resilience-into-digital-infrastructure?utm_source=economist&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fm_global_2026__;!!OekYeeAJtX8!l1i2XRZNNQRe8aHQljROu8uPcmLT-1rXbqyzQ_

On this episode of Sound Policy, we explore how growing energy needs are reshaping the industry. From data centers and AI to manufacturing and electrification, organizations across the energy ecosystem are facing new challenges as infrastructure, investment, and technology continue to evolve.Host Brian Amaral speaks with Michael Kolodner, leader of Marsh's U.S. Energy and Power Practice, about the forces reshaping today's power ecosystem and why risk management is becoming increasingly important as new technologies, stakeholders, and investment models enter the market.They also discuss renewable energy, battery storage, nuclear technology, and the challenge of aligning stakeholders around a common understanding of risk in a rapidly changing energy landscape.More resources:Renewable Energy Property Insurance | FMhttps://www.fm.com/About-Us/Our-Organization/FM-Renewable-Energy

On this episode of Sound Policy, we explore how organizations are building resilience in an increasingly interconnected business environment. As companies face operational disruptions and evolving risks, many are looking for better ways to understand their exposures and make more informed decisions. Guest host Lew Abramson speaks with Jessica Mizenko, Global Manager of Business Risk Consulting at FM, about business interruption, business continuity planning, hidden dependencies, and the challenges of making the business case for resilience investments. They also discuss how risk quantification can uncover exposures that aren't always visible on financial statements.More resources:FM Business Risk Consultinghttps://www.fm.com/solutions/services-we-provide/business-risk-consulting-and-biaJessica Mizenko LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamizenko/

On this episode of Sound Policy, we explore one of the biggest infrastructure stories of recent years: the data center boom. As demand grows to support AI, cloud computing, and digital services, data center operators are working to build facilities that can scale quickly while maintaining resilience and reliability. Host Brian Amaral speaks with Paul Heisel, chief underwriter for FM Intellium, about FM's framework for a well-protected data center. They discuss four qualities that help data center operators build resilience, support uptime, and prepare for evolving risks. They also explore how emerging technologies,including liquid cooling, lithium-ion batteries, and on-site power generation, are changing the way data centers are designed, built, and operated.The Four Qualities of a Well-Protected DataCenterhttps://www.fm.com/solutions/industries/data-centers/four-qualities-of-well-protected-data-centers

On this episode of Sound Policy, we take a closer look at the mining industry and the challenges of operating in an increasingly complex world. As demand grows for critical minerals used in AI, electrification, and digital infrastructure, mining companies are managing increasing complexity while working to keep operations running reliably.Host Brian Amaral speaks with FM’s Michael Beaumont about findings from a 2026 report that examines 20 years of mining losses. They discuss how increasing operational complexity is changing the industry, why business interruption can have a significant impact on operations, and how maintenance, contingency planning, and disciplined operational practices help companies strengthen resilience and prepare for disruption before it happensMore resources: FM Mining Industry Loss History Reporthhttps://fmglobalpublic.hartehanks.com/AssetDisplay?acc=11FM&itemCode=WF692204_DIGITAL

On this episode of Sound Policy, we explore how FM approaches investing in a rapidly changing market environment. From AI and data centers to private credit and inflation, investors are navigating a wide range of opportunities while balancing long-term resilience.Host Brian Amaral speaks with Sanjay Chawla, chief investment officer at FM, about the forces shaping financial markets in 2026. They discuss why markets have remained resilient amid global uncertainty, how AI is transforming investment opportunities, and what investors are watching as demand for data centers and digital infrastructure continues to grow.The episode also explores FM's long-term investment approach, the role of private markets, and how building an all-weather portfolio helps support the company's mission and clients.More resources: FM Investmentshttps://www.fm.com/about-us/our-leadership/sanjay-chawla

On this episode of Sound Policy, we dive into FM's new report on losses in the power generation industry. From electrification and AI infrastructure to aging equipment and evolving supply chains, power generation companies are balancing increasing complexity while delivering consistent electricity.Host Brian Amaral speaks with FM's Brian Palmer and Austin Larkin about recent loss trends across the sector. They discuss what’s driving losses, why mechanical and electrical breakdowns play such a large role, and how longer lead times for critical equipment are raising the stakes when outages occur.More resources:FM Power Generation Loss Insights Report(https://fmglobalpublic.hartehanks.com/AssetDisplay?acc=11FM&itemCode=WF500935)

On this episode of Sound Policy, we take a closer look at hail, one of the fastest growing weather-related loss drivers, and a new global hail map developed by FM to better understand where the risk is most severe. While hail often draws less attention than other natural hazards, its frequency, severity, and cost have increased significantly in recent years.Host Brian Amaral speaks with Andreas Muehlbauer, principal research scientist at FM, and Anthony Longabard, senior staff engineering specialist, about how hail forms, why losses are rising, and how FM’s new global hail map combines climate science, loss data, and machine learning to measure both frequency and intensity. The conversation also explores how this data supports engineering recommendations and helps businesses make more informed decisions about protecting roofs, equipment, and outdoor assets from hail damage.More resources:FM natural hazard maps(https://www.fm.com/resources/nathaz-toolkit/flood-map)FM Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets(https://www.fm.com/Resources/fm-data-sheets)FM Research Campus (https://www.fm.com/About-Us/Our-Engineering-Approach/FM-Research-Campus)