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President of World Bank, World Bank

Ajay Banga is the President of World Bank. He will become executive chairman of the board of directors on January 1, 2021 Ajay is a co-founder of The Cyber Readiness Institute, first vice-chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce and a trustee of the United States Council for International Business. Ajay is a founding trustee of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, a member of the U.S.-India CEO Forum, and is Chairman Emeritus of the American India Foundation. He served as a member of President Obama’s Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity. He is a past member of the U.S. President’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations. He was awarded the Padma Shri Award by the President of India in 2016, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2019, and the Business Council for International Understanding’s Global Leadership Award. He is a fellow of the Foreign Policy Association and was awarded the Foreign Policy Association Medal in 2012. Ajay is a member of the board of overseers of the Weill Cornell Medical College. In addition, Ajay serves as a director of Dow Inc. and is a member of its compensation and governance committees. Prior to Mastercard, Ajay served as chief executive officer of Citigroup Asia Pacific. During his career at Citigroup, he held a variety of senior management roles in the United States, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He also oversaw the company’s efforts in microfinance. Ajay began his career at Nestlé, India, where for 13 years he worked on assignments spanning sales, marketing, and general management. He also spent two years with PepsiCo, where he was instrumental in launching its fast-food franchises in India as the economy liberalized. He is a graduate of Delhi University and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Author, Best-Selling Author of The Black Swan

Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a philosopher, scholar of randomness, essayist, risk-management expert, and former trader. He is known for a multidisciplinary approach to the role of the high-impact rare event. 

He is author of the New York Times bestseller The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, the revelatory book that explains everything we know about what we don’t know. In it, he defines a “black swan” as a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics: it is unpredictable; it carries a massive impact; and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear less random, and more predictable, than it was. He concludes that black swans underlie almost everything about our world, from the rise of religions to events in our own personal lives. He offers surprisingly simple tricks for dealing with black swans and benefiting from them, and changing the way we look at the world.

Previously, Taleb has held senior positions with major banks focusing on the trading and risk management of complex derivatives, and worked independently on the floor of the Chicago exchanges. He went on his own in 1999 and, until 2008, specialized in protecting portfolios against extreme events.

In addition to his other books and scholarly papers, Taleb is the author of the extremely popular Fooled by Chance: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets, which was named by Fortune as one of The Smartest Books of All Time. His books have more than a million copies in print, and are translated into 27 languages.

He is currently a visiting professor at the London Business School. He held among other positions that of the Dean's Professor in the Sciences of Uncertainty at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and taught derivatives modeling at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences of New York University. He has an MBA from Wharton and a PhD from the University of Paris.

The London Times has described Taleb as a “giant of modern thought… The hottest thinker in the world,” and GQ calls him “the most prophetic voice of all.”

Eileen Fahey

Chief Risk Officer, Fitch Group

Eileen Fahey is Chief Risk Officer for Fitch Group. Appointed in June 2017, Ms. Fahey oversees Fitch Group's risk management function, which includes reviewing, monitoring and addressing the multitude of risks that can impact the group's performance and reputation.

Ms. Fahey and her team form the 2nd Line of defense for Fitch Group’s risks including credit, operational and compliance risks. The Chief Credit, Criteria and Compliance officers report to Ms Fahey.

Ms. Fahey joined Fitch Ratings in 1998, most recently serving as Chief Credit Officer, a role she held since 2015. In that capacity she managed a team of regional and group credit officers who oversaw ratings, quality assurance, credit market commentary and macro research. Prior to that, as Regional Credit Officer for the Americas, she played an important role in helping evolve Fitch’s credit policy in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Her nearly-20 year tenure at Fitch has included a variety of other roles including credit officer for the Insurance, Fund and Asset Manager, and REITs group, where she oversaw the development and application of credit rating criteria and participated in ratings committees. She joined Fitch as a credit analyst for the financial institutions group and subsequently managed the teams focused on investment and money center banks, and asset management firms.

