AFB Annual Regulatory Conference 2025

Registration for the AFB Annual Regulatory Conference is now open. This year’s conference will be hosted by A&O Shearman and sponsored by ALMIS International, Focusync and Whistlebrook.

The conference will focus on the following:

Regulating for Growth: How can the UK’s regulatory approach support growth, with insights from the FCA and HMT
Changes to the Senior Managers Regime: An examination of the impact on international banks
Broader Regulatory Challenges for International Banks: Analysis of the different regulatory approaches in the UK, EU, and U.S.
Geopolitical Risks: Panel discussion on the geopolitical landscape for international banks and financial markets, covering topics such as international trade, tariffs, global law enforcement, and China/US relations
The UK as a Green Finance Hub: This session will focus on whether and how the UK can maintain its position as a world leading centre for green and sustainable finance

Who should attend?

Representatives from AFB members with an interest in ongoing changes to the international regulatory and political environment and the development of financial services regulation.

There is no additional fee for AFB members to attend this conference – book your place now. Note that due to space limitation capacity for the event will be limited to 5 people per member bank.

The current outline of the conference programme is below. Further speakers, including AFB member firm representatives will be announced in due course. Updates will be included as confirmed:

Time	Session	Speakers
08:30	Registration, breakfast & networking
09:00	Welcome & introduction	Giles French – CEO, Association of Foreign Banks Sarah Hitchins – Partner, A&O Shearman
09:10	Keynote speech + Q&A	Lord Forsyth of Drumlean – Chair, House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee
09:40	Panel Discussion: Regulating for growth – How can the UK’s ‘smart regulation’ contribute to its growth ambitions?	Chair: Rob Moulton – Partner, Latham & Watkins Panellists: Graeme Reynolds – Director of Competition, Financial Conduct Authority Rohan Lee – Deputy Director, International Policy & Partnerships, Financial Services Group, HMT Louise Li – Head of International Regulatory Relations, Wells Fargo John Godfrey – Managing Director, Public Affairs, Policy and Research, TheCityUK
10:30	Break
11:05	Panel Discussion: The UK’s future as a green finance hub	Chair: Matthew Townsend – Partner, Co-Head of Environmental and Climate Law Group, A&O Shearman Panellists: Bobby Charalambous – Climate Risk Director, Group Regulatory Compliance and Policy, ANZ Vanessa Harvard Williams – Chair, Export Guarantees Advisory Council Other speakers TBC
12:00	Panel Discussion: Trends and challenges for international banks due to differing approaches from US, UK, and EU policymakers and regulators	Chair: Lisa Quest – Partner, Oliver Wyman Panellists: Alexandria Carr – Managing Director, UK Head of Financial Regulation, Societe Generale Bob Penn – Partner, A&O Shearman Edwin Schooling-Latter – Senior International Policy Adviser, Mizuho Nicolas Balcell – Director, Kreab
12:50	Lunch and networking
14:05	Panel Discussion: How are geopolitical risks impacting international banks and financial markets?	Chair: Rebecca Park – Managing Director, Global Counsel Other panellists TBC
14:55	Coffee Break
15:30	(Note: This panel will go ahead if the proposals are published in advance of the conference). Panel Discussion: Proposals for the Senior Managers Regime – The impact on third-country branches and subsidiaries of international banks	Chair: Sarah Hitchins – Partner, A&O Shearman Panellists: Marc Teasdale – Managing Director, A&O Shearman

Logistics

Fee: No fee, this event is included in AFB membership.

Venue: A&O Shearman, One Bishops Square, London E1 6AD. See here for directions.

Date: Thursday 15 May 2025

Time: 08:30 – 16:30 (registration and arrival 08:30 – 09:00. Lunch will be provided)

A conference programme with timings will be published in late April.

A&O Shearman

A&O Shearman transforms the way law is practiced, to deliver unparalleled results for our clients’ most complex matters – everywhere in the world. We’re a law firm at the forefront of the forces changing the current of global business. A&O Shearman’s finance team is renowned as one of the strongest and deepest in the world, with top-tier lawyers located in all the major markets. We have acted on many of the highest-profile financial services enforcement and litigation matters of recent years and are regularly called on by governments to help develop new regulatory frameworks. Fluent in U.S. law, English law, and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets in equal measure, we support our clients with bespoke teams of expert minds. On May 1, 2024, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling merged to become A&O Shearman.

Find out more on A&O Shearman website

ALMIS International

A trusted partner for forward-thinking banking institutions for over 35 years, ALMIS® International is the market leader in controlling financial risk, helping global banking institutions make insightful and timely management decisions. Our deep technical & regulatory expertise and understanding of balance sheet management, treasury, and prudential risk enable us to develop best-in-class software solutions. ALMIS® One, our SaaS-based, modular cloud platform provides an integrated solution for Regulatory Reporting, Asset and Liability Management, Treasury Management, and Hedge Accounting. Resulting in reduced costs, enhanced accuracy, improved risk optimisation, and a boost to profitability.

With over 100 Treasury management software implementation projects successfully delivered, ALMIS® knows what it takes to overcome challenges in highly regulated bank treasury tech environments. A Microsoft Azure partner, we offer enhanced scalability, flexibility, and resilience through our Cloud Hosting Services.

We work closely with our clients to understand and satisfy their specific needs, working together to transform the bank’s asset and liability management capabilities for today and the future.

Find out more on the ALMIS website

Focusync

Focusync is a provider of Regulatory Reporting solutions to the UK Banking community. We offer a full scope (Bank of England, PRA, FCA etc), end to end platform on cloud or on premise with a focus on quality of both product and projects (for which we have a 100% record for delivering on time and on budget).

Our reporting solution supports an integrated ‘No Touch’ workflow minimising operational risk, combined with innovations such as AI driven predictive liquidity to provide the most reliable, forward-looking solution possible.

In addition, we offer a range of additional solutions on the same platform, such as ALM, Stress Testing, Mobile App, to maximise the use of the regulatory data repository in the platform.

We are committed to providing robust, reliable tools that ensure precision, establish a solid basis for compliance while pioneering forward-thinking approaches to anticipate the evolving needs of the financial landscape – giving our clients the confidence to navigate regulatory challenges and embrace a future where efficiency meets foresight.

Find out more on the Focusync website

Whistlebrook

For over 25 years, Whistlebrook has been a trusted provider of integrated, data-driven software solutions for the financial services sector. Our integrated suite of software modules enable firms to efficiently manage their accounting, regulatory reporting, financial planning, and risk management challenges.

We work with a diverse range of financial institutions, including members of the Association of Foreign Banks and collaboration is at the heart of our approach. We partner closely with our clients to develop innovative software modules that adapt to the evolving requirements in the sector.

Whistlebrook’s mission-critical software is built to deliver accuracy and efficiency. Our integrated suite of modules, connected through a centralised database, ensures a data consistency, accuracy and confidence across all applications, helping firms streamline compliance and decision-making.

Whether you need a targeted solution for a specific reporting or compliance challenge or a fully integrated software suite that scales with your business, Whistlebrook has the expertise to support you.

Find out more on the Whistlebrook website