Third-Party Risk refers to the potential problems that can arise when a company works with outside vendors, suppliers, or partners. It's like checking the background and reliability of everyone your company does business with to prevent issues that could harm your organization. This includes making sure these partners follow laws, protect sensitive information, and maintain good business practices. Think of it as being careful about who you let into your business family. Similar terms include Vendor Risk Management, Supplier Risk Management, or Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM).
Developed and implemented Third-Party Risk assessment program for 200+ vendors
Led Third-Party Risk Management team responsible for vendor evaluations
Created Third-Party Risk monitoring system that reduced potential threats by 40%
Managed TPRM processes and vendor due diligence reviews
Typical job title: "Third-Party Risk Managers"
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Q: How would you design a third-party risk management program from scratch?
Expected Answer: Should discuss creating risk assessment frameworks, establishing policies, building assessment teams, implementing monitoring systems, and developing escalation procedures. Should mention stakeholder communication and resource allocation.
Q: How do you handle a high-risk vendor that is critical to business operations?
Expected Answer: Should explain balancing business needs with risk management, developing mitigation strategies, creating contingency plans, and maintaining ongoing monitoring and communication.
Q: What factors do you consider when assessing a new vendor's risk level?
Expected Answer: Should mention financial stability, data security practices, regulatory compliance, business continuity plans, and past performance history.
Q: How do you maintain ongoing monitoring of existing vendors?
Expected Answer: Should discuss regular assessments, performance metrics, news monitoring, financial checks, and maintaining documentation of vendor interactions and issues.
Q: What are the main types of third-party risks?
Expected Answer: Should identify basic risk categories like operational, financial, reputational, and compliance risks, with simple examples of each.
Q: How do you document vendor assessments?
Expected Answer: Should explain basic documentation practices, including questionnaires, risk scores, supporting documents, and maintaining organized vendor files.