Prior to joining Fitch, Ms. Fahey was a National Bank Examiner with the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), where she was a member of the multinational banking group, examining capital markets and trading operations of U.S. money center banks.

Ms. Fahey received a BA in business and economics from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, and has been a chartered financial analyst (CFA) charter holder since 1994.

Chief Risk Officer, National Security Agency (NSA)

Ms. Anne Neuberger serves as NSA’s first Chief Risk Officer and a member of NSA’s Senior Leadership Team. As Chief Risk Officer, she is responsible for creating and maturing a methodology and processes to assess risk across NSA’s mission, and implementing an enterprise risk management process. Prior to her assignment as Chief Risk Officer, Anne served as the Director of NSA’s Commercial Solutions Center, responsible for NSA’s interface and partnerships with the private sector. Prior to that, she served as Special Assistant to the Director, NSA, for the Enduring Security Framework (ESF), building a deep and effective partnership between leading companies, the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, NIST and NSA, on initiatives across a broad set of technical and policy areas. In this capacity, Anne also led the Department of Defense’s Defense Industrial Base Pilot, defining the first policy and legal framework for government sharing of classified signatures and indicators with Internet Service Providers. Prior to ESF, Anne served on the U.S. Cyber Command Implementation Team which led the planning and standup of USCYBERCOM.

Prior to joining NSA, Anne served as the Navy’s Deputy Chief Management Officer and a Special Advisor to the Secretary of the Navy, with responsibility for guiding Navy enterprise IT programs. 

Anne first joined government service in 2007 as a White House Fellow, working for Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. The nonpartisan White House Fellows Program was founded in 1964 and is one of America’s most prestigious programs for leadership and public service.

Prior to joining government service, Anne was Senior Vice President of Operations at American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (AST), where she was responsible for directing operations, including dividend distributions, and complex mergers, and acquisitions processing, for approximately 2,000 publicly traded companies. Anne joined AST in 1994 as a software programmer, was promoted to the position of Chief Information Officer (CIO) in 2003 and Senior VP of Operations in 2005. As CIO, she led a team that designed and implemented systems to automate the granting and exercising of stock options as well as online share purchases and sales. As Senior VP of Operations, she managed the acquisition and integration of the corporate trust operations of Wachovia Bank, NA.

Anne earned a MBA, Beta Gamma Sigma and a Masters of International Affairs from Columbia University. She graduated from Touro College, summa cum laude, where she was awarded the Hannah Lander Award for Academic Excellence and a Merit Scholarship.

MD Astronaut, NASA

Dr. Yvonne Cagle is a NASA Astronaut and Family Physician. In 2008 , Dr. Cagle retired as a Colonel in the USAF where she served as a Senior Flight Surgeon prior to her selection to the NASA Astronaut Corp in 1996. In 2005, Dr. Cagle was assigned to the NASA/ARC as the lead ARC Astronaut Science Liaison and Strategic Relationships Manager for Google and other Silicon Valley Programmatic Partnerships. Dr. Cagle’s groundbreaking work is preserving historic NASA space legacy data while, simultaneously, galvanizing NASA’s initiatives in global mapping, sustainable energies, green initiatives, and disaster preparedness. Dr. Cagle is advisor for the Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research Program (CRuSR). Previously, Dr. Cagle served on faculty as the NASA liaison and VP for space exploration and space exponential technologies with Singularity University.

Dr. Cagle was a Brussels TEDx Speaker for 2012. Historically holding adjunct professorships with Stanford University, UC Davis, and UTMB, Galveston, Dr. Cagle currently, in collaboration with NASA, is a Visiting Professor at Fordham University.

Sr. Exec. VP and Chief Audit Executive, Banco Santander SA

Harit Talwar

Board Member, Mastercard

Harit Talwar is currently Chairman of the Board of Better.com, a leading digital mortgage company, a Board Member of Mastercard (MA) and a Board Member of Apexon, a digital engineering company. Harit was most recently a Goldman Sachs Partner and Founder/Head/Chairman of the firm’s global Consumer business, Marcus by Goldman Sachs, including its partnerships with Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Walmart (WMT), JetBlue (JBLU) and General Motors (GM).

