Throughout his academic and professional life, Eamonn Cunningham has often described himself as a mathematics enthusiast.

“I love my maths, and I did well in mathematics and physics in high school,” he said. “I applied for a science degree and was actually offered a place in medical school. But I turned that down — much to the chagrin of my parents — and decided to pursue a degree in commerce instead.”

Born and raised in Galway, Ireland, Mr. Cunningham began a career in accounting, after graduating from the National University of Ireland (then known as University College) in Galway in 1975. His first job was at Haughey Boland & Co. and then he worked at the former Price Waterhouse now PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P.

In 1986, during his second multi-year assignment in Sydney as a senior manager at Price Waterhouse, the Westfield Group asked Mr. Cunningham to assume the role of group internal audit manager.

Eighteen months later, Mr. Cunningham, 60, was tasked with the procurement and management of Westfield's Australian insurance portfolio. As his responsibility grew over the next several years to include Westfield's other insurance programs worldwide, Mr. Cunningham said his skill and appreciation of mathematics played a key role in making clear to him the need to steer the company toward a more proactive approach to managing its global risks.

Today, as Westfield's chief risk officer, Mr. Cunningham said he still consistently relies on “an abiding faith in everything mathematical” to incorporate the principles of enterprise risk management into Westfield's broader operations and strategic objectives.

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“So many things ultimately distill down to numbers,” Mr. Cunningham said. “If you're not comfortable around numbers, certainly in our organization, you generally won't do well within risk management.”

A Chelsea F.C. soccer fan since age 7, Mr. Cunningham said he still manages to follow the team from Sydney, where he lives with his wife Anne, a published author with a doctorate in history from Macquarie University. The couple has raised three daughters, Lisa, Mianh and Catherine.

Away from his work, Mr. Cunningham said he enjoys a good card game, particularly bridge, and strives to keep as regular a fitness regimen as time and business travel allows.

“I try to run every day, especially when I'm on the road,” Mr. Cunningham said. “The tyranny of the business breakfasts, lunches and dinners will take their toll on you, so you have to try to keep yourself in good shape. It also gives me an opportunity to think about things in a more abstract way, and a lot of the things I've come up with over the years have probably come out of my morning run.”

When it comes to cultural tastes, Mr. Cunningham said he's developed an appreciation of most kinds of music, especially opera and classical. “Heavy metal doesn't exactly turn me on,” he said, “but I'll listen to almost everything else.”