Following the Rules

Special episode: Global Relay's Rob Mason outlines how finance bosses and their regulators are preparing for an expected clampdown on employees’ social media use

Today’s episode is a special one produced in association with Global Relay, a technology firm providing global financial services firms with the software to capture, store and monitor their employees’ communications.
Today’s guest outlines how financial services companies and their regulators are preparing for an expected clampdown on employees’ social media use. He outlines how an increasing regulatory focus on City workers’ behaviour in and out of the day job is changing their bosses approach to capturing and monitoring their communications. And he details how firms are using new technology to address compliance pain points when dealing with communications supervision.   
Rob Mason is director of regulatory intelligence at Global Relay.

Halsey Keetch's Alex Keetch outlines how finance bosses and those running their control functions can best navigate opportunities and challenges in today's job market

Today’s guest outlines how finance bosses can best support those running their risk, audit, and compliance functions to avoid serious disruptions in future.
He cautions that without such investment in their governance, regulatory and controls functions, financial institutions risk inducing regulatory fatigue and provoking “flight risk” amongst valued senior staff.
He also details how he believes senior risk, audit and compliance professionals should navigate today’s job market and changing work environment, and plenty more besides.
Alex Keetch is Managing Director at Halsey Keetch, an executive search firm that specialises in placing senior leaders onto financial services company boards and within their risk, compliance, financial crime, and internal audit departments.

Special episode: Global Relay's Jennie Clarke on the surveillance blind spots that could lead to compliance blow-ups at global finance firms

Today’s episode is a special one produced in association with Global Relay, a technology firm providing global financial services firms with the software to capture, store and monitor their employees’ communications.
Today’s guest highlights the surveillance blind spots that pose “massive” compliance risks to large sections of the financial services industry. She explains why an aggressive clampdown on bankers’ WhatsApp use, as seen in the US, is unlikely to be copied by UK watchdogs. And she details how a regulatory crackdown on City workers’ behaviour outside of the day job is influencing their bosses approach to capturing and monitoring their communications.
Jennie Clarke is head of content at Global Relay.

Special episode: Smarsh’s Shaun Hurst on the compliance challenges ahead for those monitoring finance employees’ communications

Today’s episode is a special one produced in association with Smarsh, a global technology firm providing regulated organisations of all sizes with cloud-native digital communications capture, retention, and oversight solutions to help them identify regulatory and reputational risks within their communications data before those risks become fines or headlines. 
Today’s guest details what he believes will be this year’s most pressing challenges for compliance professionals tasked with monitoring their employees’ communications.
As part of that, he offers guidance to compliance teams navigating the rapid proliferation of AI tools within the financial services sector, as well as to those responding to regulatory pressure to more closely track their employees’ use of encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram.
He also details how he expects communications surveillance compliance will develop in response to the challenges 2024 brings. And plenty more besides.
Shaun Hurst is Smarsh’s principal regulatory advisor for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
 

Tracey McDermott, former FCA boss and Standard Chartered's compliance chief, on UK regulators' diversity and inclusion push and how AI is changing the role of compliance

Today’s guest discusses UK regulators’ recent proposals to foster diversity and inclusion in the City, including the aspects of the measures she would like to see given more consideration and the role finance bosses must play to ensure the initiative’s success. 
She details how AI tools are being used to adapt the role of the compliance officers she manages and the skillset she believes will be required for future compliance officers to succeed.
She also shares her insight on how best to navigate guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority.
And she should know. As Tracey McDermott spent 15 years at the City watchdog including 10 months as its acting CEO before joining global banking group Standard Chartered in 2017 as its group head of corporate, public and regulatory affairs. In 2018, she took on responsibility for the bank’s compliance function and since 2019 she has worked as Standard Chartered’s group head of conduct, financial crime and compliance. She also plays an influential role in several industry reform initiatives which she details in the upcoming episode. 

Political lobbyist Jon McLeod on a Labour government’s regulatory priorities for financial services and the City reforms the current government should avoid.

 
Today’s guest outlines the three financial services reforms he expects the next government will prioritise. He details where he believes this government has gone wrong in its efforts to establish the UK as a thriving investment hub post-Brexit, and he explains what changes to the financial services sector he believes this government should avoid in order to keep the City as competitive as possible.
Jon McLeod has spent 26 years advising businesses and their bosses on political relations, corporate governance, and reputation management. His career includes stints as head of public affairs at lobbying group Brunswick and as chair of communications giant Weber Shandwick’s UK corporate, financial and public affairs practice, and of its Manchester office. Since 2021, he has worked as a partner at the communications consultancy DRD Partnership where he leads its competition and anti-trust practice.

Citi UK CEO Tiina Lee, Nationwide CEO Debbie Crosbie and Howden CAP’s executive chair Mary O’Connor outline how finance companies can best set, monitor and promote their purpose as an organisation

Today’s episode is a little different to normal. It is a recording of a recent panel discussion from City & Financial Global’s ninth annual 'Culture and Conduct Forum for the Financial Services Industry'. I was invited to moderate a panel on moral capitalism and we discussed how financial services can best link their profits with their purpose, how the newest intake of graduates are influencing firms decisions as they define and promote their purpose internally and externally, the transition to net zero and plenty more in between. I hope you enjoy it.

StepChange’s Peter Tutton on the changes that UK lawmakers, regulators and finance bosses should implement to help the country better navigate the cost-of-living crisis

Today’s guest outlines what UK lawmakers have missed in their efforts to address the fallout from the cost-of-living crisis. He details what policy changes the next government should prioritise to prevent long-term damage arising from the aftermath of the crisis. And he explains how the Financial Conduct Authority’s new consumer-focused rules should best be implemented to support financial services firms’ most vulnerable clients. 
Peter Tutton has spent two decades advising on mortgage, credit and related consumer policy. Since 2012, he has lobbied for regulatory reforms to help consumers in financial difficulty as head of policy at StepChange Debt Charity.

John Howells, CEO of LINK, outlines how lawmakers and regulators can best prepare the UK for a move to a digital economy

Today’s guest outlines how the UK can best prepare for a move to a cashless society. He calls on lawmakers to do more to guide those uncomfortable with that move through the transition to a digital economy and explains why any such digital inclusion programme must start with a clampdown on the UK’s “big” digital fraud problem.
John Howells is a former banker and consultant who has run the UK’s cash machine network since taking over as chief executive of cash machine provider LINK in 2012. In 2022, he also took on the role of Commissioner for the UK’s Financial Inclusion Commission.

Activist Mark Bishop outlines why a more consumer-led approach to UK regulation would benefit financial services workers

Today’s guest outlines why consumer advocacy should matter to those working in financial services and how those in the sector who agree can best get their voices heard.
He details what he would like to change about the UK markets watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority and UK regulation in general. And he discusses why he believes a “derisory” compensation package has been offered to investors who fell victim to the failed fund run by former star stockpicker Neil Woodford.
Mark Bishop is a consumer activist. Since 2020, he has been volunteering for the Transparency Task Force, a consumer advocacy body, on strategy, campaigning and public policy matters. Since 2020, he has also served on the Secretariat of the All Parliamentary Party Group on Personal Banking and Fairer Financial Services.