In this episode of RiskMasters, explore strategic risk, psychological safety, and AI’s role with expert Brenda Boultwood.

"I don’t think risk management is about compliance anymore. I think it’s about enabling a business and enabling a strategy." – Brenda Boultwood

In this CPD-accredited episode of RiskMasters, host Julien Haye welcomes Brenda Boultwood, a seasoned Chief Risk Officer (CRO), economist, board advisor, and tech executive, to explore the evolving nature of risk leadership across industries and geographies. Brenda brings a unique perspective from her work across finance, energy, academia, the IMF, and Silicon Valley.

Together, they explore what it takes to build strategic, future-ready risk frameworks that embrace uncertainty, promote psychological safety, and make space for innovation. Brenda reflects on the limitations of traditional models, the risks of ignoring cultural dynamics, and the transformative potential of AI in governance, risk, and compliance.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to like, follow, and leave a review! Your support helps us bring more thought-provoking conversations to the RiskMasters community.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by Brenda Boultwood in this episode are her own and do not reflect the official position of any institution or university with which she is affiliated.

In this edition of RiskMasters, you will learn:

🔹 Why Tone at the Top Is a Strategic Risk Lever
Brenda explains how leadership behaviour, especially during crises, shapes organizational resilience, cultural trust, and board engagement.

🔹 How to Create Psychological Safety for Better Risk Outcomes
Explore real-world examples of how safe, candid conversations improve governance and why fear-based cultures lead to paralysis, not protection.

🔹 AI and the Next Frontier of Risk Management
Discover how Brenda’s work in tech startups is shaping the future of risk intelligence, and what risk professionals need to understand about AI's capabilities and limitations.

More about Brenda Boultwood:

Brenda is a former risk executive and transformation leader with a career spanning global financial institutions, the U.S. Department of Energy, AI tech firms, and the International Monetary Fund. She serves as a board member, governance advisor, and mentor to the next generation of risk leaders. Brenda brings a data-driven, human-centred approach to strategy, cultural change, and innovation in the risk profession.

📌 Connect with Brenda Boultwood on LinkedIn for insights on risk leadership, AI, and strategic governance.

🎙 Tune in now to explore how today’s leaders can embed resilience and foresight into every layer of decision-making.

Related Articles:

• From Signals to Systems: Embedding Trust in Risk Governance
• Psychological Safety in Risk Management
• Leading Through Uncertainty: Decision-Making in a Nonlinear World
• The Quiet Risk in Your Risk Function: Leadership Blind Spots

🎓 Download your CPD Certificate:
Link: ⁠https://thecpd.group/podcast/
Accreditation number: #800123

Join us in RiskMasters to delve into risk culture and people risk quantifications with Horst Simon.

"Risk management is not about colors and matrices. It's about people." – Horst Simon

In this CPD-accredited episode of RiskMasters, host Julien Haye welcomes Horst Simon, veteran risk management expert and pioneer of people risk and risk culture. Drawing from decades of experience across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, Horst shares his journey, his challenges to outdated risk practices, and his vision for the future of risk management.

As organisations face an unpredictable world shaped by interconnected threats and rapid change, Horst argues that the real competitive advantage lies not in more controls or more reports — but in empowering every employee to be a risk manager.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to like, follow, and leave a review! Your feedback helps us bring more thought-provoking insights from industry leaders.

In this edition of RiskMasters, you will learn:

🔹 Why Risk Culture Starts with People, Not Policies: Horst shares how true risk resilience depends on embedding risk thinking into every employee’s mindset — and why outdated models like the Three Lines of Defense miss this opportunity.

🔹 How to Rethink Leadership, Reporting, and Risk Strategy: Discover why boards must stop relying on sanitized historic reports, how to measure risk culture maturity meaningfully, and why leadership must move from control to empowerment.

🔹 The Future of Risk Management in an Unpredictable World: Explore the biggest emerging risks for 2025 — including cyber threats, social cohesion risks, and the misuse of AI — and how cross-cultural awareness and proactive risk intelligence will define future success.

