As the Assistant Vice President for Risk Management and Resilience Planning, Courtney Davis Curtis manages insurance programs for the University of Chicago, including its schools and divisions and UChicago Medicine. As a resilience planning leader, Courtney has played an integral role in guiding the University through the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to make health and safety a top priority and protect the campus community. Through her seven years with the University, Courtney has worked diligently to help protect the institution and recently concluded a three-year malpractice liability risk financing evaluation to provide support and assurances for UChicago Medicine and other affiliates. She also serves as the president of the University Risk Management and Insurance Association.

In addition to many other accolades Courtney has collected throughout her career, she was recently named Risk Manager of the Year by Risk Management Magazine, which featured her on the cover and published an article highlighting her many accomplishments.

Q: What drew you to the University of Chicago?
UChicago is a dynamic enterprise and pillar of the South Side of Chicago and its many other global locations. UChicago is regarded as a leading global academic and research institution and medical center, with each school and division known for its own academic prowess. This global reach is attractive for a risk manager. No two days are the same. The projects and initiatives I help support have implications on a global front, and this makes the role so exciting.

Q: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve encountered in your role?
Helping the institution plan and respond to the pandemic has been the most significant challenge to date. There was no roadmap to follow and uncertainty around every corner as we worked to promote health and safety. Throughout the pandemic there was changing guidance, surges to respond to, and much to communicate and consider.

Q: As your title indicates, you lead resilience planning across the University. Can you explain what resilience planning entails and why it’s so important?
In short, my role from a resilience planning perspective is to anticipate potential threats, cope effectively with adverse events, and adapt to changing conditions. For the last two years, this has mostly pertained to COVID-19. Think of it like crisis management—this is important because the work helps to maximize opportunity and minimize the impact of unforeseen events.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your role?
I enjoy having the opportunity to engage with every type of stakeholder across the University and all its affiliates. My team and I are true partners to the entire campus and get to help mitigate risk, find solutions, and collaborate to help others achieve their mission.