Members of the NDDC Board recently visited with PRMIA, the Professional Risk Manager’s International Association. PRMIA is a member-based organization with almost 80,000 members in 201 countries around the world.
Jodi Lundell, the company’s Chief Operating Officer told us that PRMIA recently celebrated its 10th anniversary; from its very beginning, the company has been based in Northfield. PRMIA currently has 16 employees plus additional contractors.
PRMIA provides member services, professional certification, and training to risk management professionals globally, including access to over 750 online professional development courses and webinars. PRMIA partners with more than 25 leading universities around the world to offer specialist and advance classroom courses in risk management. Their partners in the United States include universities such as Columbia Business School, The Kellogg School of Management, George Washington University, and Duke University.
The company has been very happy with Northfield. They like Northfield’s value system, with the commitment to community engagement and a welcoming attitude to all kinds of people. They believe that the company and the community both value hard work but make time for family. As a result, they have almost no turnover.
As for what could be improved in Northfield, they mentioned a need for high quality office space, restaurants, and lodging that serve a professional clientele from around the world. In particular, they discussed a high-end boutique hotel for their visitors from New York, London, and Hong Kong.
PRMIA’s top people think that Northfield’s economic development policy should include retention programs along with recruitment efforts. They believe that most of our economic growth will come from existing firms that currently employ a dozen or so people but could easily quadruple in size over the next decade and that there should be a focus on these companies’ needs.
The company’s leaders are interested in supporting efforts to enhance Northfield’s transit system. They believe that it will become increasingly important to transport workers into Northfield as local employers grow. It’s just one piece of their potential corporate engagement in the community.