AFB Practice Roundtable: How to Approach AI Risk Management

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping financial services, moving from traditional analytics to generative and agentic capabilities. While AI offers significant opportunities to enhance efficiency, accuracy and customer experience, it also introduces new risks across operational, conduct, prudential, data and security domains.

In response, regulatory expectations are evolving. The PRA and FCA are sharpening their focus on governance, controls, accountability, and firms’ ability to evidence safe and responsible AI adoption. As regulators begin using AI themselves, supervisory scrutiny and data expectations are also likely to change.

This practice roundtable, in partnership with Forvis Mazars, will explore the following topics:

• AI is already embedded in financial services: Are governance, controls and accountability keeping pace?
• AI creates new risks, as well as amplifying existing ones:  What are implications for security, model, operational, conduct and data risks?
• Regulatory expectations from the PRA and the FCA:
• What good AI governance looks like in practice, including documentation, oversight, and SMF accountability
• How the regulators’ own use of AI may change supervision and data expectations
• Practical steps for execution: How to get started with an AI risk management framework
• Turning theory into reality: Lessons learned from implementing AI tools such as Copilot, including what works and pitfalls to avoid

Why attend?

AI adoption is accelerating, and regulatory expectations are evolving just as quickly. This discussion will provide members with:

• The regulators’ evolving approach to AI risk management and the direction of supervisory expectations.
• Areas where firms are experiencing increased regulatory focus or challenge in relation to AI.
• Different approaches to AI governance currently being taken across the market.
• The interaction between AI and existing risk disciplines, including operational, conduct, cyber, prudential and data risk.
• Common challenges, emerging practices and areas of divergence observed across firms.
• An opportunity to exchange perspectives with peers facing similar strategic, governance and risk considerations.

Who should attend?
The roundtable will be particularly valuable for:

• CROs, COO and CTOs.
• Heads of Enterprise Risk, Operational Risk, Model Risk and IT Risk.
• CDOs, Heads of Data and Heads of AI / Innovation.
• Heads of Compliance, SMF role holders with technology or operational accountability

AFB will circulate an agenda and series of questions to attendees in advance which will be used to aid discussions. 
The Chatham House Rule will apply to this event to encourage open dialogue and discussion.

There will be breakfast and networking from 08:30 before the roundtable discussion commences at 09:00 and afterwards from 10:30.

Please note there will be a limit of one representative from each AFB member to allow a wider range of firms to attend and benefit from the discussion.

Facilitators

Huseyin Sahin, Partner
Head of the Banking Risk Consulting team with 21 years’ experience in FS consulting and advisory. Huseyin advises boards and senior management on governance, regulatory compliance and risk management. His experience includes SREP preparation, skilled person reviews, governance and risk remediation programmes, prudential compliance (ICAAP, ILAAP, ICARA), and SMCR advisory.

Sofia Ihsan, Director

Sofia is the AI Consulting Leader at Forvis Mazars, where she helps organisations unlock the full potential of AI through responsible, strategic innovation. She leads the firm’s AI consulting services across markets and plays a major internal role in shaping Forvis Mazars’ own AI-enabled transformation.
Sofia works closely with senior stakeholders across FTSE 100, FTSE 250 and private companies to build confidence and maximise the return on investment of AI-driven change. She is a published thought leader and a frequent speaker at industry events, contributing to international dialogue with academics, regulators, and government bodies on ethical and effective AI adoption.

Breda Griffin, Director

Breda is a Director in Forvis Mazars’ Financial Services Consulting practice, with over 13 years’ experience in banking and risk management. Prior to joining the firm, she worked within a UK bank, where she led the development and implementation of regulatory risk management requirements, including policies, procedures and risk appetite, supporting the bank’s alignment with regulatory expectations.

Breda also spent 12 years working in the wholesale commodities markets in London and Paris, including roles as an Intraday and Power Trader. During this time, she was involved in initiatives to improve trading efficiency and strengthen operational controls across European power markets, aligning commercial activity with risk appetite and governance standards.

Oliver Philips, Associate Director

Oliver has 15 years of experience in financial services and regulation. Prior to joining Forvis Mazars, he spent five years as a supervisor at the PRA overseeing international investment banks, leading SREPs, recovery and resolution assessments, and risk remediation programmes. His industry background includes liquidity, capital, regulatory affairs, data ethics and climate risk.

Logistics 

Fee:            Included in AFB membership  
Format :     In-person at Forvis Mazars, 9 floor, 30 Old Bailey, London EC4M 7AU
Date:          Thursday 7 May 2026
Time:          9:00-10:30 (Arrivals and breakfast from 08:30)

If you would like to submit a question before or have any specific areas that you would like the session to address, please send them to the AFB at secretariat@foreignbanks.org.uk You will receive details on how to join the session one week before the event.