The Centre for Financial Risk
The Centre for Financial Risk brings together the Faculty/s researchers on uncertainty in capital markets. It has two strands. One strand investigates the nature and management of financial risks faced by institutions, including banks and insurance companies, using techniques from statistics and actuarial science. It is directed by Associate Professor Ken Siu.
The other strand investigates the nature and management of financial risks faced by households and by the economy as a whole, using techniques from economics and econometrics. It is directed by Professor Stefan Trueck. The co-directors promote research into financial risk, and the exchange of ideas and techniques between academics and practitioners.
Main areas of research
- The dependencies between risks and their implications for financial institutions and regulators
- Risk management for superannuation and financial plans
- Currency risk and the role of central banks
- How business cycle risks impact on asset returns
- Risks associated with climate change
- Managing risks to electricity supplies
- Survival analysis for medical costs and insurance companies
Financial Risk Day: 30 March 2012
Financial Risk Day is a key annual event held by the Centre for FinancialRisk. The theme of this year’s conference was Risk and Regulation – Past,
Present and Future. It was held at the Four Points Hotel in Sydney’s
central business district, and built on the success of previous years with
80 registrations and extremely favourable feeback from particpants.
Forty per cent of attendees were from industry, further strengthening the
centre’s profile and reputation as a leading research body with strong
relevance. Particpants came from organisations which included Westpac,
Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, KPMG and Challenger Life Insurance, while still
attracting a strong academic base.
- Risk Day had a 60/40 ratio of academics to industry attendees
- 86% of particpants rated the overall experience at good or great
- 79% rated the quality of the speakers as high
- 70% rated the topics and program content relevant
- 96% would attend again.
Speakers included:
- Dr Shane Oliver - Head of Investment Strategy and Chief Economist, AMP.
- Professor Sanjiv Das - Professor of Finance, Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business.
- Professor Robert Elliott - RBC Financial Group Professor of Finance, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary.
- Professor Rafal Weron - Professor of Economics at Wroclaw University of Technology.
- Dr Alden Toevs - Group Chief Risk Officer, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
- Nine academics from the Centre for Financial Risk.
The conference succeeded in providing a platform for communication between academic researchers, financial risk managers, regulators, insurance professionals, actuaries and market practitioners. It achieved its aims of exchanging ideas and research on the management of financial risk through
examining the interplay between the theory and practice of financial risk management, the exchange of information on contemporary financial risk
topics, and presenting important research in these areas.
Topics and themes addressed at Financial Risk Day included:
- Financial implications of risk
- Climate change and energy/utilities risk
- Market risk
- Regulatory risk
- Actuarial Risk
2011 Financial Risk Workshop

Speakers at the 25 November Financial Risk Workshop (l-r) Prof Daniel Roesch, A/Prof Ken Siu, Dr Benjamin Avanzi, Dr Valentyn Panchenko, Prof Carl Chiarella, Prof Stefan Trueck and Prof Rodney Wolff. Read more about 2011 Financial Risk Workshop
More Information
More research centres
News
- Energy expert visits
Centre for Financial Risk to host Prof Rafal Weron - Climate adaptation tool
$175,000 grant awarded
- All in the timing
A project looking at how real-time financial indicators can be used in risk management has received $255,000 in ARC funding over three years.
Events
- Financial Risk Workshop success
Registrations exceeded expectations, with speakers also receiving excellent feedback on their thought-provoking presentations. - 2010 Financial Risk Day
Exciting discussions on Evaluation, Regulation, Research & Education

