Michele Wucker

How to Recognize and Act on the Obvious Dangers We Ignore

Categories: Business, Change, China, Economics, Global Affairs, Innovation, Leadership, Strategy, Trends

Michele Wucker coined the term “gray rhino” as a call to pay attention and act on the obvious, highly probable risks that are we are all too likely –but not condemned– to neglect despite their size and likelihood.

The gray rhino metaphor has moved markets, shaped financial policies, inspired lyrics of a global K-pop hit song by the mega-band BTS, made headlines around the world in more than 50 countries and over 30 languages, and shaped high-level debates from Davos to NATO to the Drucker Forum.

Michele’s 2019 TED Talk has attracted more than two million views. She is the author of four books including YOU ARE WHAT YOU RISK: The New Art and Science of Navigating an Uncertain World (April 2021). Her third book, the international bestseller THE GRAY RHINO: How to Recognize and Act on the Obvious Dangers We Ignore (St Martin’s Press, 2016), has been a #1 bestseller in China and a #1 amazon bestseller in financial risk management.

Drawing on three decades of experience in financial media and think tank management, turnarounds, and economic policy analysis, Michele founded the Chicago-based strategy firm Gray Rhino & Company to help decision makers better address gray rhino risks. She is a sought-after speaker who has delivered keynotes and workshops on five continents. Michele also has been honored as a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and a Guggenheim Fellow.

Her first two books are LOCKOUT: Why America Keeps Getting Immigration Wrong When Our Prosperity Depends on Getting It Right (PublicAffairs, 2006/7) and WHY THE COCKS FIGHT: Dominicans, Haitians, and the Struggle for Hispaniola (Hill & Wang, 1999/2000).

Her previous positions include Vice President for Studies at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs; President of the World Policy Institute; and Latin America Bureau Chief at International Financing Review. She writes regularly for strategy+business magazine. Her writing has appeared in publications around the world including The Economist, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. She has been interviewed by many media including National Public Radio, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, and Fox News.

TOP GRAY RHINOS IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

This is one of Michele’s most frequently requested presentations, particularly for private audiences. Top Global Gray Rhinos combines her deep experience and personal network in global policy, finance, and economics with the powerful framework she developed for helping decision makers to improve their responses to clear and present dangers. Join the CEOs, risk professionals, boards of directors, thought leaders, and senior financial and national policy officials around the world who apply gray rhino theory to their strategic decision making. MORE DETAILS HERE

CLIMATE RISK GRAY RHINOS: STRATEGIC RESPONSES

The wildfires and multiple new record high temperatures set in 2023 are a clear reminder that climate change is a global, obvious, impactful “gray rhino” risk for boards of directors. Climate risk and the net-zero transition affect strategy and operations involving issues that range from supply chains to agriculture, property values, energy, finance, insurance, regulatory changes, reputational risk, and even recruiting and retaining employees. Companies now face not just the challenge of tracking, reporting, and reducing their own climate impact and risk exposure –but also hyper-politicized calls from groups that want them to ignore environment, social, and governance (ESG) considerations. How should boards and management teams approach and respond to the climate risk imperative? MORE DETAILS HERE

NEW! THE RISK YOUR “FREE-FROM” FOOD BRAND CANNOT AFFORD TO TAKE

Companies are wise to recognize the attractions of the fast-growing “free from” consumer market segment. People with food allergies and sensitivities are loyal, resulting in high-customer lifetime value and willingness to accept higher prices for foods that they know are safe. What’s more, many alternative, gluten-free grains come from hardy, drought-resistant crops. Baking ingredients like millets, teff, quinoa, and amaranth also can help diversify supply chains alongside more traditional crops whose supplies are vulnerable to geopolitical risk. Yet too many companies make grave mistakes that could be avoided but permanently cost companies prospective consumers for life. Systemic barriers in the food value chain make it harder than it should be to provide allergy-safe foods and hospitality experiences. These obstacles are begging for solutions: in other words, business opportunities. Hear first-hand from someone who lives with celiac disease how to avoid unforced errors and remove barriers to the lucrative “free-from” market while diversifying your ingredient sources. MORE DETAILS HERE

GENDER AND RISK: Debunking the Stereotypes

How many times have you heard that women are “risk averse”? It’s not meant as a compliment. Worse: It simply is not true. Recent research challenges older studies that made that claim despite findings with low to no statistical significance; or based their conclusions on averages versus ranges; or failed to include context. Misconceptions about the relationship between gender and risk discourage investors from funding women-led startups which are likely to outperform, prevent managers from promoting women, lead financial advisers to offer women “less risky” investment options, and misalign true risk preferences and expected behavior. Businesses that hold onto gender risk stereotypes overlook human capital, lose the decision-making advantages of gender balanced groups, and fail to connect effectively with female clients. It’s past time to change the conversation about gender and risk and replace the tired old “risk averse” label with “risk astute,” “risk aware,” and “risk savvy.” Michele Wucker draws on scholarly research and real-life stories to present a new, nuanced understanding of what businesses need to know about how and why each of us takes the risks we do (or don’t). MORE DETAILS HERE

Your presentation was engaging and thought provoking; we have received a lot of compliments on our speaker choice!
~ Ruth Elmore, The Business Continuity Institute

We all took a lot of valuable insight from your presentation and workshop. When I got back to work I had a session with my managers to identify our ‘Grey Rhinos’ and Brexit was one of them. Having identified it, we had a strategy on what we’d do if the worst happened –leaving Europe for us– so we could react quickly and put a positive spin on it to counter any potential negative effect. We continue to meet to discuss the latest Grey Rhinos and it’s very much in our team mind-set now.
~ Leanne Linacre, ALTO

I received so many warm comments from your master class. Everything from “highly relevant” and “practical” to “greatly informative and instructional” to “expert,” “right on point” and “eye-opening.”
~ Anthony Vlahos, ExecuNet

An engaging, insightful speaker! Michele Wucker is able to demystify complex global happenings in a breezy conversational style.
~ Peter Marber, Head of Emerging Markets Investments at Loomis, Sayles & Co

Michele Wucker

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