As a senior executive, Harit has worked in Asia, Europe and America, and has a proven track record of creating and running successful, profitable businesses in financial services, including consumer banking and payments. His diverse experiences include running large businesses, building and scaling startups, overseeing transformational M&A, and forging strategic partnerships with leading organizations across industries. He has delivered industry-leading, risk-adjusted returns by focusing on key elements for success, including customer-centricity, a fusion of engineering / data / AI / design, and hiring diverse and talented teams. Harit has extensive experience interacting with boards of Fortune 500 companies, regulators and legislative stakeholders, and engaging in constructive dialogue with investors and shareholders.

Harit previously served on the boards of Morgan Stanley Bank International Ltd. and Morgan Stanley International Ltd. in London. Passionate about philanthropy and addressing inequalities, he serves as the Co-Chairman of the board of the American India Foundation, a member of the Asia Society Global Board of Trustees, and one of the founders of Ashoka University in India. He previously held leadership positions with the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago; the Chicago CMO Summit; the American School of Warsaw, Poland; the College of Lake County, Illinois; Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago; and Pratham UK.

Harit has previously served on the boards of Morgan Stanley Bank International Ltd. and Morgan Stanley International Ltd. in London. Passionate about philanthropy and addressing inequalities, he serves as the Co-Chairman of the board of the American India Foundation, a member of the Asia Society Global Board of Trustees, and one of the founders of Ashoka University in India. He previously held leadership positions with the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago; the Chicago CMO Summit; the American School of Warsaw, Poland; the College of Lake County, Illinois; Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago; and Pratham UK.

Harit previously served on the boards of Morgan Stanley Bank International Ltd. and Morgan Stanley International Ltd. in London. Passionate about philanthropy and addressing inequalities, he serves as the Co-Chairman of the board of the American India Foundation, a member of the Asia Society Global Board of Trustees, and one of the founders of Ashoka University in India. He previously held leadership positions with the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago; the Chicago CMO Summit; the American School of Warsaw, Poland; the College of Lake County, Illinois; Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago; and Pratham UK.

Harit has been named one of American Banker’s 10 to Watch, an Outstanding Asian American in Business, and an Outstanding Alumni of Shri Ram College of Commerce at Delhi University. He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fortune, Forbes, CNBC and Yahoo! Finance and has spoken at various industry forums and leading business schools.

Harit earned a BA (Hons) in Economics from Delhi University in India and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Xavier Barde

Group Chief Risk Officer, Pictet Group

Xavier Barde is Group Chief Risk Officer (“GCRO”) for the Pictet Group since April 2018. Based in Geneva, he has held various positions in the Group Finance Department, the most recent of which was Group Deputy Chief Financial officer (“CFO”). Xavier Barde spent part of his career with Arthur Andersen before joining the Group in 2000. Xavier Barde holds a degree in Economics and Banking from the University of St Gallen and is a Swiss qualified CPA.

Chief Security Officer, Aon

Joe Martinez is Chief Security Officer for Aon, where he is responsible for leading Aon’s global information security practice that includes incident response, technology risk strategy, protection services and security technology.

Prior to joining Aon, Joe served as Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase, managing various global Cyber functions such as: Security Operations, Security Engineering, Application Security, and Strategy & Architecture. This includes leadership in the development and implementation of JPMC’s industry-leading $400million+ Cyber defense program as well as direct leadership of all JPMC security incidents of merit during that time.