More about Horst Simon:

Horst Simon is a recognized global expert in risk culture, operational risk, and people risk. With experience across continents and industries, Horst is the founder of Risk Culture Builders, a network dedicated to helping organizations embed effective, sustainable risk cultures. His non-conformist and practical approach challenges outdated thinking and redefines how organizations should approach risk in a fast-changing world.

📌 Connect with Horst Simon on LinkedIn for insights into risk culture, leadership, and future-proofing risk management.

🎙 Tune in now to learn how you can future-proof your organization by embedding risk thinking into every layer of the business.

Discover related risk management topics:

• Embracing a Dynamic Risk Culture
• Embedding Psychological Safety into Risk Management
• Leading Through Uncertainty: Risk and Decision-Making in a Nonlinear World
• Beyond Checklists: The Human Factor in Risk Management

Download your CPD Certificate:

Link: ⁠ https://thecpd.group/podcast/

Accreditation number: #800117

Join us to learn about strategic foresight and its application in risk management with expert Roger Spitz.

"In a world of deep uncertainty, the ability to adapt is more important than the ability to predict." – Roger Spitz

In this CPD episode of RiskMasters, host Julien Haye continues his conversation with Roger Spitz, global foresight expert and founder of Techistential and the Disruptive Futures Institute.

Building on Part 1, Roger delves deeper into the practical application of foresight in risk management, covering how organisations can integrate scenario planning, anticipate systemic risks, and build resilience against unpredictable disruptions.

In this edition of RiskMasters, you will learn:

• The Limits of Traditional Scenario Planning: Why conventional risk models fail in deep uncertainty and how organisations can develop a more adaptive approach.

• Foresight-Driven Decision-Making: How risk leaders can integrate foresight methodologies to navigate complexity and enhance strategic planning.

• Asymmetry and Uninsurable Risks: The impact of asymmetric risks, why some disruptions cannot be insured, and how leaders can build resilience in unpredictable environments.

• Beyond Resilience – Embracing Anti-Fragility: The critical distinction between fragility, resilience, and anti-fragility—and how organisations can thrive under systemic disruption.

• Leadership and Governance in an Uncertain World: Practical strategies for embedding foresight into risk culture, governance frameworks, and executive decision-making.

More about Roger Spitz

Roger is a leading authority on strategic foresight, systemic disruption, and complexity. As President of Techistential, he advises executives and boards on navigating uncertainty. He is also the author of Disrupt with Impact: Achieve Business Success in an Unpredictable World.

Listen to the full episode on your player of choice:

⁠RiskMasters with Roger Spitz on Apple Podcast⁠

⁠RiskMasters with Roger Spitz on Spotify⁠

⁠RiskMasters with Roger Spitz on Amazon Music⁠

Find out more about Roger Spitz:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerspitz/

Discover related risk management topics and RiskMasters podcasts:

Building Operational Resilience

How to Scope an Emerging Risk Framework

How to Identify and Manage Emerging Risks?

Download your CPD Certificate:

Link: ⁠https://thecpd.group/podcast⁠

Accreditation number: #800056

“Conduct beats controls every day. Fix the culture, and the controls will follow.” – Toby Billington

In this CPD episode of RiskMasters, host Julien Haye welcomes Toby Billington, a seasoned risk and compliance expert with extensive experience in conduct frameworks, risk culture, and behavioural science in financial services.

From his early days as a lawyer to senior executive roles in compliance and first-line risk management at Barclays, Deutsche Bank, and HSBC, Toby shares his perspectives on leadership, compliance frameworks, and how to build effective risk cultures.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to like, follow, and leave a review! Your feedback helps us bring more thought-provoking content and insights from industry leaders.

In this edition of RiskMasters, you will learn:

• Career Shifts and Lessons Learned: Toby reflects on his transition from legal advisory to conduct and risk culture, highlighting pivotal career moments that shaped his expertise and his focus on behavioural science.

• Authentic Leadership and Cultural Change: Toby emphasizes the importance of authentic leadership in driving cultural transformation. He discusses the challenges of aligning tone from the top with actual behaviours and provides practical steps to ensure leadership walks the talk.

