Manny Padilla has been named president of RIMS for the 2026 term, becoming the Society’s 70th president and its first of Hispanic descent.

Padilla is vice-president, risk management and insurance at MacAndrews and Forbes, a holding company with interests across cosmetics, film and digital entertainment, casino gaming and lottery systems, banking services, print media, military equipment, mining and biotechnology. He has worked at the company since 1992, with responsibilities spanning risk analysis, insurance procurement and the management of first-party and third-party claims settlements.

His involvement with RIMS began in 1992 when he received a scholarship as a student to attend the RIMS Annual Conference and Exhibition. Since then, he has remained active within the society, holding several board leadership roles and serving on the RIMS public policy committee and RISK PAC.

“The time is now for risk professionals to take the lead and build corporate cultures that empower business leaders to make smart and strategic investments that spur innovation, growth, and profitability,” Padilla said. “However, to assume that leading role, risk professionals must invest in themselves first.

“Making the smart investment in oneself demands patience, dedication and perseverance. My goal as RIMS president is to help ensure that this society continues to create opportunities for risk professionals around the globe to make that wise investment in themselves and collaboratively advance the risk profession.”

Alongside his RIMS work, Padilla is co-chair of the Lloyd’s council of risk owners, an adjunct professor at the Maurice Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science at St John’s University and a member of a private family office risk committee group. He has also previously served on the risk committee of the New York Navy League. Before entering the risk profession, Padilla served in the United States Navy in shipboard engineering roles, including service on the USS Carl Vinson, USS Kitty Hawk and USS Mount Baker. He later joined the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, where he has held divisional command roles and earned the AuxOp designation along with several service awards.

RIMS also confirmed its 2026 board of directors, with Christy Kaufman named president-elect, Penni Chambers as treasurer, and Christie Weinstein as secretary. The wider board includes senior risk leaders from organisations such as Palo Alto Networks, TransUnion, Cook Group, CoorsTek, Southwire Company and DTI Global, alongside immediate past-president, Kristen Peed. RIMS chief executive officer Gary LaBranche will continue to serve as a non-voting director.

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