CRO Summer networking: (De)regulation in a new geopolitical world

InsightsWebinars and events

CRO Summer networking

Our networking event dedicated to Chief Risk Officers (CROs) in the banking sector.

The event began with a fireside chat, moderated by Huseyin Sahin, featuring Sylvie Matherat and Eric Cloutier, who shared their perspectives on the latest industry and regulatory developments across the US, EU, and UK. The conversation was followed by an open discussion and informal networking.

Both Sylvie and Eric regularly engage with senior regulators and industry leaders across Europe and the US. They drew on these interactions to share forward-looking insights on key regulatory priorities, supervisory expectations, and the evolving risk landscape for financial services.

Key takeaways

1. Global regulatory divergence is the new normal.

Geopolitical tensions and widening UK–EU–US regulatory divergences are reshaping the global financial landscape. Banks must now navigate rising compliance costs, strategic uncertainty, and fragmented oversight while balancing competitiveness and resilience.

2. Banks must build regulatory agility into their strategy.

CROs can’t wait for Brussels–London–Washington alignment. Banks must anticipate friction, design for divergence, deepen in-house rule-tracking, and engage supervisors early as the implementation of the growth and competitiveness agenda unfolds.

3. The UK FS sector has potential for growth, but swift actions are required.

The UK sits in a “sweet spot” between the US’s fast-moving but politically volatile regulatory environment and the EU’s cautious, slow-moving approach. However, speed and focus of delivery — not just intent — will determine whether the UK can seize the opportunity.

4. Climate risk and ESG remain supervisory priorities for the UK and EU.

While the US retrenches on ESG mandates, both the EU and UK maintain strong frameworks. In Europe, despite Omnibus, banks must still operationalise extensive climate-risk management expectations. The UK can build on its strong international reputation for sustainable finance and maintain its pragmatic approach to rules implementation.

5. Cross-border banks need strategic anticipation and active supervisory engagement.

As divergences between the US and Europe widen on climate, digital finance and AI, the UK and EU must balance maintaining resilience and insuring future competitiveness and growth. Cross-border banks must engage supervisors and deploy agile risk frameworks to turn fragmentation into opportunity.

6. Closer UK–EU regulatory alignment will unlock mutual growth.

In a fragmented financial landscape, harmonising standards and supervisory practices between the UK and EU will cut complexity, safeguard market access and boost banks’ competitiveness across both regions.

Meet our speakers

Sylvie Matherat is a former Deputy Director General of the Bank of France, former group executive board member of Deutsche Bank and has represented France in various international financial committees at the G20 level. She currently serves as a Senior Global Advisor to Forvis Mazars. She holds positions as a Non-Executive Director at Barclays Europe and CCF Group, as well as an Independent Non-Executive Director at Hambourg Commercial Bank. In 2024, she joined the International Advisory Board of Edmond de Rothschild Group. Sylvie is a frequent commentator in European financial media, known for her deep expertise in macro-financial policy and prudential supervision

Eric Cloutier is Partner and Head of Forvis Mazars’ Global Financial Sector Regulatory Centre (Global FS RegCentre). He leads the firm’s global relationships with regulatory and supervisory authorities and is responsible for capturing and sharing regulatory insights. He is a member of the European Commission Advisory Panel on Non-Performing Loans and serves as Senior Adviser to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Most recently, he interviewed Patrick Montagner, member of the ECB Supervisory Board, and has participated in multiple recent high-level roundtables and discussions with global regulatory and industry leaders, including at EUROFI and the Institute of International Finance (IIF).

Key contacts

Contact us

+44 20 7063 4000
Meet our local team
Discover our offices
Or use our contact form