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The @riskcoalition has a great set of free and low cost resources available inclusive free guidance for boards, BRCs and CROs at www.riskcoalition.org.uk/the-guidance 

Surprised not to see those resources listed here when they are provided by FS professional bodies and known to regulators. 

Hi Brett, while the article has emphasised the financial services experience on the CivilisedBank team, I can assure you that the technology and customer experience specialist skills are just as strong. For myself you'll know I co-authored 6 business books on these topics, 2 of which are unique works on CRM in FS on B2B and B2C. There is a challenge that the regulator is very insistent on banking skills for a bank board (Fintechs dont have the same pressure) and if you combine these with technologists & customer experience expertise the boards and management teams can become quite large - but there are ways to tackle this issue too. Plenty of challenges faced, but the proofs are getting much closer now!  

For more insights see how this story appears in CBC Canada press:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/harper-s-apology-means-the-world-arar-1.646481

Registration link didn't work for me on Chrome, IE or Firefox. Please replace.

Bank's systems portfolios have developed to be far too many, too complex and too separated to be affordable, manageable or reliable. There are often too many gaps between the business process and automation, also gaps between the systems themselves. This makes processes costly, innefficient and slow - simply 'broken'. Staff numbers can often be reduced as process and systems efficiency improves - just look at what has been achieved by the car industry using techniques that are transferable here.... But where was that incentive for banking before? 

When a report is referenced it would help if a direct link is also provided by the author, as we want to read the original report not only press comment. 

Download the 2014 crime survey here, with FS supplement:

http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/economic-crime-survey/downloads.jhtml

Certainly not the first web service / systems to collapse from volume peaks or other continuity issues - UCAS, also RBS are high profile examples. In FS business and systems continuity (as part of Op Risk) is now a topic that gets FCA and sometimes PRA attention too, especially for those businesses that might have an adverse effect on UK economy. Cybersecurity and DDOS are associated continuity risks of course. Risk planning and rapid response are certainly worth significant attention, perhaps 'cloud' can help too as a source of variable capacity? Anyone who bought RM early in the market will be smiling now of course....  

Hi Alex, good to see that you continue to comment on significant banking and advisory changes. In the last few weeks there seems to have been a substantial increase in announcements and debate related to the imminent implementation of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) regulatory compliance changes.

I've personally been involved through chairing an Edinburgh based dinner debate and by presenting alongside Prof. Merlin Stone at last weeks' FS Forum. In both cases the future role in the value chain of the banks, and bank branch based advisers, was raised by banks and insurers alike.

For more on this topic you might read and comment on our draft RDR commissions paper, which considers the impacts and unintended consequences of RDR on different sections of society, challenging whether information and advice could be better offered via supported self-service rather than through traditional and rather expensive face-to-face advisory processes.

This wont drive intermediaries or even workplace services out of the frame, but it is likely to change the balance of transactions substantially as it has done in other industry sectors - either through change by existing players or the entry of new players with new brands, cost structures and customer experience standards.

Constructive debate and feedback appreciated!

http://www.bryanfoss.com/Images/RDR%20paper%20Foss-Stone%20V4.pdf

Absolutely agree - this issue is about ethics and no amount of expensive (funded by the consumer it aims to protect) regulation will be enough to counter the effects of boards with objectives that are misaligned from their stakeholders (whether customers, investors, employees, suppliers, partners or regulators).

As an NED I have a responsibility to represent all these stakeholders at different times and the ethical challenge makes sense on the board and in leading and being a member of the key assurance committees (Audit, Risk, Nominations and Remuneration for example).

There is some excellent work being done in this area, but so far with insufficient impact on the big banks, or even on the government or FSA as regulator. Too many 'same olds' are moved around or called back in so that things don't really change at all - just look at the FSA and UKFI, if you can find the key names or how the appointment process is supposedly 'transparent'.

One person who is starting to influence these boards and to shake things up with the various regulators (wider than the FSA) is Prof. Roger Steare, Corporate Philosopher with CASS (City University Business School).

Watch his short (less than 4 minute) video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unufsY1HZh8

There is much more to be done, but we may now be at, or very close to, the tipping point where ethics really count - and there are more than a few people ready to give a final push .......

But what advice can we provide for those who are self-employed? - or in my case working in a portfolio of many roles across commercial enterprises, SME's, public sector organisations, academia and charities.

My personal service level target for turning around emails is around half a day, as I can usually handle them when a meeting takes a longer break or when I travel on to the next location. Of course some emails need more research or consideration, or more structuring or attachments that aren't readily available via a Blackberry, but these are the exception. In my experience a timely response helps to keep the momentum we need for change, which too many organisations lack.

In many ways I like the freedom that my Blackberry provides, because I can prioritise and respond in a way that suits me and the people i'm working with. This earns me the right for people not to ask where I am at any time, or how many hours and minutes I'm clocked on. They are usually more than happy that I am always contactable and that I respond when others dont. I don't find this is misused.

But what do we usually do with this freedom? Probably even more 'work'........but then life needs to be challenging and rewarding - and don't we choose to do what we do....? 

www.BryanFoss.com