Navigating 2026 Compliance Priorities, a Mid-year Reality Check

What happens when an accidental Twitter viral star turns a boredom-fueled lockdown crusade against fake hunky soldiers into a bestselling book and a front-row seat at global anti-scam summits? In this special Book Club edition of Risky Women Radio, host Kimberley Cole sits down with author, speaker, and internet fraud-fighter Becky Holmes (known online as @DeathtoSpinach). Becky shares her journey from corporate PR to baiting romance scammers with absurd tales of ketchup murders and trips to the moon. She breaks down why blaming victims is both lazy and cruel, why relying solely on AI technology won't solve emotionally groomed crimes, and why 50% of romance fraud victims are actually men—despite the persistent social stereotypes. Shownotes 01:53 – Accidental Fraud Fighter: How Lockdown Boredom and "Hunky Soldiers" Started It All 05:11 – Breaking the Mould: Staying Authentic with Pink Hair and Tattoos in Fincrime 10:00 – "He's in Nigeria, Not the Army": The Devastating Lived Reality of Romance Fraud 18:24 – Debunking the Myth: Why Victims Aren't "Stupid" and 50% Are Actually Men 23:03 – The Ketchup Murder & General Mark Milley: Baiting Scammers at Their Own Game 25:05 – Tech vs. Grooming: Why Algorithms Alone Can't Stop Romance Scams

Ever wondered what professional horse riding and Lehman Brothers' post-collapse cleanup have in common? Quite a bit, as it turns out. In this episode of Risky Women Radio, host Kimberley Cole sits down with operational risk powerhouse Suzanne Allen to explore how a background in championship show-jumping laid the ultimate foundation for proactive risk management, resilience, and spot-on time management. Suzanne shares her journey from competing at Hickstead to rebuilding control frameworks in global markets and fintechs. She pulls back the curtain on why counting risk assessments is just "measuring effort" rather than outcome, why the traditional three-lines-of-defense model might soon be extinct, and why women are uniquely equipped to handle the human, ethical side of AI governance. SHOWNOTES 01:24 From Hickstead Show Rings to Lehman Brothers: Suzanne's Unconventional Path 06:10 Peak Performance: Applying Elite Equestrian Discipline to Risk Preparedness 10:39 AI Governance as a Human Challenge: Why Women's Voices are Essential 13:42 From Controls to Outcomes: Why Counting Risk Assessments Misses the Point 20:50 AI Misconceptions: Why It's a Business Governance Issue, Not Just Tech 25:52 The Death of the Three Lines Model: What Risk Looks Like in 10 Years

In a 21st-century knowledge economy where tech valuations eclipse physical industrial giants, traditional accounting frameworks like IAS 38 are struggling to reflect what actually drives modern corporate value. In this episode of Risky Women Radio, host Kimberley Cole sits down with strategic advisor, researcher, and governance expert Katrin Gülden Le Maire. Bringing a rare interdisciplinary lens spanning finance, tech, ESG, and philosophy, Katrin unpacks why intangible assets—from human relationships and talent to organisational trust—require a radical rethink in governance. Together, they explore why relying purely on quantitative algorithms misses the mark, how AI is reshaping human connective labour, and why courageous business leaders must take charge of defining social capital before regulators do it for them. Shownotes 02:03 – From Inner-City Outreach to Private Jets: Katrin's Multidisciplinary Journey 05:51 – Principles vs. Preferences: Turning Down Corporate Mandates for Values 11:40 – Systems Thinking: Applying Cybernetics to Interconnected Business Networks 15:47 – The Knowledge Economy & The Outdated Limits of IAS 38 Accounting 23:06 – Defining Social Capital: Balancing Economic & Sociological Perspectives 27:44 – Why Business Leaders—Not Regulators—Must Drive the Social Capital Debate 38:00 – Practical Exercise: A Two-Page Challenge for Boards and Executive Leaders

Welcome back to Risky Women Radio, near the midpoint of 2026. If you've spent the last few months celebrating whispered promises of regulatory "simplification" and a "lighter supervisory touch," we hate to ruin the party—but you're likely basking in false comfort. In this fourth annual check-in, host Kimberley Cole reunites with Protiviti's compliance vanguards, Carol Beaumier and Bernadine Reese, to deliver a healthy dose of reality to the mid-year compliance calendar. As it turns out, tech fragmentation, AI implementations, and financial crime networks don't magically slow down just because a regulator changes their tone. Our guests pull back the curtain on why treating a drop in regulatory intensity as an invite to slash budgets is a massive trap , why your traditional siloed compliance stack is buckling under the weight of interconnected risks , and why the ultimate compliance hazard of 2026 might just be demanding high-quality executive judgment from a thoroughly exhausted, under-resourced team. Shownotes 02:18 – The Illusion of the Lighter Touch and Risk Recalibration 06:03 – The Connected Compliance Stack: Why Silos Fail in 2026 10:11 – The Accountability Reset: Surviving the Next Regulatory U-Turn 11:58 – The Big Five: From Production-Line AI to Talent Fatigue 19:56 – Five Practical Actions for the H2 2026 Planning Reset

