My Mummy – Eulogy
As accustomed as I am to public speaking, this is the one speech I hoped I would never have to give. Yet here we are – the funeral of my…
The Perfect Storm
Is the banking industry or for that matter the planet in the middle of a “perfect storm”? By perfect storm I mean “a critical or disastrous situation created by a…
Too Many Lines of Defence?
As I sit in Changi airport in Singapore musing about life, I have been reflecting on my work this week and, in particular, on the meaning of “Lines of Defence”…
The 2:9 Decision Making Process
As corporate governors, we are all taught the absolute importance of making sure that our decision making processes ensure that all key initiatives are supported by extensive data analysis. How…
Internal Control Webinars
This week marked a major achievement for my company, Risk Audit, with the launch of our first recorded webinar. Over the last few years, it has become clear to us…
When is Prop Trading Not Prop Trading?
This is the question that is exercising the minds of regulators in the United States and will soon be exercising more than just the minds of compliance officers, traders and…
Safe Innovation
Is there such a thing as “safe innovation”? Is it in the public interest for such a concept to exist? As the world’s economies drag themselves out of the mire,…
A False Dawn?
It is traditional at this time of year that Risk Audit shares its view on the corporate governance landscape in the financial services sector. With the demise of daily Stop…
Off to the Promised Land – Singapore?!
As my business partner and I set off to Singapore, I cannot but help refer to my own parents’ experience in the late 1950’s when they emigrated from Italy to…
Solvency II v. Basel II
The insurance industry is presented with a major challenge. Is it willing to learn any lessons from the banking industry when it comes to the management of risk and allocation…