What do multi-million-dollar art collections, complex family office structures, and career-long learning have in common?
According to Alliance faculty member Kate Norris, they all start with asking the right questions.
In a recent episode of Alliance Insights, Risk & Insurance Education Alliance President and CEO Will Hold spoke with Norris, founder and CEO of Attenuate Risk, about personal risk management, career development, and why great insurance professionals never stop learning.
With more than 20 years of experience advising some of the wealthiest families in America, Norris has built a career around uncovering risks that others overlook. Her work spans governance, succession planning, cyber threats, liability exposures, and highly specialized property risks. Yet despite the complexity of the clients she serves, her philosophy is surprisingly simple: effective risk management begins with curiosity.
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Looking Beyond the Policy
Norris entered the field after noticing a recurring pattern. Working in the family office space, she saw the same questions surface repeatedly, often without thoughtful answers. That realization inspired her to become part of the solution.
Today, what continues to motivate her is the variety and complexity of her clients’ needs.
“It’s everything beyond the policy and the policy,” she explained.
Family offices function much like large institutions, yet many operate without the layers of structure found in major corporations. As leadership changes, new generations enter the business, and family priorities evolve, risk management must evolve alongside them. Norris believes that helping clients navigate those challenges requires a deep understanding of their goals, operations, and vulnerabilities.
The Value of Being Inquisitive
One of Norris’s favorite examples involved a client with more than 400 entities spread across a family office structure. Understanding what those entities owned, how they operated, and how they interconnected required extensive research and countless questions.
Her takeaway?
The most underrated skill in risk management is being inquisitive.
Too often, professionals jump straight to solutions. The best advisors, however, spend time uncovering the full picture before making recommendations. Whether working with families, business owners, or individuals, asking thoughtful questions often reveals exposures that would otherwise remain hidden.
Why Experience Matters in the Classroom
As an instructor in the Alliance’s Certified Personal Risk Manager (CPRM) program, Norris brings current, real-world experiences into every class she teaches.
She credits this connection to practice as one of the most valuable aspects of being an educator. Classroom discussions allow her to share lessons learned from recent client interactions while also gaining new perspectives from students and fellow professionals.
In fact, Norris says she often leaves class with ideas that improve her own consulting work.
That ongoing exchange of knowledge reflects one of the Alliance’s greatest strengths: faculty members who actively work in the industry and translate real-world experience into practical education.
Teaching Is a Way to Give Back
When asked why experienced professionals should consider becoming Alliance faculty, Norris didn’t hesitate.
“Do it. Don’t hesitate.”
She believes professionals have a responsibility to share the lessons they’ve learned throughout their careers. Future insurance leaders benefit when experienced practitioners pass along not only technical expertise but also the judgment, problem-solving skills, and client insights that can only come from experience.
Importantly, Norris emphasized that prospective faculty members do not need to have every answer. Great instructors are willing to learn, grow, and openly acknowledge when they need to research a question further.
That authenticity often creates the most meaningful learning experiences.
Help Shape the Future of the Industry
The insurance and risk management profession thrives when experienced professionals invest in the next generation. Whether your expertise is in personal lines, commercial insurance, risk management, claims, underwriting, or agency operations, your knowledge can make a lasting impact on learners across the country.
Interested in becoming an Alliance faculty member? The Risk & Insurance Education Alliance is always looking for passionate industry professionals who are ready to share their expertise, inspire future leaders, and help strengthen the profession. Learn more about faculty opportunities and take the next step in giving back to the industry that has helped shape your career.
