Director, Governance Advisory, Risk & Regulatory Financial Services

Description

Director, Governance Advisory

Risk & Regulatory Advisory Services

Alvarez & Marsal

Alvarez & Marsal (“A&M”) is a global consulting firm with more than $2+ billion in revenues, c.7,500 staff and over 70 offices world-wide.  We offer a broad range of professional services including Restructuring, Transaction Advisory, Performance Improvement, Corporate Transformation, Financial Institutions Advisory, Tax, Valuations, and Disputes and Investigation Services. 

 At A&M, we believe in the power of diverse teaming to solve complex problems, create value and drive change for our clients. We are a global market leader, and we are differentiated as a firm by our professionals’ unique, varied backgrounds that allow us to serve our clients across the globe with both a practical and innovative approach.

A&M FSI works with leading Financial Services Institutions across Europe and our expertise revolves around three core areas: Performance Improvement, Portfolio Advisory Group and Risk & Regulatory Advisory. We work with clients across the financial services space and focus on banks, private equity investors, regulatory authorities, insurers, wealth and asset managers and other specialised Financial Services firms.

Through our FSI practice, we provide assistance to financial institutions that are underperforming or in need of a remediation, reorganisation or restructuring, helping clients navigate through complex and unique challenges that require thoughtful, tailored solutions. Drawing on extensive expertise in risk and regulatory, our team of senior ex-regulators and industry practitioners provide practical and credible strategies to adapt to a complex regulatory landscape where decisions are based on judgment rather than rules.

Within our growing and highly regarded FSI team, an opportunity exists for a Risk & Regulatory Director with a successful track record of leading Governance engagements including Board Effectiveness reviews, S166 reporting, SMF interview preparation, regulatory due diligence and governance-related remediation exercises and a network across the financial services community. 

Supported by the European FSI teams, you will help build the profile and reputation of A&M in the identification of Risk & Regulatory opportunities within Financial Services. You will reflect the operational distinctiveness that is A&M; a business savvy, solution-focused business entrepreneur who is determined to make a difference and not afraid to challenge the status-quo.

Key Responsibilities;

The successful candidate will be at the heart of delivering governance services to financial institutions, where the regulatory perspective is central to a business-critical judgement. They will be actively involved in developing business and an integrated part of the Risk & Regulatory team. They will need to be proactive in developing expertise in PRA and FCA governance expectations for a wide-range of business models and sizes and proactively build networks with clients, professionals, regulators and wider A&M business units.

Example of client-related activities include;

• Governance engagements, including Board effectiveness reviews, interviewing senior stakeholders, drafting findings and delivering on budget
• Interpretations of regulations and the creation of clear and meaningful presentations including issues such as the impact on strategy, revenue streams or wider business issues
• Leading and delivering on projects & becoming the key point of contact & a trusted advisor
• Proactively identifying client needs & solutions
• Benchmarking the implementation of governance requirements against peers and industry best practice

Example of business development activities include;

• Builds own network of contacts, referral sources with clients, professionals and regulators and proactively promotes A&M’s offerings to the marketplace
• Develops internal networks with wider A&M financial services practices including financial/ operational and tax diligence teams, restructuring, disputes & investigations and performance improvement teams and foster a sense of engagement with colleagues
• Prepares quality proposals and develops and leads pitches, where they can articulate their role in delivering the engagement, including ways of working with the client
• Applies knowledge and experience of sector/subject matter in preparation of regulatory-insightful marketing and proposal materials
• Responsible for coaching and personally developing a team

Requirements

• Experience delivering governance engagements
• Established knowledge and experience of the financial services sector is essential, particularly in relation to UK governance expectations for PRA and FCA-regulated firms.  This experience may have been gained in a variety of roles including financial institutions, a consultancy or regulatory body
• A high-grade degree qualification from a top tier university
• Mix of hard and soft skills, drive and leadership, ability to generate impact, assertiveness
• Strong project management capabilities, stakeholder management skills at senior levels
• Strong ability to conceptualize, summarize, and provide key messages to clients and/or senior levels
• Strong managerial skills, with ability to distribute workload among team members
• English language skills are essential (both written and spoken) along with excellent writing skills, Excel and presentation PowerPoint skills
• Willingness to travel internationally

Desirable:

• Hands-on experience working closely with or directly within a regulator such as PRA /FCA in supervision or authorisations/Change in Control teams or an EU equivalent or a consulting firm
• Knowledge of recent or pending UK and EU regulatory initiatives
• Additional qualification levels (such as MSc or MBA)
• Additional European languages are desirable
• EU citizenship or right to work in the EU

To deliver on these responsibilities effectively, you will need to:

• Be an action-oriented self-starter with strong analytical skills and entrepreneurial flair, in line with the A&M culture and values
• Be proactive in developing and utilising networks of clients, professionals and regulators
• Be comfortable working independently as well as in a high performing team
• Have a strong background in the regulation of financial services, and an appetite to expand your knowledge and expertise further
• Keep constantly on top of regulatory priorities and changes, and advise clients accordingly
• Be comfortable and credible in working closely with senior stakeholders in the client’s business and with professionals from leading financial institutions.
• Eager to grow and develop the Risk & Regulatory practice, alongside senior management, developing forward-looking strategies and be involved in recruitment and upskilling of juniors

Diversity & Inclusion

A&M’s entrepreneurial culture celebrates independent thinkers and doers who can positively impact our clients and shape our industry. The collaborative environment and engaging work—guided by A&M’s core values of Integrity, Quality, Objectivity, Fun, Personal Reward, and Inclusive Diversity—are the main reasons our people love working at A&M. Inclusive Diversity means we embrace diversity, and we foster inclusiveness, encouraging everyone to bring their whole self to work each day. It runs through how we recruit, develop employees, conduct business, support clients, and partner with vendors. It is the A&M way.

Voluntary Inclusion

It is Alvarez & Marsal’s practice to provide and promote equal opportunity in employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, pregnancy, marital status, family status, religion, national origin, age or disability or any other non-merit based factor or any other characteristics in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Unsolicited Resumes from Third-Party Recruiters

Please note that as per A&M policy, we do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters unless such recruiters are engaged to provide candidates for a specified opening and in alignment with our Inclusive Diversity values. Any employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume does so with the understanding that A&M will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion without any fee owed to the submitting employment agency, person or entity.