Strive for risk excellence. Shocked by the crisis, some banks are now hastening to build a risk culture—an environment in which risk is forthrightly considered and acted upon. Others are focused on strengthening weak spots that the crisis exposed. While excellence in risk may mean different things to different institutions, at several banks the work has centered on the credit underwriting process. Typically, banks begin with a redefinition of the risk appetite—a clear statement of how much and what kind of risk will be taken on. That risk appetite is then translated into specific limits for each region, sector and rating. Other steps might include supplementing the traditional historical analysis of credit risk with more forward-looking techniques.