What is Next for Careers in Risk Management?

Julia Zhang serves as the Chief Risk Officer at Equitable Holdings and is a member of its Management Committee. In this capacity, she oversees the company's risk and audit functions, playing a crucial role in ensuring that robust risk management, control, and governance processes contribute to sustainable business growth, thereby delivering value to both shareholders and clients.

With nearly two decades of experience at Equitable, Ms. Zhang has held various significant positions. Before her current role, she was the Group Treasurer of Equitable Holdings. In that capacity, she managed the company's capital and liquidity, developed dividend and funding strategies, and managed relationships with banks and rating agencies.

Additionally, Ms. Zhang is the executive sponsor for the Pan Asia Employee Resources Group and serves on the board of directors for several Equitable Holdings subsidiaries.

Ms. Zhang is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder and a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA). She holds a Bachelor of Science in Statistics and Finance from the University of Science and Technology of China, and a Master of Arts in Mathematics of Finance from Columbia University.

Alla Gil is co-founder and CEO of Straterix, which provides unique scenario tools for strategic planning and risk management. Prior to forming Straterix, Gil was the global head of Strategic Advisory at Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Nomura, where she advised financial institutions and corporations on stress testing, economic capital, ALM, long-term risk projections and optimal capital allocation.

Paul Tava, CPA, CIA, is a seasoned Risk & Finance executive with over 30 years of experience spanning financial institutions, manufacturing, consumer products, and consulting. Currently serving as Chief Risk Officer for Advice & Wealth Management at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., Paul has led the implementation and execution of enterprise risk management frameworks and provided critical oversight across strategic, operational, and compliance risks. His previous roles include Chief Risk Officer of Ameriprise Bank FSB, where he directed the bank’s risk management strategy, and Vice President overseeing compliance with the Pension Protection Act, demonstrating a career-long commitment to governance, regulatory excellence, and organizational resilience.

Peter Ling is the Chief Risk Officer for the Americas, for the Bank’s Intermediate Holding Company (IHC) in the U.S. He also serves as a member of the Americas Executive Committee and the RISK Function Executive Board and has over 40 years of experience in banking origination, professional development, and risk management in London, New York, and Hong Kong. In his current role, Peter leads BNP Paribas’ Risk Function in the Americas, overseeing the implementation of the risk management program and ensuring its continuous effectiveness in supporting the business development plans, while complying with the desired risk profile of BNP Paribas Group in the region and in meeting regulatory expectations.

Peter joined BNP Paribas in 2007 as a Senior Credit Officer in New York for RISK Corporate with responsibility for Oil & Gas, Commodities, and Energy Trading risk. In 2014 he moved to Hong Kong to serve as Regional Head of RISK Corporate. From 2019 to early 2023, Peter assumed the role of Chief Risk Officer for the UK, where he was responsible for the oversight and management of the risk function for the BNP Paribas London Branch.

Prior to BNP Paribas, Peter was a managing director at JPMorgan, New York, where he spent 17 years in various front office roles including Real Estate Investment Banking, Problem Credit Resolution, Professional Development, and Oil & Gas Credit Management. 

Peter is a graduate of The University of East Anglia and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers. 

Dr. Christopher Donohue is the Managing Director of the GARP Benchmarking Initiative, a data utility for financial services companies to compare sensitive data. Previously, Chris led GARP’s Educational and Research Programs, where he was responsible for overseeing all of GARP’s educational and research programs, including the FRM and Energy Risk Professional (ERP®) programs. Previously, Chris was partner at a hedge fund, where he was responsible for the development of asset allocation tools for pension funds and automated trading systems. Prior to that, Chris was a Director in the Global Research Center at Deutsche Asset Management, where he led product research and development in the areas of asset liability management, asset allocation and consumption optimization for endowments and optimal portfolio management with transaction costs. As Director of Optimization Technology at Alphatech, a leading-edge technology and research defense contractor, he led algorithm development for intelligence aircraft path planning and sensor scheduling systems.