Third Party Therapy - Dave Rusher - Is TPRM Actually Mature? AI, Cross-Sector Lessons & Getting Started Right

In this episode of Third Party Therapy, Mike Day is joined by Dave Rusher, Chief Customer Officer at Aravo, one of the longest-standing dedicated TPRM technology platforms. With 15 years at Aravo and decades of experience across the Americas, UK, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Dave brings a genuinely global perspective on how third party risk management has evolved — and where it still has growing up to do.

They cover the maturity landscape across financial services, pharma and manufacturing, the real-world AI use cases that are already delivering results, and the three most common mistakes organisations make when implementing TPRM technology. Whether you're just starting your TPRM journey or trying to evolve an existing programme, this episode is packed with practical insight.

Topics covered in this episode:

• How TPRM maturity differs across financial services, pharma and manufacturing — and why FS and pharma led the way
• The difference between a US "compliance-driven" approach and a more principles-based European one
• Why manufacturing actually has a head start on Nth-party visibility and ESG — and what FS can learn from it
• The cross-sector skills that are genuinely portable (anti-bribery/anti-corruption, cybersecurity) versus those that aren't
• The consolidation vs. diversification tension in TPRM technology ecosystems
• Where AI is delivering tangible results today — and why cyber/infosec assessment automation is the most mature use case
• Why getting AI approved internally is often the biggest blocker to adoption in regulated industries
• How shadow AI usage by employees is compressing organisations' due diligence timelines
• Dave's three biggest TPRM implementation pitfalls: overestimating maturity, overcomplicating scope, and over-relying on technology
• Why iterative, objectives-first implementation beats the traditional ERP-style "big bang" rollout
• How Aravo is building AI capabilities along two parallel tracks — for customers who are ready and those who aren't yet

Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction 02:00 — Dave's background and 15 years at Aravo 04:30 — How TPRM maturity varies by sector and region 10:00 — Manufacturing vs. financial services: who's ahead and where 15:30 — Cross-sector lessons: what's portable, what isn't 20:00 — Technology trends: consolidation vs. proliferation 25:00 — AI in TPRM: hype vs. reality 31:00 — The biggest AI use case delivering results today 37:00 — Why internal AI approval processes are the real bottleneck 43:00 — AI as a "tool not a transformation" — Mike's take 47:00 — Aravo's AI development roadmap 53:00 — The three TPRM implementation mistakes to avoid 58:00 — Where to start: outcomes-first, iterative delivery