Navigating and responding to regulatory requirements and reviews is more straightforward when supported by effective risk and compliance frameworks.

Our proven methodologies stand up to regulatory and board scrutiny and we can partner with you to maximise the value delivered from your frameworks, as well as provide assistance with event driven responses and preparation for regulatory reviews.

We are specifically aligned with the needs of non-banking financial services including broking, payment services, energy and commodities trading, insurance, and medical device manufacturing sectors.

Our services include:

• Governance Effectiveness Reviews

• 1st & 2nd Line Risk Management Framework Design & Implementation (Financial & Operational Risks)

• 2nd Line Compliance Controls Framework Design & Implementation

• Technology Risk and Controls Framework Design & Implementation

• Information/Security Risk Framework Design & Implementation

• Operational Resilience Self-Assessment

• Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) Implementation

• Front-Office Supervision, Risk Assessment & Training

• Market Abuse Risk Assessment

• Money Laundering Risk Assessment and Independent Reviews

• Whistleblowing Framework

• CASS Rules Gap Analysis & Implementation

• Event Driven Responses & Preparation for Regulatory Interventions and Reviews (e.g., Skilled Persons Review, Client Assets Short Notice Visit, and SREP)

In the constantly changing regulatory landscape, achieving effective routes to compliance is essential to ensure regulatory change programmes do not derail business initiatives running in parallel, and that investment in regulatory change also delivers wider benefits than pure compliance ‘box ticking’.

Our team offers deep understanding of financial services regulation coupled with decades of successful programme delivery expertise, enabling you to benefit from our experience and our proven delivery methods and toolkits.

Whether you need help to shape a regulatory change programme or a partner to work alongside you to achieve a successful outcome, we can deliver a coherent solution that has been deployed across firms from start-ups through to multi-national 10,000 + person organisations.

Our services include:

• Impact Analysis, Gap Analysis and Traceability

• Target Operating Model Design and Implementation

• Programme Definition

• Programme Delivery

Operational Resilience requires connecting all the pieces of the jigsaw to deliver an effective resilience framework.

Given the breadth of experience within the Shapes First team, we can help you bring together all the elements in a smart way, leveraging existing culture, frameworks, processes, and information such as ‘golden source’ data, to create improved efficiency and resilience.

Talk to us today about our methods for achieving operational resilience and how we use process modelling software to derive value from your process mapping, including consistency in data management, and supporting business impact analysis and information for incident and crisis management.

We partner with you to deliver a smart solution that really works.

Our services include:

• Operational Resilience Framework Design & Implementation

• Operational Resilience Business Service Mapping

• Operational Resilience Self-Assessment

• Crisis Management

• Business Continuity Management

• Business Impact Analysis

• Simulation and Walkthrough Exercises

• Third Party Management and Outsourcing Reviews

• Virtual (on-demand) crisis management if you suffer an event

Transforming a business in a challenging market environment against a backdrop of regulation, while all the time innovating and remaining agile so that the business can thrive, is difficult. Add the controls agenda to this mix and achieving the right balance can test even the most mature organisation.

Many of our team have led significant business transformation programmes and we can draw on decades of experience in shaping and leading a wide variety of transformations, including business integration, operating model change, digital transformation, outsourcing of business services and standardisation of processes.

Whatever the reason for business transformation, be it market shifts, post-acquisition integration, offshoring, outsourcing, insourcing, or the adoption of new technology, we can partner with you through your change in business operations to ensure the outcome achieves your vision whilst also maintaining a clear view through the regulatory compliance and risk management lenses.

Our services include:

• Strategy and Business Case Definition

• Business Reviews

• Business Integration

• Target Operating Model Design and Implementation

• Programme Definition

• Programme Delivery

• Business Service Outsourcing Programme Management

• Technology Solution RFP Management

• Technology Platform Implementation

• Capability Maturity Assessments and Benchmarking

Streamlining processes and leveraging technology and information are key enablers in delivering benefits and improvements across a business.

We can partner with you to achieve your business improvement goals, applying our methods and tools to accelerate the process of identifying and delivering performance improvements across your business. Talk to us today about our methods, and how we use process modelling software to enable you to derive value from your process mapping, including the identification of business process improvements and consistency in data management.

Our services include:

• Operating Model Design and Implementation

• Project and Programme Delivery

• Business Process Modelling, Analysis, Design, and Implementation

• Business Process Current State Reviews

• Business Process Modelling Platform Implementation

• Technology Process Capability Assessment

• Technology Implementation

We are in regular contact with members of the executive teams and boards at several firms and are discussing the challenges that firms are facing on a daily basis. We stay informed using various channels including our memberships of trade associations such as UK Finance and AFEP.

Sometimes an executive team needs support building a business case for investment, and sometimes they simply need an external advisor to present information in a different way.

Whatever your challenge, we welcome a discussion as to how we might assist. We aim to build a long-term relationship with you and become a trusted advisor.

Our services include:

• Advising boards on accountability and understanding of changing regulatory requirements

• Advising on implications of Senior Management responsibilities

• Explaining practicalities of Variation of Permission or Full Authorisation processes

• Supporting boards in response to regulatory interventions

• Engaging as a third party in contemplation of litigation

• Strategic Business Reviews

• Operational Readiness Assessments

Processes work better when people understand why they are important and what they need to do. We deliver interactive and memorable training that is relevant to the day-to-day roles of individuals receiving it.

Talk to us today about how we can help you design and roll out synchronous or asynchronous training, e-learning or more strategic and complex programmes such as those associated with promoting ethical behaviour.

Shapes First training is accredited by the CPD Certification Service.

Our training and guidance services include:

• Situational Leadership

• Anti Financial Crime Training

• Risk Management Best Practice Guidance

• AML Best Practice Guidance

• Whistleblowing Guidance

• Business Process Modelling Best Practice Training