Lucht Leaves Legacy

Melanie Lucht, a visionary leader, founded the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) department, transforming it into a beacon of excellence among higher education institutions. Her singular vision and unwavering dedication crafted a world-class program that set new standards in risk management and attracted the best and brightest minds. Under her leadership, the ERM department became a model of innovation and effectiveness, inspiring other institutions and solidifying its reputation as a leading organization in the field.

Melanie faced several challenges while establishing and growing the ERM department, primarily gaining buy-in from various stakeholders within the institution. She emphasized that understanding risk management is crucial, but involving others in the organization is equally important. Implementing and sustaining an ERM framework can be complex and daunting, requiring a balance of emergency preparedness, response, and business continuity. Despite these hurdles, her leadership and strategic vision enabled her to overcome obstacles and build a resilient and effective ERM program.

Her efforts led to several notable achievements. Under her leadership, the ERM department at Carnegie Mellon University became a model of innovation and effectiveness. In 2017, she was internationally recognized by the Business Continuity Institute as the Continuity and Resiliency Professional of the Year for the private sector. Additionally, she completed the Chief Risk Officer (CRO) Executive Education Program at Heinz College in 2018, where her project team achieved top honors. Melanie also published a paper on using ERM to strengthen organizational resiliency, highlighting the successful implementation of a cyclical enterprise risk framework at Carnegie Mellon. These accomplishments underscore her significant impact on the field of risk management. 

Melanie leaves the University to head Customer Experience at Fusion Risk Management, where she will continue to be a friend to the University and ERM.