AFB Practice Workshop: How to Translate Risk Appetite into Organisational Behaviour and Decision Making

How can firms ensure that risk appetite frameworks are more than just policy documents?  How can banks ensure that they influence decisions and outcomes?

This interactive workshop, delivered in partnership with FTI Consulting, will explore practical strategies for embedding risk appetite statements into governance, culture, and day-to-day operations, with a particular focus on financial crime and other non-financial risks.

Why attend?

Many firms have detailed risk appetite statements in place, but these are often poorly integrated into decision-making. Regulators are increasingly scrutinising whether statements are genuinely shaping conduct, control effectiveness, and escalation, particularly in high-risk areas like financial crime.

This workshop aims to provide participants with actionable insights on:

• Understanding what “good” looks like when embedding risk appetite frameworks into organisational behaviour
• Translating risk appetite into clear signals, tolerances, and controls across key non-financial risk areas (including financial crime, operational risk, conduct, and resilience)
• Addressing common pitfalls including poorly designed metrics, unrepresentative data, and governance blind spots
• Structuring an effective response to regulatory challenge (such as “Dear CEO” letters) using a risk appetite lens

Who should attend?

The session is designed to assist professionals from Risk, Legal and Compliance functions.

Speakers

Sam Haskins, Managing Director, Financial Services team

Sam specialises in governance, compliance, and risk transformation, supporting banks and financial institutions in responding to regulatory scrutiny and embedding robust non-financial risk frameworks. Sam has worked extensively with both UK and international banks on culture, conduct, and control enhancements.

Noémi Klein, Senior Director, Financial Services team

Noémi is a financial crime regulatory expert who helps clients to assess the impact of regulations, identify compliance blind spots, design and implement future fit anti-financial crime controls and operating models whilst building the clients’ internal capabilities. Noémi spent a decade in industry in Europe and Asia including working for Standard Chartered Bank and Citi.

Mike Walters, Senior Managing Director, Financial Services team

Mike helps clients navigate complex risk, financial crime, and regulatory compliance challenges, and transform their risk and compliance capabilities in the face of regulatory-driven change. Mike previously led the compliance function at Barclays, covering all compliance risks globally across Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, and Wealth Management. He has conducted numerous investigations and ensured appropriate redress was delivered to consumers to the satisfaction of regulators and Skilled Persons.

Logistics

Format:   In-person at FTI Consulting, 200 Aldersgate, Aldersgate Street, EC1A 4HD

Cost:        £265.00 + VAT

Date:       Wednesday 10 September 2025

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

Places:     Maximum of 30 people

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 the AFB at secretariat@foreignbanks.org.uk. You will receive final event details one week before the event.

Please note that the cost charged for this event is payable to the Association of Foreign Banks. FTI is not charging the AFB or Members for hosting this event.