Rich Johanson

For more than 20 years, Rich Johanson has worked in the insurance and risk management industry for some well-known companies. Now, will share his experiences with University of Houston-Downtown students as part of the Spencer Educational Foundation Risk Manager on Campus program at the Marilyn Davies College of Business.

Johanson, who serves as the Director of Risk Management at General Dynamics, will be giving a virtual presentation at Noon on Thursday, April 8, to describe the many responsibilities he has managing the risks and insurance program at General Dynamics and the profession of risk management. Registration is required for the event. A town hall discussion will also be held during the event.

General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company. From Gulfstream business jets and combat vehicles to nuclear-powered submarines and communications systems, people around the world depend on their products and services for their safety and security.

“We are honored and fortunate to have a speaker like Rich Johanson who brings a wide range of experience and knowledge that will be helpful to our students,” said Priscilla Oehlert, Director of UHD’s Insurance and Risk Management Center.

Prior to his career at General Dynamics, he held positions with Leidos/SIC, 24 Hour Fitness, Crawford & Company and Macy’s. His professional responsibilities include insurance policy placement and claims administration for property, primary and excess casualty, to aviation, marine, E&O/Cyber and other specialty lines of insurance.

Johanson earned a Master’s in Business Administration from California State University-San Marcos. He also holds the Certified Risk Management Professional (CRMP), Associate in Risk Management (ARM) and Associate in Claims (AIC) designations.

The Risk Manager on Campus speaker series began at UHD in 2013. Oehlert said students have benefited from hearing the experiences of veteran professionals in the risk management industry.

“These high profile risk managers provide students with an understanding of the many available opportunities the profession has to offer for them to have a successful career in risk management and the magnitude and importance of the risk management program to an organization,” she said. “They provide education related to the various exposures an organization faces and how they’re identified and the various methods of managing the risks.”

To learn more about UHD’s Insurance and Risk Management program, visit their website.