Risk Management: Lessons from the Ocean to the Boardroom

Recently, I had the honour of being invited into a room full of CEOs at one of the leading companies in Germany and the EU. The topic of the day was risk management, a theme that is as essential in business as it is in my world of big wave surfing.

Sitting at that table, I couldn’t help but reflect on the parallels. Out in Nazaré, facing waves the size of buildings, risk is never eliminated, it’s assessed, managed, and transformed into opportunity. The same applies in business: uncertainty is unavoidable, but how we prepare, how we react under pressure, and how we align as a team makes the difference between success and failure.

I shared my perspective on three key elements:

1. Preparation: Every big wave ride begins long before entering the water. Data, conditions, and physical readiness are carefully studied. In business, preparation means anticipating market shifts, stress-testing strategies, and building resilience before the storm hits.
2. Teamwork & Trust: In the ocean, my life often depends on the jet ski driver beside me. In companies, it’s about trusting leadership and empowering teams to act decisively under pressure. Risk becomes manageable when people move with clarity and confidence together.
3. Mindset: Fear is natural, whether in front of a 20-meter wall of water or an uncertain market. What matters is channeling that energy into focus and action. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to move forward despite it.

It was inspiring to see how open these leaders were to drawing connections between extreme sports and business. Risk, after all, is not something to be avoided, it is the very arena where growth, innovation, and transformation happen.

I left this event reminded that the language of risk is universal. Whether on the ocean or in the boardroom, those who learn to manage it don’t just survive, they thrive.