Spanning a 15+ year career in information security for financial services, Joe also held similar information security leadership positions at Washington Mutual for Identity & Access Management, Security Operations, and Security Engineering. Previously, Joe spent 12 years as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps serving in dozens of international engagements throughout that time. Joe is a combat decorated veteran of the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

CIO Group Finance, RFT Technology, Barclays

Jacqui joined Barclays in mid 2019 and is currently Group Finance CIO, part of Risk, Finance and Treasury Technology for Barclays group. She is responsible for leading the RFT Finance & Controls technology teams globally, delivering all technology Change for the Finance and Controls businesses. Jacqui has two further roles – lead for Scotland Technology teams as part of the new Scotland campus based in Glasgow and is the Scotland DE&I Site lead.

Jacqui has almost 20 years experience in various IT leadership roles in Financial Services primarily Banking) and spent over 10 years leading technology & transformation in the Media & Publishing sector.

Chief Audit Executive (EMEA) - SMF 5, Mizuho

Chandrra is a Senior Audit Leader, Pacesetter, initiates action and excitement in a controlled compliance and risk-driven environment, removes scepticism and obstacles to advance the business and capture excellence. Firm believer in strategic control impact. Transformational leader, inspiring leader and coach, promotes team values, builds collaboration, secures buy-in for change. Adaptable, engaging communicator, serves with authority and confidence in relaying tough messages and driving innovative and pioneering solutions

Jacob Holmehave

Head of Group Risk Office, Nordea

Jacob is a former external consultant and key note speaker within change management and transformation. Today, Jacob is the business owner of the development of Nordea’s new Integrated Risk Management Application (IRMA) – a large digital and cultural transformation that will change the way Nordea work with risk management and compliance within all 3 lines of defense.

Head of Internal Control Governance, Siemens Energy

Dorothea has more than 15 year of experience in Risk and Internal Control. She is currently the Head of Internal Control Governance at Siemens Energy being appointed to this role in 2020. She was previously the Head of Risk and Internal Control for Siemens Global Services. Dorothea has spent nearly a decade in various roles in Accounting and Mergers & Acquisitions.

Chief Compliance Officer, Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS)

Azizi Md Ali is the Chief Compliance Officer of PETRONAS. This role sees him providing stewardship, strategic direction and planning, advisory, implementation and management of legal compliance for PETRONAS Group covering the Critical Legal Areas namely Ethics & Integrity, Data Privacy, Sanctions, Export Control and Competition with the ultimate aim of protecting and safeguarding PETRONAS Group and maintaining the zero-tolerance position against any breaches of the Critical Legal Areas.

Azizi began his journey with PETRONAS when he joined the company in 1995 With 28 years of experience in PETRONAS, Azizi has served various key projects and positions in PETRONAS, amongst others include, Head of Legal Upstream and General Counsel for LNG, Gas and New Energy Azizi is also currently the Skill Group Advisor for PETRONAS Group Legal where he steers, develops and manages the capability development of the lawyers in PETRONAS Group

He graduated with bachelor's degree in Law from University of Malaya and holds a master's degree in Law and a licensed company secretary from Companies Commission of Malaysia He also completed a post graduate course in Oil Gas Law in University of Dundee and post graduate training in Management and Leadership under DUKE/University of Melbourne and University of Cambridge

Vice President Health, Safety & Environment, dnata

David is responsible for the development and implementation of dnata's global HSE strategy as part of the global management team. With over 20 years of experience in airline, ground operations and safety, David has worked for 20 years in the middle east region for large international airlines. David holds and MSc in Aviation Safety and is a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society (MRAes). David is married, and a keen aviation and sports enthusiast.

Phil Crook

Head of Compliance, Nationwide Building Society

Current responsibilities include being Accountable Executive for the implementation of our first Regulatory Change Management Tool, leading a business-as-usual team that focuses on Risk Insight, Regulatory Developments, Data Analytics, Prudential Compliance and Wholesale Conduct.

I joined Nationwide in 2021 following 11 years at Lloyds Banking Group across the three lines of defence. In particular I have expertise on Regulatory Compliance, Operational Risk, Retail banking products and Wealth management.

