As a senior manager for risk and safety at Leap Wireless International, Inc., Augustine Doe administers corporate insurance programs and claims, and develops, implements and enhances corporate safety programs. He also partners with legal and other business units to manage contract and supply chain risks, and currently manages the migration of the company's risk management programs to an enterprise risk management platform. In addition, he is president of a risk management advisory firm based in Southern California. You might say he's not averse to risk, advising his employer and clients on the threats, as well as potential benefits of risk, day in and day out.

In 2010 Augustine received a certificate in Risk Management for Corporate Leaders from an Executive Education program offered by his alma mater, Harvard University. At that time he was seeking more hands-on learning on how to implement a value-driven Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program. ERM is a discipline used to manage the uncertainties and risks inherent in business operations and the environment. It's a top priority for many CEOs and Boards of Directors and often focuses on accounting and compliance, viewing uncertainty primarily as a threat to be mitigated. A value-driven ERM enables companies to gain a competitive advantage by better understanding how to take advantage of uncertainty, create value, and improve performance.

Augustine discovered the Stanford program while searching online for top tier ERM professional development programs. From there he enrolled in Stanford's Strategic Decision and Risk Management program and earned his certificate in 2011. While he was at Stanford, Leap Wireless was in the process of creating and implementing its own ERM program. Augustine was charged with evaluating RFPs to determine which consultant to hire. Having internal staff trained in ERM helped Leap to not only hire the right external vendor but also work more effectively with consultants to ensure success.

"As a result of the enhanced insights I gained at Stanford, I was able to reevaluate the consultants Leap had initially shortlisted and determined the types of ERM they were selling were backward-looking while we were looking for a forward-looking program," he says.

Augustine completed six courses for the Stanford program, one at Stanford and five online. Three of these courses were reimbursed by his company. A motivated and disciplined student professional, he would wake up at 4:30 a.m. to do his coursework and then put in a full day at work. He found the atmosphere stimulating, the faculty accessible, and the experience rewarding. "During the online classes I was able to fully interact with faculty, especially during the Modeling for Strategic Decision class," he says. "I took the sixth class, ERM, on campus and experienced a phenomenal group of students and faculty. Some of the participating students and faculty are now not only business colleagues but personal friends."

Taking these courses and earning the certificate "has elevated my career to a whole new level," he says. "I am now a knowledge bank for how to create and implement a value-driven ERM. The sky is the limit at this point."

To those considering a Stanford professional development program in risk management, he says, "Do it now, because the quality of the classes is unlike any you will find in the risk management space."