You’ve Started in a Senior Compliance Role - Where Do You Begin?
There is no universal playbook for stepping into a senior compliance role. Each organisation is different - its regulatory history, risk culture, leadership dynamics, and commercial strategy all shape the environment the new compliance leader is entering. However, a structured approach can provide the clarity and confidence needed to navigate those crucial first months.
The three phases outlined in this article - Diagnose and Understand, Own and Stabilise, and Vision and Change - offer more than a sequence of tasks. They provide a leadership framework, which balances listening with action, stabilisation with ambition, and credibility with strategic intent.
Preparing for an SMF Interview - Top Tips
Securing a Senior Management Function (SMF) role is a significant milestone in any financial services career, but it comes with serious regulatory scrutiny. One of the most important steps in the process is the interview with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), both of which have the power to approve - or deny - your appointment.
Here’s how to prepare effectively and present yourself in the best possible light.
Common Board Effectiveness Challenges
Board effectiveness reviews frequently reveal recurring themes. While boards of regulated financial services firms typically demonstrate strong commitment and diligence, even the most experienced and well-structured boards encounter both structural and behavioural challenges that can limit governance effectiveness.
This post outlines six challenges we often identify through our board and governance effectiveness work. For each, we provide key questions designed to prompt reflection and support continuous improvement.
Building a Proactive Regulatory Engagement Strategy
The PRA and FCA expect firms to be open, transparent, and accountable. A well-crafted engagement strategy not only helps firms to meet these expectations but also build trust, streamline communication, and reduce the risk of surprises. When regulators have confidence in a firm, the benefits can be substantial, such as reduced regulatory scrutiny, fewer demands on senior leaders, and a more collaborative approach to resolving issues.
Here’s how you can make sure your regulatory engagement strategy is strategic and effective.
What Makes a Compliance Function Effective? Six Questions Every Firm Should Ask
How a firm handles compliance says a lot about how it approaches business and treats its customers. After years as a Chief Compliance Officer and now as an adviser to financial services and technology firms, I’ve seen one clear pattern: the most successful companies don’t treat compliance as a side function.
So how can you tell if your Compliance function is where it needs to be, or if it could be stronger? I’ve put together six key questions that I believe every compliance leader and executive team should ask.