Outside of work I am a keen golfer having taken the game more seriously since my move to Edinburgh in 2017. I am also a keen runner, albeit that was much easier in my native Essex (as well as being five years younger).

Head of Operational Risk and Risk Strategy UK, HSBC

Jenny has been with HSBC for over 25 years, having joined the Group through Forward Trust (also located in Birmingham) in 1993. She is currently the Head of Operational Risk and Risk Strategy for the UK ring-fenced bank, having been appointed to this double-hatted role in April 2018.  She was previously the Head of Three Lines of Defence Execution for Operational Risk.

Jenny has spent nearly a decade in various roles in Operational Risk, interspersed with significant experience in Internal Audit (over 10 years’ experience) and IT, including a one-year secondment to Vietnam.

Head Risk Management, Operations Department, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority

Philipp Herrmann holds the position of Head of the Risk Division within the Operations Department at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). In this role, he is responsible for leading the Operational Risk Management practice for the Department and co-leading Enterprise Risk Management efforts. Joining ADIA in January 2016, Philipp plays a key role in shaping ADIA's risk landscape, including the development of Risk Policies, advancement of Risk Culture, and oversight of the MetricStream application.

Prior to his tenure at ADIA, Philipp held significant roles at both Deutsche Bank and UBS for over a decade. During this time, he demonstrated his leadership abilities by managing global risk and compliance teams, successfully executing regulatory mandates, and centralizing critical risk functions.

12th Administrator of NASA, and former NASA astronaut, NASA

Maj. Gen. Charles Frank Bolden Jr. (USMC-Ret.) was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 12th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He began his duties as head of the Agency on July 17, 2009. 

At NASA, Bolden oversaw the safe transition from 30 years of Space Shuttle missions to a new era of exploration focused on full utilization of the International Space Station and space and aeronautics technology development. He led the Agency in developing a Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft that will carry astronauts to deep space destinations, such as an asteroid and Mars. He also established a new Space Technology Mission Directorate to develop cutting-edge technologies for the missions of tomorrow. The Agency’s dynamic science activities under Bolden include an unprecedented landing on Mars with the Curiosityrover, launch of a spacecraft to Jupiter, and continued progress toward the 2018 launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. 

Bolden graduated from C. A. Johnson High School in 1964 and received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. He earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical science in 1968 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. In 1977, he earned a master of science degree in systems management from the University of Southern California.

Bolden’s 34-year career with the Marine Corps included 14 years as a member of NASA’s Astronaut Office. After joining the office in 1980, he traveled to orbit four times aboard the Space Shuttle between 1986 and 1994, commanding two of the missions and piloting two others. He retired from the Marine Corps in 2003 and was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in May 2006.

Managing Director - ICG Business Risk and Controls leadership team, Citi

Toby Billington is a managing director in the ICG Business Risk and Controls leadership team at Citi.

Prior to joining Citi Toby was the Chief Control Officer for the Global Banking business of HSBC, based in London. Toby has also held the position of Global Head of Conduct and Supervision for the Corporate and Investment Banking Division of Deutsche Bank AG. Toby started his career as a banking lawyer. In his legal capacity he has worked for a number of banks over the last twenty years including Barclays, Bayerische Landesbank, The Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ, Silicon Valley Bank and Gulf International Bank, leading teams of lawyers advising various businesses. When still working in private practice, Toby specialised in corporate finance and structuring.

Harvey Bootland

Head of Controls, Shell International Ltd

Harvey is Group Head of Controls at Shell. As such he is responsible on behalf of the Group Controller for providing oversight of and guidance on Shell’s Financial Control Framework, including the annual Sarbanes Oxley attestation. His previous experience includes a variety of financial control and business finance within Shell as well as external audit experience with Ernst & Young. He is a Chartered Accountant and based in the UK.

