Armstrong Wolfe

We recently held our last Women in the COO Community EMEA roundtable discussions focusing on ‘Career Conversations' kindly hosted by DWS Group at the fantastic Deutsche Bank offices. Many thanks to our great panellists for their knowledge and insights: Sam Alexander, Yvonne Waldron, Julia Emanuele, Shirley Tran, Ruth Kemmer, Sophie Rutherford, Carina Derrick, Natalie Golding, FCIPD Key Insights: Career Conversations Set clear goals and increase visibility: Define career objectives, develop necessary skills, and showcase your contributions to decision-makers Focus on outcomes over hours: Highlight your results, set boundaries, and challenge misconceptions about work hours Build confidence against imposter syndrome: Reflect on achievements, prepare thoroughly, and seek feedback to validate your strengths Prioritise work-life balance: Define what balance means, communicate boundaries, and align with roles that support flexibility Prepare for performance conversations: Gather evidence of achievements, understand benchmarks, and confidently advocate for promotion and compensation. Leverage adaptability and support: Stay flexible, build relationships, and seek mentorship to navigate career barriers Our first session for 2025 EMEA will be taking place on February 13th 2025'T-Shaped Leadership'. Please email Isabelle Scannell to register (i.scannell@armstrongwolfe.com)

In November, Jeff Schwartzman lead an inspiring discussion on ‘Cultivating Your Brand: Strategies for Women in Leadership’ to a group virtually in Asia. Please see below some key pieces of advice from the session: Be authentic and adaptable: Take responsibility, remain flexible, and uphold your values in all scenarios. Advocate for yourself: Actively promote your achievements and strengths instead of solely relying on your work to gain recognition. Build and showcase confidence: Reflect on past successes to strengthen your self-assurance and convey your capabilities. Create and align your personal brand: Develop a unique, intentional brand that authentically represents you, tailored to different audiences and consistent across personal and professional realms. Engage effectively with your audience: Customize your message, including a compelling elevator pitch, and communicate in a way that aligns with their language, priorities, and needs Our next session for APAC is taking place on February 20th 'T-Shaped Leadership'. Please email Isabelle Scannell to register (i.scannell@armstrongwolfe.com)

We recently held our last Women in the COO Community North American Panel focusing on ‘Managing Uncertainty with AI' kindly hosted by UBS at their fantastic New York offices. Many thanks to our great panellists for their knowledge and insights: Christina Petrou, Cida Goncalves Jaime Pelosi, Noriko Utzig and moderated by Piers Murray Key Insights: Managing Uncertainty with AI AI Priorities: Focused on efficiency, cost savings, and risk management. Firms are more cautious on Generative AI (GenAI) adoption, approaches focus on risk and capacity use cases Use Cases: Proactive risk management- applied in fraud detection, transaction monitoring, and internal analytics. Skills in Demand due to AI Data Skills: Proficiency in data analysis with a focus on input quality. Soft Skills: Critical thinking, adaptability, creativity, and strong communication for evolving team dynamics. Mindset: Embracing change, solving ambiguous problems, and preparing for automation-driven roles. Workplace Changes: AI is reshaping analyst roles, influencing performance reviews, and driving team-led innovation Risk and Safety: Strong focus on data quality, oversight, governance, and transparent engagement with regulators. Our first session for 2025 North America will be taking place on March 5th 'T-Shaped Leadership'. Please email Isabelle Scannell to register (i.scannell@armstrongwolfe.com)

Another Segment from our Q4 2025 Magazine, Saumya Deva on the subject of Regulatory Compliance: Non-financial risks are becoming increasingly critical as the banking industry evolves, and effective management of these risks is essential for maintaining stability and trust in the financial system. Regulatory compliance is a critical non-financial risk for global banks. There has been a surge of regulatory demand over the years which will continue in the foreseeable future. Read More below: https://lnkd.in/eUG2iWjG

