Gail Danvers, PSD’s Director of Banking & Financial Services, was invited as Guest Speaker at the AFB Operational Risk Forum to discuss Operational Risk Recruitment among attendees from a wide range of foreign banks.

1. Gail Danvers
+44 20 7970 9755
Gail.danvers@psdgroup.com

2. Agenda
1. Introduction
2. Profile of an Operational Risk Practitioner
3. Current Trends
4. Remuneration
5. Career Prospects
6. How Can We Raise the Profile of Operational Risk
7. Questions

3. Gail leads a team of consultants in
London who specialise in recruiting
Risk, Compliance, Financial Crime,
Finance and Internal Audit
professionals into the Banking &
Financial Services sectors.
Client Sector Focus
Works with an impressive
range of Banks and Financial
Services firms on both
contingency and retained
search assignments.
Functional Focus
Gail is an experienced and
specialist Risk recruiter and
specialises in Senior Appointments.
Background
Gail has a BA honors in Politics and
has worked in recruitment for
eighteen years, the last fifteen years
with PSD.
Gail specialises in recruiting Risk &
Governance candidates at VP,
Director and C-suite level. A wealth
of experience at hiring for
Operational risk candidates in both
1st
and 2nd
line roles.
Gail Danvers – Director

4. Profile of an Operational Risk Practitioner continued
Academics
•Graduate
•OR qualification

5. Experience
•Relevant operational risk experience.
•RCSA, Scenario analysis, implemented the framework, set risk appetite.
•Experience of partnering with specific business areas eg. Technology and
Operations or HR, Finance etc.
•Specific Banking sector experience eg Retail Banking, Commercial, Private or
Investment Banking.
•Broader regulatory knowledge in Governance, Compliance and regulation
•Experience of dealing with the regulator
•Project Management
Profile of an Operational Risk Practitioner

6. Profile of an Operational Risk Practitioner continued
Communication
•Strong inter personal skills able to challenge the business.
•Develops positive relationships with the business.
•Excellent written and verbal skills.
•Confident dealing with Senior Executives able to engage and influence
senior stake holders
•Emotional Intelligence

7. Current Trends in Demand for Operational Risk Candidates
1) Operational Risk Manager – Traditional 2nd
line of defence role. Responsible for
specific business areas. Partner with the business and ensure the framework is
successfully implemented.
2) Operational Risk – Cyber and Information Security Risk, Technology & Operations
Experience.
3) Operational risk modelling – demand for candidates with modelling experience, stress
testing, scenario analysis and ICAAP.

8. Operational Risk Analyst
£45,000 - £65,000 (two to five years experience)
Operational Risk Manager
£70,000 - £85,000 (five years + experience)
Operational Risk Senior Manager / VP
£85,000 to £100,000 (eight years + experience)
Operational Risk Director / Head Of
£120,000 +
Operational Risk Managing Director
£160,000+
Remuneration

9. • Operational risk is a growing discipline and consequently candidates with 5 + years
of experience are in high demand.
• There is less demand at Director level & above due to the pyramid structure of
organisations.
• No clear path to Chief Risk Officer roles which require candidates with Credit or
Market risk experience.
• MD of Operational Risk occasionally do move over into Operations or COO
positions.
• Candidate with Compliance and Operational Risk experience
can secure C level roles such as Chief Compliance Officer.
Career Prospects to C Level

10. How Can We Raise the Profile of Operational Risk
• Graduate recruitment programmes covering operational Risk
• Internships to cover risk management
• More publicity around the OR qualification
• FCA and Bank Of England to raise awareness of the importance of
operational risk
• Increase publicity on social media, conferences, and forums

11. Questions