“The Operational Risk Handbook for Financial Companies by Brian Barnier is a refreshingly practical approach to managing operational risk. It brings focus and clarity to operational risk and its management. For example it defines it as the risk to operational performance. There you have it; none of those circular or so broad definitions that are rendered practically meaningless. You won?t find here much on the unintended but nevertheless wasteful practices that have evolved in response to regulatory mandate approaches to operational risk management. Instead, the book is filled with readily implementable advice, including specific tools as well as more general processes like having an effective plan B. The book is comprehensive in its coverage of operational risks and how to manage them. It is a useful investment of time which will pay high rewards for all those who study it carefully, from the novice front line operational risk manager all the way to a board member.” -Tony Peccia January 2012