• The Role of First and Second Lines of Defence: Toby critiques the traditional three-lines-of-defence model, proposing greater collaboration between first and second lines to reduce duplication, enhance accountability, and streamline risk oversight.

• The Power of Storytelling in Risk Communication: Toby highlights the value of narrative-driven risk reporting to engage senior leadership and move beyond data-heavy, technical discussions.

• Emerging Risks in Financial Crime and Cybersecurity: With advances in AI and quantum computing, Toby outlines the evolving threats in financial crime and cybersecurity. He stresses the importance of staying ahead of these risks through innovation, vigilance, and behavioural psychology.

More about Toby Billington:

Toby Billington is a highly respected compliance and risk management leader with a career spanning top financial institutions such as Barclays, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, and Citi. Recognized for pioneering conduct frameworks and promoting ethical behaviour in financial services, Toby’s work integrates behavioural science into risk management strategies.

Connect with Toby on LinkedIn to explore more about compliance, risk culture, and leadership in financial services.

Tune in to this episode for an in-depth discussion on improving risk culture, redefining compliance frameworks, and managing emerging threats.

Find out more about Toby Billington:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/toby-billington-0646b89/

Discover related risk management topics:

How to Establish a Sustainable and Sound Approach to Regulatory Compliance

Ethical Compliance Management

Understanding and Overcoming the Risks of Cultural Silos: Building a Collaborative and Inclusive Workplace

FCA CP23/20 Consultation: Diversity and Inclusion in Financial Services

Download your CPD Certificate:

Link: ⁠https://thecpd.group/podcast⁠

Accreditation number: #800043

"Plan for impact. Think about what amazing looks like and take steps every quarter to achieve it." – Marie Lauri

In this CPD episode of RiskMasters, host Julien Haye welcomes Marie Lauri, Deputy Chief Data Officer and Head of Data Risk and Controls at Deutsche Bank. With an impressive journey from microfinance to global data governance, Marie shares her insights on navigating challenges in data management, building resilient organisations, and leading with impact.

This discussion delves into how organisations can harness data as a strategic enabler for operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and innovation—all while fostering a culture of collaboration and psychological safety.

In this edition of RiskMasters, you will learn:

· Building Strategic Data Governance: How to align regulatory compliance, cost-saving initiatives, and innovation through robust data governance frameworks, including insights into navigating regulations like BCBS 239 and data residency laws.

· Balancing Innovation and Risk: The importance of embedding strong controls to enable advancements in AI and cloud migration while ensuring compliance, efficiency, and secure data access across complex systems.

· Empowering Leadership Through Networks and Literacy: Marie’s approach to fostering data literacy across organisations and her initiatives to build support networks for female leaders, highlighting the value of diverse perspectives in driving organisational success.

More about Marie Lauri:
Marie Lauri is a seasoned executive specialising in audit, risk management, and data governance. As Head of Data Risks and Controls and Regional Data Officer at Deutsche Bank, she has driven key initiatives in data management, regulatory compliance, and infrastructure modernisation.

With a PhD in applied econometrics and certifications in risk management and audit, Marie combines technical expertise with leadership experience. Beyond her corporate role, she advises Synthetized, an AI fintech, and is a prominent speaker on data transformation and AI adoption. Her passion for finance began through microfinance projects supporting women in developing countries.

Connect with Marie on LinkedIn to explore her insights on gender equity, data risk management, and leadership in financial services.

Tune in to this episode for an in-depth discussion on strategic data governance, balancing innovation with risk management, and fostering data literacy to address the evolving challenges of today’s data-driven financial landscape.

Read the podcast notes and summary article:

https://www.aevitium.com/post/interview-with-marie-lauri-on-riskmasters

Find out more about Marie Lauri:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-lauri-a4b8bb21/

Discover related risk management topics:

Effective Strategies for Managing Risks in AI-Driven Business Decision-Making

Responsible Innovation and Development of Artificial Intelligence in Finance

Download your CPD Certificate:

Link: ⁠https://thecpd.group/podcast⁠

Accreditation number: 800042