Chief Audit Executive, Banco Santander London Branch

Head of Internal Audit Santander CIB UK, as such I’m responsible of designing and developing the annual audit plan covering all risks of the investment banking activities in the UK. With more that 17 years of experience in banking, I’m passionate about the innovation and evolution of banking on different ranges such as ESG or digital era.

Head of Sustainability, Culture and Talent, Deutsche Bank Technology

Jennifer Courant leads the Sustainability, Culture & Talent Team within Deutsche Bank’s Technology, Data and Innovation (TDI) division to focus on delivering the bank’s ESG strategy, evolving the bank’s ways of working, and developing and engaging the bank’s employees. Prior to this, Jennifer was the Group Chief Data Officer, accountable for driving expert management and use of Data assets across the bank. Based in New York, Jennifer also performs the role of Americas Head of TDI which includes interfacing with the bank’s US regulators and providing oversight of regional technology delivery and management.

Head of Enterprise and Operational Risk, Nationwide Building Society

Ben is a Chartered Accountant who has worked in risk and control disciplines within large Financial Services businesses for almost 25 years. Roles have spanned the three lines of defence, as well as several years as an external reviewer. His current role is at Nationwide, where he has spent the last 9 years – with responsibilities centred around setting the risk framework; overseeing its application; and reporting on risk insights.

Head of GRC, Swedish Road Administration

Peter Funck joined the internal audit team of ABB, a global enterprise in automation technologies, in 1998. Peter served as Head of Group IT Audit until 2004 when he was recruited as Chief Audit Executive (CAE) of the Swedish Road Administration. He was promoted CFO of the authority in 2007. When the new Swedish Transport Administration (STA) was established in 2010, Peter decided to enter internal audit again as CAE. The STA is responsible for the planning, construction, operation and maintenance of the Swedish state roads and railways. In October 2020, Peter was offered the role as Head of Governance, Risk & Compliance of the STA, a challenge too tempting to reject. In this role, he helps the STA strengthen the GRC areas by developing and implementing a new department responsible for management and coordination of the second line activities as well as general governance and risk frameworks.

Chief Execution Leader - Group Risk Change Management, Nordea

25+ years experience within the banking industry.

Majority spent within project and programme management and application implementation.

Latest 8 years within non-financial risk management

UK Compliance Director, American Express

Regulatory Compliance professional with 20 years’ experience in the UK financial services & payments sector specialising in Regulatory Compliance, specifically Consumer Duty, Consumer Credit, Payments Regulation, and ESG. Also has a background in Business Ethics, having obtained a Ph.D. in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and at the University of Sussex.

Leader - Operational Risk Framework and Systems, Nationwide Building Society

Responsibilities include being accountable for the setting of the Enterprise Risk Management framework -currently driving a simplification programme. Owning, developing and maintaining the Societies’ Risk system

Sarah is an experienced senior leader and risk professional. She has over 20 years of financial services experience specialising in operational risk management, enterprise risk leadership, risk framework and system implementation.

Sarah has held roles in both the first and second line of defence implementing substantial change programmes which have driven efficiency and cultural change.

Manager Operational Risk, KBC Asset Management

-Degree in economics and mathematical modelling,

- Certified advanced operational risk manager

- More than 20 years track record in banking/investment business, last 10 years in Risk; - experience in different domains and managerial roles in banking, including Merchant banking, HR, Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions, Process management, Risk management, and different countries

- Now residing in Brussels, Belgium, working for the market leader in investments and wealth management

- Active member of ORX community, recently busy with selection and deployment of MetricStream solution in KBC Group (5 countries, 60k+ employees)

Michael Rasmussen

GRC Analyst & Pundit, GRC 20/20 Research

Michael Rasmussen is an internationally recognized pundit on governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC) – with specific expertise on the topics of enterprise GRC, GRC technology, corporate compliance, and policy management. With 27+ years of experience, Michael helps organizations improve GRC processes, design and implement GRC architecture, and select technologies that are effective, efficient, and agile. He is a sought-after keynote speaker, author, and advisor and is noted as the “Father of GRC” — being the first to define and model the GRC market in February 2002 while at Forrester.

