SELLEST OSAST
In this episode of Security & GRC Decoded, Raj Krishnamurthy sits down with Dylan O’Dell, AVP Information Risk Officer at Manulife, to challenge one of the biggest assumptions in the industry: that GRC is working as intended. Dylan argues that most organizations are stuck in control-centric thinking and missing the true purpose of risk management — translating data into business decisions.
Drawing from his background in Lean Six Sigma and large-scale enterprise risk, Dylan breaks down why GRC needs to evolve beyond audits and control testing into automation, orchestration, and storytelling. This conversation explores how modern GRC teams can reduce operational friction, quantify real risk, and actually influence business outcomes.
Key Takeaways:
- GRC today is overly focused on control testing rather than true risk management and decision-making.
- Automation should eliminate manual audit friction — not just make existing processes faster.
- The future GRC professional must combine technical awareness with storytelling, influence, and business understanding.
- Risk management should be rooted in probability and financial impact — not pass/fail compliance.
- GRC teams can unlock funding and influence by tying their work directly to revenue, cost savings, and business outcomes.
What You’ll Learn:
- Why the “three lines of defense” model often breaks down in practice.
- How to translate technical data into meaningful business risk narratives.
- What modern GRC automation should actually look like (beyond tools).
- How to position GRC as a revenue enabler — not just a cost center.
- Why “start with why” is critical for influencing stakeholders and reducing friction.
This podcast is brought to you by ComplianceCow — the smarter way to manage compliance. Automate evidence collection, eliminate screenshots, and scale your program with confidence.
Learn more: https://www.compliancecow.com
Watch more episodes: https://www.compliancecow.com/podcast
Connect With Our Guest:
Dylan O’Dell | AVP Information Risk Officer | Manulife
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-odell-72a06412b/
Rate, review, and share if you enjoyed the show!
Subscribe to Security & GRC Decoded wherever you get your podcasts:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5pigcMwOrYIA6d9OOOsxqr?si=416b82ab5c474683
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/security-grc-decoded/id1795144450
