AFB Practice Workshop: Navigating Cultural Differences in International Banks

AFB, in partnership with HKA, invites members to an interactive workshop exploring how cultural friction can impact compliance outcomes. Designed specifically for AFB member banks, this session brings to life the real‑world cultural challenges international banks face in meeting UK regulatory expectations.

Participants will examine the tensions that arise when organisational and domestic cultural norms, particularly those that are rules‑driven, intersect with the UK’s regulatory expectations around accountability, proportionate judgement, and principles‑based regulation.

The workshop will demonstrate how cultural misunderstandings can:

• Create compliance blind spots
• Weaken escalation pathways
• Undermine internal challenge and accountability
• Heighten supervisory concern

Through case studies, group discussion, and scenario‑based exercises, HKA experts will explore with you how international banks can transform cultural friction into constructive energy by developing practical and sustainable approaches that strengthen compliance behaviours across diverse, cross‑border teams. The session will also consider how to support clearer communications where language barriers or differing cultural styles may pose additional challenges.

Why Attend?

• Understand how UK regulators interpret and respond to cultural misalignment
• Learn how to embed proportionate, judgement‑led regulatory decision‑making
• Strengthen “speak‑up” culture, escalation pathways, and internal challenge
• Apply practical techniques to support cultural alignment in international teams

Who Should Attend?

This workshop is designed for those responsible for managing culture, conduct, and regulatory risk across AFB member banks. It will be particularly valuable for:

• Senior Managers
• MLROs
• Heads of Compliance, Risk and Legal
• Culture and Conduct Leads

Speaker biographies

Priya Giuliani is a Partner in HKA’s Investigations & Compliance practice with nearly 30 years of experience working with international banks, regulators, and law enforcement on financial crime risk management, governance, conduct and culture. She has extensive Skilled Person experience under the FCA’s s166 framework and deep insight into how cultural misalignment, weak escalation pathways and hierarchical norms can create compliance blind spots, the core themes explored in this workshop.

Priya is a recognised thought leader on organisational culture, behavioural science and the link between human behaviour and regulatory outcomes. She recently authored Culture Isn’t a Patch, It’s the Platform, which highlights culture as the “invisible operating system” of organisations, and she regularly speaks at industry conferences on how behavioural science can transform compliance and strengthen cultural integrity.

Noémi Klein is a Director in HKA’s Investigations & Compliance team, bringing more than a decade of experience in financial crime risk management, compliance and investigations across global banks, consulting firms and regulatory environments. Her work includes Skilled Person Reviews, business‑wide risk assessments, target operating model transformations, and large‑scale remediation programmes for major international financial institutions.

Noémi’s career includes roles at international financial institutions including ING, Standard Chartered, Citibank and MoneyGram, where she has worked across Europe, Asia, the US and the Middle East. She regularly contributes to industry dialogue through speaking engagements, moderating workshops, and authoring thought leadership.

Please note you will receive confirmation of your booking via email within 24 hours. Should you not receive confirmation, please contact AFB to double-check if your booking was successful.

Logistics

Fee:         £275 + VAT

Format:    In-person at HKA Global, 100 Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0DH

Date:        Tuesday 12 May 2026

Time:        09:00 – 11:00 (arrivals and breakfast from 08:30)

Places:     Maximum of 20 members

If you would like to submit a question or have any specific areas that you would like the session to address, please send them to AFB at secretariat@foreignbanks.org.uk

You will receive details on how to join this session a week before the event.

You will only be deemed to have attended (for CPD points) if you have made yourself known at registration and attend 50% or more of the session.

Please note that the cost charged for this event is payable to AFB. HKA Global is not charging AFB or members for hosting this event.  The delegate fees received for this workshop are invested in the ongoing running and administration of AFB.