Risk Management

The Group has a Risk Management Policy, which is reviewed annually by the Board of Directors. The policy sets out the principles for the risk management process as well as the split of responsibilities and reporting within the Group, to ensure that risks are properly managed and monitored.

The Board of Directors, assisted by the Audit Committee, is responsible for the risk oversight within the Group while the CEO is responsible for assessing and reporting the Group’s consolidated risk exposure to the Audit Committee.

Ahlstrom has defined a process for assessing, mitigating and monitoring risks to support the achievement of strategic goals and business objectives. The risks are primarily identified by the divisional and Group management teams in accordance with the Group Risk Management Policy. The Executive Management Team is required to update the risk evaluation at least once a year. The format and methodology used for the risk evaluation is an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework.

In Ahlstrom the main principle is to manage risks at their source, i.e. within the division, business unit, plant or function where risks may occur. Risk treatment and monitoring actions for the assessed risks are defined and carried out by the appropriate management at different levels of the organization. To realize economies of scale and to ensure appropriate Group-level control, certain risk management activities such as the establishment of Group-wide insurance programs and management of the Group’s financial risks are centralized.

The format and methodology used for the risk assessment is an Enterprise Risk Management framework, and the assessment is performed at least once a year. Short term risks are updated in the quarterly interim reports.