Michael has contributed to U.S. Congressional reports and committees, and currently serves on the Leadership Council of the OCEG and chairs the OCEG Technology Council, OCEG Policy Management Group, and the OCEG GRC Architect Group.

Michael is quoted extensively in the press and is respected for his commentary on broadcast news channels. He is an Honorary Life Member in The Institute of Risk Management for his contributions to risk management and GRC. In June 2007, Treasury & Risk recognized Michael as one of the 100 most influential people in finance with specific accolades noting his work in “Governance and Compliance: Saving the Planet and the Corporation” and as a “Rising Star in Rocky Times: Corporate America’s Outstanding Executives.”

Prior to founding GRC 20/20 Research, Michael was a Vice-President and ‘Top Analyst’ at Forrester Research, Inc. Before Forrester, he led the risk/compliance consulting practice at a professional services firm, and prior to that has specific experience managing compliance and risk within commercial organizations.

Michael’s educational experience consists of a Juris Doctorate in law and a Bachelor of Science in Business. Michael is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School with a research focus in ethics and church history. He is a GRCP (GRC Professional), CCEP (Certified Compliance and Ethic Professional), and a CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional). OCEG has recognized him as an OCEG Fellow for his contributions and advancement of GRC practices around the world.

Chief Risk & Compliance Officer, GIB Asset Management

Sophie is the Chief Risk and Compliance Officer of Gulf International Bank (UK) Limited. She is responsible for driving an effective risk culture throughout the company, designing the risk and compliance frameworks and overseeing risk management and regulatory compliance practices. Sophie joined GIB (UK) with extensive experience in the field, having previously served as Executive Director for Compliance and Operational Risk Control at UBS Asset Management. Before this, she was the Global Head of Operational Organisational Risk at Barings and non-Executive Director of the Baring-Coller Secondaries Fund. Sophie was also an Operational Risk Manager and the Group Head of Investment Risk Framework at Schroders. Sophie graduated from Université Lumière Lyon 2 with a Master’s degree in Economics and Finance. She is a member of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment, a fellow of the Climate Safe Lending Network and a Trustee of First Light South West, a charity supporting people affected by sexual violence and domestic abuse.

Chief Audit Executive, Eurobank S.A.

Despina Andreadou is for the last 25 years the Group Chief Audit Executive of Eurobank S.A, a European banking organization, offering universal banking across four countries. Being one of the four Systemic banks in Greece, Eurobank has a strong presence in Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus and offers Wealth Management services in Luxembourg and London. Despina is leading the Internal Audit Group General Division of nearly 120 professionals across Eurobank group, including Greek and foreign subsidiaries since 1998. Previously, she served for eight years in the Audit and Business Advisory Services division of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Greece. Prior to joining PwC, Despina qualified in the audit department of Ernst & Young in Manchester, UK. Despina was instrumental in introducing best-practice tools and introduced the ACCA professional qualification in Greece.

Head of ORM - Asset Management, Phoenix Group

Fazal is the Head of ORM – Asset Management at Phoenix Group. He has 15+ yrs of financial services industry experience working across leaders in banking and Insurance domains specializing in capital markets businesses. Focused on supporting 1st line functions in making sound business decisions on a risk adjusted basis is a key motivation for success.

Head of Books & Records Audit, Bilfinger SE

I have been professionally active in the areas of auditing, controlling and compliance on a multi-national level for the last 23 years. In my current role as Head of Books and Records Audit at Bilfinger SE, as well as my additional previous role Interim Head of Investigations, I have effectively conducted anti-corruption audits around the world identifying key areas of corruption and fraud while achieving exceptional results.

