The most useful advice in risk management rarely comes from a vendor. It comes from a peer who's already done it.
On 16 September, VvAA opened its doors in Utrecht for the CERRIX & Ruler User Conference 2026. Users swapped experiences and got a first look at where the intelligent operating system for enterprise risk is heading.
Missed it, or want to see it again? Watch the aftermovie below.
What users took home
Three users told us on camera what the day meant to them.
"My main takeaway from today is that CERRIX is a company and an application that is moving quite fast ahead, embracing new technology, also with the acquisition obviously of Ruler, which will bring new challenges but also new opportunities for us." Wilma van Drunen, Senior Compliance professional, Quion
"In the first place, we value the relationship with CERRIX very much. And we also see it as a very nice chance to meet other risk professionals, to have them here in our office and to exchange ideas on risk management." Bram van Oirsouw, Manager Risk management & Compliance, VvAA
"What I learned specifically today from Quion, from Lanschot and other banks, is the importance of data quality and the need to have an impact analysis following a gap analysis. That's something we take to heart." Koen Iserbyt, Global Head of Treasury & Risk, Oilinvest Group
What stood out to us
Here's what we took away from each session.
VvAA: from extensive documentation to focused control
After an opening by Niels van Weereld (CEO, CERRIX & Ruler) and Bart Janknegt (CEO, VvAA Groep), Jonathan Hirsch, Senior Risk Manager at VvAA, shared four years of working with CERRIX. What stood out to us was the order of things.
VvAA first cleaned up and standardised its risks and controls, with writing guidelines for every risk, control and test plan. Only then did it configure the platform around them. The result: more coherence, higher quality and a lower workload.
The second lesson: design for the colleague who logs in a few times a year. VvAA built a landing page for the first line with their tasks, quick-reference guides and dashboards in one place. It's also gradually handing operational risk activities back to the business, with the second line in a supporting role.
MN: from system of record to management tool
Roger Fanchamps, Director Risk & Compliance at MN, showed how CERRIX became the central GRC tool in MN's GRIP improvement programme. MN started with a maturity scan and a three-year plan, and chose a platform the whole organisation could work in, not just the risk team.
What stuck with us: the value of the platform grows with your maturity. First you record. Then you steer. MN's improvement plan now includes keeping its regulatory framework up to date with Ruler.
What F1 racing teaches us about risk
Fons Scheltema, entrepreneur and Ferrari Challenge driver, took us onto the track. A race team runs on telemetry, much like a risk team runs on KPIs and risk indicators. Teams study near misses as closely as crashes.
And you can't win without taking risks. Too aggressive and you crash. Too conservative and you lose the race.
Control automation: more assurance at a lower cost
Our COO Maurits Toet made the business case for control automation. In most frameworks, controls are still executed by hand and tested on a sample, often a quarter after the fact. Automate both, and testing covers the full population, close to the moment a control runs. The result: more assurance at a lower cost of control.
CERRIX & Ruler product update
Joachim Jonkers (CPO) and Matthijs Brouns (CTO) looked back on a year of releases. These include new AI functionality, more than 25 new API endpoints and execution-based control testing.
Since its launch in March, customers have logged 200+ ideas in the CERRIX Community and cast 600+ votes. Those votes help decide what we build next.
We also showed the Regulatory Bridge, which links Ruler to CERRIX with a regulatory gap analysis. The goal: when regulation changes, you see straight away which parts of your framework need to follow.
Closing panel: risk and compliance in practice
To close the day, Niels van Weereld (CEO, CERRIX & Ruler) asked four users how risk management and regulatory compliance come together in their day-to-day work. On stage: Koen Iserbyt (Oilinvest), Bram van Oirsouw (VvAA), Laura van der Linden (Quion) and Maarten Dungelmann (Van Lanschot Kempen).
With them, we talked about the most unexpected risk or compliance issue that landed on their desks in 2026, and what they learned from it. It made for valuable lessons that every user could take back to their own team.
Thank you
Thank you to VvAA for hosting us, and to every speaker and panellist for sharing their experience so openly.
Stay involved
Using CERRIX? Keep logging and voting in the CERRIX Community. Your votes help decide what we pick up next. Want to help shape a new feature before it ships? Ask your Customer Success Manager about joining one of our feature groups.
Not a CERRIX user yet? This is what the CERRIX community looks like.
CERRIX & Ruler User Conference 2026
On 16 September, CERRIX and Ruler users met at VvAA in Utrecht to compare notes on risk management. Here's what stood out to us.
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How do you assess vendor risk?
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What are the main types of supplier risks?
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What is a compliance risk assessment?
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CERRIX User Conference 2025
On March 12, 2025, industry leaders, assurance experts, and CERRIX customers came together for the CERRIX User Conference 2025—a day of knowledge-sharing, insightful discussions, and collaboration on the future of risk management, compliance, and AI-driven GRC solutions.
From Spreadsheets to GRC Software: Why Pension Funds Need a Modern Approach to Risk Management
CERRIX and BR1GHT Strengthen Long-term Partnership to Enhance Governance, Risk, Compliance and Audit Solutions
Implementing DORA: From Compliance to Long-Term Resilience
