In this conversation, Julien Haye is joined by Jeff Simmons, Head of Advisory Group and Risk & Compliance Lead at ALBA Partners, and former Chief Risk Officer at MUFG Securities Europe. With over two decades in global banking and regulatory leadership, Jeff shares candid reflections on how risk management must reconnect to purpose, people, and performance.

“Good CROs are not good scientists. They’re good risk managers who understand business.” – Jeff Simmons

In this edition of RiskMasters, you will learn:

• How regulatory relationships built on trust can become a strategic asset

• Why effective governance depends on proportionate execution and delivery discipline

• The cultural shifts needed to close the gap between strategy, appetite, and action

• How to educate boards and teams to make confident decisions with imperfect data

• Lessons from Brexit, DORA, and regulatory divergence on sustaining resilience

⏱️ Episode Highlights

00:02 – From CRO to advisor: why Jeff redefined his purpose
00:14 – Lessons from the financial crisis and the evolution of the risk function
00:31 – Building trust and transparency with regulators
00:44 – Making governance practical: from plans to delivery
00:57 – Culture, tone from the top, and psychological safety
01:05 – The future of risk: reconnecting risk and finance

📌 More about Jeff Simmons
Jeff Simmons is a senior advisor and risk governance expert with ALBA Partners, specialising in regulatory transformation, culture, and risk-function effectiveness. A former Chief Risk Officer at MUFG Securities Europe, he has led major licensing and Brexit-related programmes and continues to advise firms on building credible governance frameworks.

👉 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-simmons-608254a/

🎓 Continue your learning: Enrol in the Risk Leadership CPD Masterclass.

📝 Related Resources:
• Appetite as a Strategic Capability – Framework linking ambition, capacity, and governance to strengthen decision alignment.
• The Hidden Constraint Behind Strategy and Governance – Understanding risk capacity as the foundation of credible board oversight.
• Guiding Principles for an Effective Control Environment – Twelve principles for designing ownership-driven, performance-oriented controls.
• Building Trust with Regulators – Turning supervisory dialogue into a partnership that improves governance credibility.
• Psychological Safety in Risk Management – How leadership tone and escalation culture shape foresight and resilience.
• From Approval to Impact: Repositioning Risk Appetite as a Board Tool – Practical steps to embed appetite into strategic execution.
• Change Management Risk Assessment Framework – A step-by-step guide for aligning transformation programmes with risk capacity and tolerance.

🎓 Download your CPD certificate:
The CPD Group – Accreditation #800148

Episode Credits:
Produced by Aevitium LTD
Edited by Julien Haye
Design: Julien Haye

In this CPD-accredited episode of RiskMasters, host Julien Haye is joined by Søren Agergaard Andersen, Chief Risk & Compliance Officer at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. With over two decades in banking, pensions, and asset management, Søren shares his insights on risk management leadership and the integration of ESG in long-term infrastructure investments. The conversation dives into the importance of building a robust risk culture and the role of psychological safety in facilitating effective risk leadership.

Discover how embedding risk as a business language enhances decision-making and why ESG has shifted from a compliance checkbox to a vital element of strategic risk management. You'll learn actionable strategies for aligning organisational culture with risk frameworks, ensuring that teams feel safe to express concerns and surface challenges.

Additionally, Søren discusses the potential of AI and data integrity in navigating evolving risk landscapes while maintaining human oversight in decision-making. Tune in to explore how empowered risk leaders can foster resilience and foresight within their organisations, transforming risk management into a pathway for success.

“You can build the best framework in the world, but if the culture isn’t there, it won’t matter.” – Søren Agergaard Andersen

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow, review, and share RiskMasters. Your support helps bring more forward-thinking conversations to the risk community.

In this edition of RiskMasters, you will learn:

🔹 Why Risk Must Be a Business Language: How Søren turns risk appetite into a practical tool for executives and boards, embedding it in decision-making, not just policy documents.

🔹 ESG as a Strategic Dimension: Why ESG is no longer a “box” in the taxonomy but a lens shaping every investment, from greenwashing risk to stranded assets and policy volatility.

🔹 Risk Culture & Psychological Safety: How culture and trust determine whether frameworks succeed, and why risk leaders must become business partners rather than gatekeepers.

🔹 AI & Data Integrity in Risk Management: Where Søren sees opportunities for AI in risk reporting, regulation mapping, and scenario planning—while keeping “human judgment in the loop.”

🔹 Leadership for Resilient Teams: Why delegation, curiosity, and broad business understanding are the cornerstones of high-performing risk teams.

More about Søren Agergaard Andersen

Søren is Chief Risk & Compliance Officer at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, where he oversees risk, compliance, and ESG across global infrastructure investments. A former CRO at Nordea Asset Management, he has built and transformed risk frameworks across financial services and is a frequent speaker on risk leadership, ESG, and the future of compliance.

📌 Connect with Søren Agergaard Andersen on LinkedIn

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

Related Articles:

• Risk Tolerance Governance: Turning Boundaries into Strategic Advantage
• From Approval to Impact: Repositioning Risk Appetite as a Board Tool
• Building Psychological Safety in Risk Management: A Practical Guide to the Four Stages
• Mastering the Art of Risk Taking: The 7 Core Attributes of Success

🎓 Download your CPD certificate:
The CPD Group – Accreditation #800139

What does real risk leadership look like when the pressure is on? In this debut episode of The Download — the short-form companion to RiskMasters — host Julien Haye dives deep into risk management and crisis leadership with Brenda Boultwood. Join us as we extract three transformative lessons from her vast experience in banking, energy, and governance.

Learn how to build an effective risk management framework that prioritises culture and clarity, shaping resilience long before a crisis hits. From navigating the 2008 financial crisis at Constellation Energy to redefining risk visibility in the C-suite, this episode reveals how strategic risk and governance can be leveraged as key strengths in leadership.

💡 In this episode:

• Understanding the moral and strategic dimensions of risk leadership in times of crisis
• Brenda’s “sombrero view” — why risk culture is a vital leadership platform for the future
• Insights from Jamie Dimon’s favourite meeting highlighting the essence of lived governance
• Lessons from Aevitium’s work on how risk management contributes to corporate resilience and fosters conversations in governance

🧭 Reflection prompt:

If your organisation faced a near-death experience tomorrow, would risk be viewed as the problem — or the solution to survive?

🎧 Listen to the full episode and more: https://www.aevitium.com/post/brenda-boultwood-on-riskmasters

🎙 On Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/riskmasters/id1709495792?i=1000710473825

🎙 On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/39kvq1RN8Am7NaPLw1Dbox?si=xj_ktMyGSdm8HYa6rLLzIg

🔔 Subscribe now and stay ahead in the world of risk.