Group Head of Internal Audit & Risk, British Standards Institution (BSI)

Sahil leads the Internal Audit & Risk function at the British Standards Institution (BSI), the UK’s National Standards Body. He holds a Non-Executive Director (NED) appointment as a Board Trustee of the Chartered Accountants Benevolent Association (CABA). A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) he is also a two-time winner of the Institute of Internal Auditors’ audit and risk award for ‘Outstanding Team – Private Sector’ (2019 and 2024). Sahil has proven experience in creating and developing value adding risk and assurance functions in both a listed and non-listed environment. He has extensive international experience working across cultures and has held leadership roles in London and Singapore working closely alongside Board members and Audit Committees.

Head of Risk & Compliance, Mediolanum International Funds

Senior Manager, Compliance System & Solutions, PETRONAS

Nael Kamil Nor Hisham is a distinguished professional renowned for his leadership in crafting and implementing compliance strategies at PETRONAS. In his role as the Senior Manager of Compliance Strategy & Planning, Nael oversees the comprehensive compliance framework that governs PETRONAS' adherence to critical legal areas, including Ethics & Integrity, Data Privacy, Sanctions, Export Control, and Competition. His instrumental role extends beyond oversight, as Nael strategically shapes compliance systems and infrastructure at PETRONAS, ensuring the effective implementation of compliance programs.

Nael embarked on his journey with PETRONAS in 2019, and his impact has been substantial. He excels in formulating compliance strategies, blueprints, and plans that guide PETRONAS in executing compliance activities effectively. His leadership ensures that PETRONAS upholds its commitment to legal standards and ethical principles, fostering a culture of compliance and corporate integrity. A highly respected thought leader in the field of compliance and governance, Nael brings valuable insights and a practical approach to complex compliance matters. He combines his passion for compliance with a deep understanding of business operations to help organizations excel in today's intricate regulatory landscape.

Nael's diverse professional journey encompasses roles in business development, project management, and strategic planning across various industries. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Actuarial Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Universiti Teknologi MARA. His education, combined with numerous certifications and training programs, underscores his commitment to continuous learning and professional growth.

Neil Currie

Product – Integration and RegData, CUBE

Neil Currie is Head of Product – Integration and RegData for CUBE. Prior to joining CUBE he worked as Head of Data in one of the UK’s leading risk consultancies where he was seconded to a tier one bank responsible for the solution architecture and integration of CUBE into their Governance, Risk and Control systems. Neil has over 15 years’ experience in technology integration.

Executive Chairman, MetricStream

Gunjan Sinha is a visionary, entrepreneur, and business leader. He currently serves as the founder and executive chairman of MetricStream. He is probably still best known as the founder of WhoWhere?- an internet search engine which he sold to Lycos in 1998. He is also the co-founder and board member of the customer engagement software company, eGain (NASDAQ: EGAN). Throughout his career, he has been an active investor and board member in numerous successful Silicon Valley start-ups and venture funds.

Gunjan is a strong believer in social entrepreneurship, having helped create Child Family Health International, a United Nations recognized public non-profit, to transform global health education. From 2010 to 2017, Gunjan became the founding board member of the US India Endowment Board - started by the US State Department along with the Office of Science and Technology at the White House – an endowment fund that supports innovation and commercialisation of science and technology for social good in the US and India.

Gunjan is passionate about social innovation, diversity, inclusiveness, and global risk management. He envisions a world that brings the power of socially conscious innovations to better disrupt its risks, and create opportunities for all.

CEO and Co-Founder, MetricStream

Gaurav Kapoor serves as the CEO and Co-Founder, MetricStream Solutions & Services. Gaurav has been involved with the company since its inception and is responsible for strategy, marketing, solutions, and customer engagement. He also served as the CFO of MetricStream until 2010.

Previously, Gaurav held executive positions at OpenGrowth and ArcadiaOne. Prior, he spent several years in business, marketing and operations roles at Citibank in Asia and in the US.

He also serves on the board of Regalix, a digital innovation and marketing company. Gaurav has a bachelor's degree in Technology (with Honors) from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), a degree in Business from FMS, Delhi, and an MBA from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated as a Palmer Scholar.