https://lnkd.in/e8svh8CV Article Spotlight: Restoring Trust in a Fragmented World: The Case for Purpose-Driven Leadership A roadmap for leaders to align purpose and strategy for long-term trust and value creation. In recent years, news headlines have been littered with scandals across government, media and business. From high-profile cases of financial misconduct, sexual harassment, cover-ups, and bullying, to the controversy of NDAS, shocking stories of the Post Office Horizon and the infected blood scandals… The list is too long, damaging lives, reputations and stakeholder relationships, not to mention the bottom line. Unsurprisingly, trust in politicians, businesses and media to behave ethically is at its lowest in four years. At the same time, consumer expectations about what is socially, ethically and legally acceptable are changing. Regulatory and media scrutiny around compliance, ESG and DEI is intensifying. Demands for transparency are increasing. There is significant public anxiety about the ability of businesses and governments to manage innovation and digital advances safely and ethically. A new generation of workers is bringing high expectations for empathetic, values-led and inclusive leadership and for businesses to stand for something beyond profit. For leaders, these repeated knocks to public trust and changing expectations come at a time of acute pressure to deliver results, impact and financial performance. While also being encouraged to innovate, meet rapidly changing customer needs and attract top talent through continued economic and geopolitical uncertainty. The stakes for delivering performance – while restoring trust – have never been higher. Read on via the Link Below Our thanks to Kin&Co, and particularly to Thomas, for writing this piece.

https://lnkd.in/efsbf3pN We are pleased to share with you our Q4 2024 Armstrong Wolfe COO Magazine: 2025: Challenging the Status Quo. Please find below a selection of the thought pieces included in this edition. ·      Restoring Trust in a Fragmented World: The Case for Purpose-Driven Leadership ·      3 Ways AI Can Improve Testing for Financial Services IT Projects ·      Key to Effective Regulatory Compliance: Robust Governance and Control Framework ·      AI Management in Non-Financial Risks ·      SMF 24 Peer Questions ·      Data Management: Key Challenges for the COO in 2024 ·      Introduction to Preventative, Multidimensional Health We invite you to take a moment to browse through its pages. We trust you will find it informative and engaging. Maurice Evlyn-Bufton Piers Murray Terry Yodaiken

Just a final reminder of tomorrow's #WCOOC Online Forum: The Power of your Network. If you would like to sign up there is still time - email i.scannell@armstrongwolfe.com to do so.

We recently held our virtual Women in the COO Community APAC Panel focusing on ‘Surviving and Thriving in an AI World. Many thanks to our great panellists for their knowledge and insights, Fatema B., Isabella Giulia Grandi De Surgeloose, Yenni L. and Elena Strbac Please see below some key takeaways: - Embrace Agility: Be adaptable and ready to thrive in fast-changing, agile work environments - Accept AI’s Presence: AI is inevitable—recognise its impact and prepare for its integration - Leverage AI for Efficiency: Use AI to streamline and improve repetitive or time-consuming tasks - Stay Compliant: Ensure adherence to regulations when implementing AI solutions - Understand Your Organisation: Know your company’s operations and pain points to drive AI-led operational efficiency - Boost Data Literacy: Implement data literacy programs to ensure employees understand and can work with data effectively - Tailor Training: Focus training efforts on the specific roles and responsibilities impacted by AI. Our final online session of the year will be taking place on November 27th being led by the fantastic Jeff Schwartzman. Please email Isabelle Scannell to register (i.scannell@armstrongwolfe.com)

We held our 4thEMEA instalment of our Women in the COO Community on September 5th ‘Surviving and Thriving in an AI World’ in conjunction with one of our fantastic alliance partners at Behavox, of which Fahreen Kurji is one of our brilliant SteerCo members. Thank you to Alice Loughran and the team at The Arts Club for their excellent and seamless organisation. Further thanks go to our brilliant panel for the evening: Pauline Hawkes-Bunyan, Udita Singh, Michael Talbert, Guy Huber, Andrew Shannon and Tanya Reeves along with all those who attended and participated in the evening. Please see below some key pieces of advice from the session: - Learn the Basics: Demystify AI by educating yourself on the fundamentals—it's within everyone's reach - Read Widely: Explore the growing number of excellent books on AI to deepen your understanding - Stay Informed: AI is still in its early stages, so use this opportunity to explore how it might impact your field - Engage with the Technology: Understand how AI works to better prepare for its influence in your industry - Attend AI Events: Participate in AI-focused events, workshops, or discussions to stay up to date and connected Our final EMEA session of the year will be taking place on November 21st, kindly sponsored by the fantastic team at DWS Group. We will be releasing details of panellists in due course. Please email Isabelle Scannell to register (i.scannell@armstrongwolfe.com)

Being on the Armstrong Wolfe steering group for Women in the COO community has allowed for us to push events such as this one, which was specifically around “Surviving and Thriving in an AI World”. Our panelists Pauline Hawkes-Bunyan, Udita Singh Michael Talbert, Andrew Shannon, Dr Guy Huber, and Tanya Reeves were phenomenal at highlighting how far we’ve come and where the future of AI lies. A big thank you to The Arts Club for hosting us!