Main Conference Day 1 - Leadership Forum 2025 AgendaTuesday, 18 November 2025 - GMT (Greenwich Mean Time, GMTZ)

Kim Darroch’s opening address will cover two broad areas.

First, as someone who met President Trump more than a dozen times while British Ambassador to the United States, he will talk about what Trump is like, his beliefs, motivations and objectives, how he interacts with other leaders, and why his second term is likely to prove substantially different from his first. He will also cover Trump’s longstanding advocacy of tariffs and the implications of his policies for the global economy.

Second, drawing on his three years as UK National Security Adviser, and his experience of being in meetings with Netanyahu, Putin, and President Xi of China, he will talk about the main international issues and crises of the moment; Gaza, Iran/Israel, Ukraine, the challenge of China. He will offer some predictions on how these crises are likely to develop and what this means for the international risk landscape.

Following a turbulent year of geopolitical tensions, trade wars, market volatility, high profile cyber-attacks and emerging technology risk, hear from CROs and their take on leadership in an era of disruption

Around the world, banks are being challenged by more complexity, more disruption, and greater scrutiny—across politics, technology, regulation, and societal expectations. The pace of change is accelerating, yet the tools and structures of risk management are struggling to keep up. At the same time, the emergence of GenAI, systemic pressures on cost, and regulatory divergence are forcing Risk leaders to rethink what’s possible—and what’s required.

Against this backdrop, the PwC Global Banking Risk Study 2025 brings together insights from over 50 global and regional banks to examine how Risk functions are adapting. The study explores how top-performing institutions are evolving their models: reducing cost while delivering better outcomes, reimagining non-financial risks and resilience, investing in foundational data and early warning systems, reshaping risk teams through AI augmentation, and redefining ESG to fit a fragmented world.

The session provides a briefing on the study’s findings. We’ll share where risk leadership is heading and what leading banks are doing differently—from capability redesign to regulatory engagement. This is an opportunity to explore what it takes to rewire Risk for the future.

As AI, quantum computing, and hyperconnectivity transform the digital landscape, cybersecurity must keep pace. This panel explores how to stay ahead of emerging threats—protecting systems, data, and digital trust in an era of relentless change.

We’ll cover:

• New threat vectors in AI, quantum, and interconnected ecosystems
• Securing next-gen digital infrastructure
• Cyber governance and regulatory shifts on the horizon
• Building resilient, adaptable, and trustworthy cyber strategies

Join leading experts in cybersecurity and tech risk to map the path to secure tomorrow’s digital world.

Risk management is on the brink of a revolution, shaped not only by artificial intelligence but also by regulatory shifts, sustainability imperatives, and the rise of interconnected global risks, and further emerging risks. The discipline is transforming from a compliance-focused back-office function into a strategic nerve center—anticipating threats, enabling innovation, and creating competitive advantage for forward-thinking institutions.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming financial services - fuelling bold innovation while surfacing new, often underestimated risks. From governance blind spots to overstretched risk teams, many institutions are navigating unfamiliar terrain. This panel explores how to embrace AI’s potential without losing grip on trust, resilience, or strategic clarity.

Join leaders from banking, academia, and policy as they explore how to lead confidently through the paradoxes of AI—by shaping risk as a strategic enabler, not just a control function.

The global economy faces turbulence from shifting monetary policies, trade disruptions, and market overconfidence, threatening cash flows and asset values.

How are forward-thinking CROs responding?

The confluence of volatile financial markets, intensifying regulatory scrutiny, and the rapid emergence of AI technologies necessitates a strategic imperative for Credit Process Transformation. This isn't merely an operational upgrade; it's essential to safeguard asset quality and ensure sustained competitiveness.

This discussion will focus on:

• How banks plan to transform and innovate their credit processes to leverage them as strategic and competitive asset: from origination to credit portfolio strategy and management

• Navigating the evolving regulatory landscape by identifying strategies to proactively address and comply with new and emerging regulations (EBA LOM, EU AI Act, BCBS239).

• Exploring the opportunities and challenges presented by AI, agentic AI, and broader automation in areas like credit underwriting, early warning systems, collections, credit risk measurements and in general compliance.

• What are the expectations from financial institutions when approaching strategic investments in risk technologies in an increasingly complex landscape.

Agentic AI offers power and partnership in risk management, but only leaders who rethink operating models, adapt their people, processes and culture, and evolve the CRO role will capture its value. How do we sustain the pipeline of future CROs?

- Understanding the Post Quantum Cryptography as a key quantum risk mitigation factor

- Contemplating a new universe of augmented models and applications (embedding new quantum and AI features)

- Discovering the key challenges being posed by those models / applications and potential take aways

How are we developing next-gen CROs to evolve from risk managers to strategic advisors and digital risk pioneers? What tools do our leaders of tomorrow need in connecting emerging threats to business opportunities through integrated risk frameworks?