PALO ALTO - January 17, 2008 - Carl Spetzler, founder and CEO of Strategic Decisions Group, will discuss why it can be difficult for Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) to gain traction at the top of the organization in his keynote address at the 2008 International Risk Management conference in Toronto this month.

"It isn't the issue it's made out to be at the top of the organization," said Dr. Spetzler. "In fact, I see quite the opposite. Boards are demanding it. CEOs are asking for it. What is difficult is for the risk management profession to address the questions top management needs answered. The traditional frame on ERM is too limited to serve the top."

Dr. Spetzler, CEO of Strategic Decisions Group and the program director of Stanford University's Decision and Risk Management program, has decades of experience working with leading corporations to implement enterprise risk management programs and to apply the principles of risk management to corporate strategy and portfolio decisions. His presentation, "Breaking Down the Barriers to Action," will offer challenging new perspectives on what the top of the organization really needs from enterprise risk management.

The conference, a production of the Conference Board of Canada, takes place January 29 - 30 at the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto. For more information, please visit the conference website.

Founded in 1981, Strategic Decisions Group is a strategy consulting firm renowned for applying leading-edge decision theory to uncover opportunities for creating shareholder value. The firm's mission is to help clients find innovative, creative strategies to thrive today, while also helping them build internal competencies to meet competitive challenges in the future. A unique combination of analytic skills, strategy development techniques, and industry experience makes SDG a preferred strategy consultant to the global Fortune 500.