Welcome to another Book Club edition! In this episode, host Kimberley Cole sits down with Penny Cagan, industry veteran, academic at Columbia and NYU, and author of Managing Operational Risk in a Changing World. From navigating the "heady days" of Basel II in the immediate aftermath of Nick Leeson's Barings debacle to building the world's first operational risk database, Penny has spent her career gently exploding conventional thinking. She joins us to discuss why change initiatives fail when you only convince the C-suite, why the second line of defence needs to stop acting like an armchair referee, and how treating AI agents like messy human employees is the key to modern governance. Shownotes 02:06 – The Nick Leeson Effect & Defining Operational Risk 04:14 – The RCSA Overhaul: A Painful Lesson in Bottom-Up Trust 08:10 – The Quantitative Love Affair vs. Old-Fashioned Management 11:04 – Peddling FIRST: Building the Industry's First Risk Database 17:48 – The Changing World: Reshaping the Operating Model 29:09 – Agentic AI: Why Robots Need an Employee Handbook

Welcome to another Risky Women Radio Book Club Edition. In an era dominated by rapid AI disruption, intensifying social scrutiny, and relentless geopolitical shifts, compliance can no longer be treated as a mere back-office box-checking exercise. In this episode, host Kimberley Cole sits down with Natalie McManus-Barnett, co-author of How to Be a Chief Compliance Officer and founder of Innovate Compliance. Shifting the narrative away from dry, bureaucratic policy-pushing, Natalie brings a refreshing dose of "polite disruption" to the table. She shares her "Jungle Gym" journey from the Financial Conduct Authority to Citibank, introducing a masterclass on how to weave compliance directly into the DNA of corporate strategy, execution, and culture to turn risk management into a genuine competitive advantage.

Welcome to Risky Women Radio, the podcast that spotlights the bold, brilliant women leading change across risk, compliance, and governance. In an era where "uncertainty" has been upgraded from a buzzword to a permanent state of being, we sit down with the leaders who navigate the chaos so the rest of us can sleep at night. In this episode, Zhiyun Nai, Managing Director at Protiviti, is joined by Jean Chung, Chief Compliance Officer for Hong Kong, Greater China, and North Asia at Standard Chartered Bank. Jean is a veteran of the compliance world who has spent over two decades bridging the gap between policy and purpose. From setting international standards in Singapore to advising the Korea FIU on crypto assets, Jean has seen it all. She joins us to discuss the "80/20 rule" of global regulation, why AI might actually make her team's lives better (rather than just replacing them), and how the definition of leadership has evolved from "don't be too soft" to "empathy is your superpower". SHOWNOTES 2:19 – The Global Commonality Myth 5:48 – AI as the Ultimate Intern 13:08 – Innovation vs. The Deepfake Arms Race 23:31 – The Evolution of "Soft" Leadership 26:15 – Taking the Leap of Faith

Meet Laura Ferrara, Amplifon's Global Chief Internal Audit & Risk Management Officer — part risk detective, part people‑connector, and full‑time hearing‑care champion. With a career that moved from PwC to telecoms, energy and rail before landing in hearing health, Laura turns dashboards into conversations, spreadsheets into strategy, and risk into opportunity. Tune in for practical tips on integrated risk, agile governance, and why a good risk manager is a superbly organised translator (and occasional diplomat) for the boardroom. SHOW NOTES 01:06 Laura's Career Journey: From PwC to Amplifon 02:38 Amplifon Overview: Hearing Care at Scale 07:32 Integrated Risk Management: Process and Practice 09:15 Embedding Engagement: Bottom‑Up Risk Assessments 12:03 Future Risks and Advice for Aspiring Risk Professionals Transcript and more GRC content: https://www.riskywomen.org/2026/03/podcast-s9e7-beyond-compliance-with-laura-ferrara/

This International Women's Day, meet Kate Jones, the CEO of the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum, where she's been busy turning regulation into a superhero for innovation! With a background rich in international law and human rights, Kate brings a unique perspective to the digital landscape. She's tackled everything from aviation to human rights and is now ensuring that tech evolves responsibly. Join us as she shares her fascinating journey, how collaboration can drive innovation, and why the future of regulation should be about embracing creativity, not stifling it! SHOW NOTES02:52 Overview of the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF) 04:41 Kate's Career Journey: From Diplomacy to Digital Regulation 07:00 Taking Risks: Key Moments in Kate's Career 20:49 The Role of Regulation in Enabling Innovation 32:21 The Future of Tech Governance and Challenges Ahead   Transcript and more GRC content: https://www.riskywomen.org/2026/03/podcast-s9e6-digital-regulation-with-kate-jones/

Meet Kim Jablonski, the former Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer at Bristol Myers Squibb, where she navigated the complex world of pharmaceutical ethics. With nearly her entire career at this global giant, Kim juggled legal challenges, corporate responsibilities, and raising three kids. Join us as she shares her journey, insightful lessons, and why ethical decision-making is more than just a checklist—sometimes, it's a bit of a balancing act! SHOW NOTES 00:44 Career Journey: From Law to Compliance Leadership 04:33 Creating Impact in Compliance and Ethics 07:32 Emphasising Good Decision-Making Practices 13:01 Navigating Challenges in the Biopharma Industry 22:21 Innovations and Cultural Insights in Global Teams Transcript and more GRC content: https://www.riskywomen.org/2026/02/podcast-s9e5-leading-with-integrity-in-pharma-and-at-home-kim-jablonski/