Risk management
Given the nature of its operations and its geographical diversification, the Group is de facto exposed to risks and uncertainties, the most important of which are outlined in the Section Risk and Uncertainties of the Board of Directors’ Annual Report. Those risks include, among others, financial risks (liquidity/FX/interest rate/credit risks), risks arising from the cyclical nature of the construction sector, risks arising from the Group’s presence in developing markets, political risks, risks arising from natural disasters, risk of accidents, environmental risks, management risks, risks related to input costs/access to raw materials and risks related to legal disputes.
The Board of Directors’ Annual Report contains a detailed description of the policy it implements to address financial risks and quite a few of the other risks referred to above. The financial risk management policy implemented is reviewed and revised twice a year by the Board of Directors.
The Group management team’s main concern is to ensure that by implementing appropriate internal audit and risk management systems the Group overall is able to rapidly and effectively respond to risks as they arise and in all events to take the right measures to mitigate their effects to the extent possible.
To that end, the systems implemented by the Group provide for specific procedures to be followed and the implementation of specific policies and standards and designate the competent officers, at all levels, assigned with the management of the risks, and their limits of authority.
The Board of Directors are informed at least once a year about the main operational risks faced by the Group and examines whether those risks are clearly defined, have been adequately assessed and whether the method for managing them is effective.