Our Circles of support are an additional service launching for 2025. They are a ‘go-to’ community of support for members with experience in each sector to build closer connections. Each group involves a WhatsApp Community and six events, mixed between virtual and in-person.
This group will span investment trusts, banks, building societies, asset management and any other type of firm in the financial services space and subject to FSA regulation. It will allow for in-depth discussion on regulatory issues particular to this sector, as well as sector-specific framing of issues such as culture and ESG. BDO will lend their expertise and insight, leading some sessions and simply being ‘on hand’ to contribute.
Open to our Directors’ Circle members who are currently serving on boards of this type, our Financial Services Circle will provide a supportive, confidential space bringing the peer support and insight to be even more impactful as a NED.
Meeting dates –
Please register here to be join our 2025 Financial Services Circle events. After our initial meeting, we will share further dates through the year. Do register even if you can not attend the first session.
Session 1 – Monday 10th February, 9am-10am (virtual)
Boards Managing Behavioural Risk in Top Business Leaders – Financial Services Boards, Director Circle Discussion
Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on Boards Managing Behavioural Risk in Top Business Leaders, led by Sally-Ann Hibberd, an experienced Financial Services Chair and Independent NED.
This Chatham House rule event will bring together NEDs in Financial Services to explore the critical topic of overseeing C-Suite executives, focusing on how boards can address and mitigate behavioural risks in the boardroom.
Many business leaders possess strong personalities and exceptional traits such as resilience, self-confidence, and drive that have propelled them to success. However, these same attributes can sometimes evolve into destructive tendencies, especially in over-powerful Chairs or CEOs, creating risks for the organisations they lead. This session will delve into how boards can preempt and manage these behaviours effectively, ensuring organisational culture and leadership remain balanced and productive.
In preparation for the discussion, participants are encouraged to review the Behavioural Risks in the Boardroom paper, published as part of MWM Consulting’s Insight Briefings. The paper explores why and how behavioural risks can arise and offers strategies for boards to minimise such risks.
You will also receive an invitation to join the WhatsApp group.
Chaired by – Sally Ann Hibberd and Suzanne Clark
BDO lead – Sasha Molodtsov
Chairs
Sally-Ann Hibberd
Sally-Ann has a background in financial services and technology. As well as being the Non-Executive Chair of The Clear Group she currently serves as a Non-Executive Director of IG Group Holdings plc where she chairs the Sustainability committee and a Non-Executive Director of Lowell Group where she chairs the Risk and Sustainability Committees. Sally-Ann has been a Non-Executive Director of Shawbrook Group plc, Equiniti Group plc, The Co-operative Bank plc, Loughborough University and NFU Mutual serving as Chair or a member for a number of committees including Risk, Audit, Nomination and Remuneration. She previously served as Chief Operating Officer of the International Division, and latterly as Group Operations and Technology Director of Willis Group, and has held a number of senior executive roles at LloydsTSB. Sally-Ann holds a BSc in Civil Engineering from Loughborough University and an MBA from Bayes Business School.
Suzanne Clark
Suzanne is an experienced Audit Committee chair and accomplished non-executive, who excels when challenging the status quo in complex, dynamic or highly regulated organisations. She currently sits as a Non-Executive Director at Recognise Bank, and as NED and Audit Committee Chair at The Exeter and HBL Bank UK. She brings an exceptional track record of guiding organisations through critical transformations and crisis (at the Bank of England in the financial crisis and at a large hospital during the pandemic).
BDO Lead
Sasha Molodtsov
Sasha is a Partner in Financial Services, leading the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team, which sits within BDO’s Financial Service’s ESG and Regulatory Advisory practice. Sasha has recently returned
from secondment with the Bank of England. Sasha supports firms’ C Suite and Board decision makers to understand, monitor and report ESG related matters as they relate to regulation and industry expectations. She also leads BDO’s Financial Services’ Non-Executive Director’s (NEDs) community, which delivers timely technical, regulatory and thematic thought leadership to enable NEDs to successfully deliver their Director duties.
Sasha is a mentor with The 30% Club, The Prince’s Trust and Women in Banking and Finance, and co-leads the Diversity Project’s Ambassador programme. Alongside her technical role at BDO, she is
also involved in BDO’s Diversity and Inclusion working groups and employee networks. She sits on BDO’s CEDAR (formerly BAME) Executive, LGBTQ+ network and co-leads the Financial Services’
Culture & Inclusion Group.