The DCRO Institute, a leading source of risk governance training and credentials for board members and C-suite executives, announced today the award of the prestigious Certificate in Risk Governance® to Samantha Kappagoda of New York City, in the United States.
Samantha serves as an Independent Director, Chair of the Nominating Committee, and a Member of the Audit Committee for the Credit Suisse Funds. She has over 25 years of global experience in data analytics, digital transformation, financial management, risk governance, and strategy. She is a Member of the Business Board of the Governing Council at the University of Toronto, a Senior Editorial Advisory Board member for the Journal of Risk Finance, where she was the founding Managing Editor, and co-founded and serves as the Chief Data Scientist for Numerati® Partners LLC. She has also held prominent roles at Caxton Associates, the global macro hedge fund, and the World Bank. She is a former board member of the Girl Scouts of Greater New York and the Council for Economic Education.
Samantha earned an M.B.A. in analytic finance, statistics, and international business from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an M.A. in economics from the University of Toronto, and a B.Sc. (Honors) in mathematics from Imperial College London. She has been recognized with multiple awards, including being named a Director to Watch by Directors & Boards magazine in 2024, and is a frequent speaker on risk governance topics including AI and data governance, cybersecurity, and financial market volatility and global economic trends, at prestigious forums for directors including the NACD Masterclass on Technology Innovation & Oversight, Corporate Board Member Directors’ Forum, Character of the Corporation, Independent Directors Council, Institute of Directors UK, Private Directors Association, and NACD Summit. Samantha’s contribution to governance discussions includes her article Board Governance of AI & Emerging Technologies in Directors & Boards magazine.
Samantha was a member of the WomenExecs on Boards Guided Study Cohort through the Board Members’ Course on Risk®, has completed the Harvard Business School Making Corporate Boards More Effective program, and holds the Certificate in Private Company Governance from the Private Directors Association.
“Samantha has a career of impactful global service in highly dynamic fields,” said David R. Koenig, QRD®, president and chief executive officer of the DCRO Institute. “She brings a valuable combination of technical and strategic skills, with a portfolio manager’s mindset around return-on-risk, to her expanding board roles. Her influence is only likely to grow.”
The Certificate in Risk Governance® is awarded to those who have completed The Board Members’ Course on Risk®, an intensive 17-course education program and evaluation. The curriculum is designed for current and aspiring board members who seek to advance the governance of risk-taking at their organizations and those who interact with boards. Taught by some of the world’s leading figures in risk governance, the program features lessons by nearly 50 board members, C-level executives, and well-known authors from five continents. No course on risk for board members as robust as this – depth, practicality, and global expertise – exists anywhere else.
“I am thrilled to have completed the DCRO Institute Board Members’ Course on Risk and honored to have been awarded the Certificate in Risk Governance®. I highly recommend this course to my colleagues in the director community – it has been a tremendous learning experience, buttressing my operating experience harnessing data and analytics to drive ROI and mitigate risk,” said Ms. Kappagoda. “This program reflects the highest standards of board-level education in risk governance and reinforces the importance of strategic risk-taking in alignment with corporate purpose. As both a practitioner and advocate for data-driven decision-making, I believe that rigorous governance frameworks are essential to navigating complexity and fostering innovation across industries and institutions.”
