Progression rates and routes vary according to the type of employer. In large organisations there may be greater opportunities, with scope for development internally, e.g. into management roles.
A typical career path in a large financial institution might be:
•credit risk analyst;
•senior credit risk analyst;
•risk manager;
•senior manager/managing director.
Risk is a growing area with very good career prospects. Risk consultancies offer employees the opportunity to move into the lucrative area of consultancy and many offer graduate programmes in risk management.
Opportunities also exist to move from risk into more general finance roles.
Corporate governance initiatives and a more restrictive and expensive insurance market have given risk analysts a higher profile within organisations. The importance of the role of risk professionals is increasingly being recognised, with risk managers gaining places at senior management level and as board members.
You may find that, in order to progress, you will need to move between organisations. Many professionals will change organisation within three to five years of joining. You may also need to gain additional professional qualifications for career progression with some employers.
Reference: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/financial_risk_analyst_career_development.htm
The Risk Analyst 