Susana Morato Grice

Director of Enterprise Risk at Just Group

Speaker

Susana is a recognised senior people leader with over 25 years’ experience in Financial Services/ FinTech enterprise and operational risk/ control functions across 1st, 2nd and 3rd Line of Defence, including audit and control assurance, technology/ financial/ credit/ fraud/ conduct and financial crime risk management, transformation, and business policy compliance and development.

Susana started her professional career as an accountant in Deloitte & Touche Portugal, where she spent two and a half years working as a senior auditor.

Susana then joined American Express (Amex) where she progressed her audit career during eight years, including accepting two international assignments that covered different countries in the Americas (including New York) and Europe and exposed her to higher levels of senior management (e.g. CFO and CMO) and several Amex business lines and staff groups.

The exchange of business and process experience and knowledge with audit colleagues and internal auditees from diverse regions was impactful in her development. She received the Amex CFO Premier Award as a result of establishing a company-wide AML audit program. Susana took the opportunity while in New York to become a Certified Internal Auditor, a certification that she has maintained to date.

After completing her international assignment and returning to the UK, Susana was appointed Controller of the Global Network and Merchant Services ("GNMS") Controllership leadership team focusing on (1) providing governance over GNMS balance sheet accounts and (2) providing superior support to GNMS management on the end-to-end control environment to ensure compliance with the Company's policies, key regulations, and mitigating significant risks. Susana received an Amex CFO Star Performer Award for outstanding contribution to the ATM business creation. Susana also attained a certification as a Six Sigma Green Belt.

After five years in the Controllership organisation, Susana joined the Global Network Business (GNB) as Head of Network Policy Compliance. In this role, Susana delivered (1) Network Policy Compliance program management with focus on Participant enforcement; (2) Brand Protection policy development, monitoring, and enforcement activities; and (3) New Network Policy compliance program risk assessment, development assistance, and deployment. Susana’s responsibilities shifted to the development of Network Policy in support of GNB’s leadership strategy. Susana also became the AXP main representative to the Executive Committee (Board equivalent) of the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Standards Council.

Following an 18-month experience at PayPal as the UK CRO, focusing on fraud and credit financial risk mitigation, Susana joined Barclaycard as the Chief Control Officer of the Acquiring business, ensuring an adequate balance between business risk and controls and providing strategic insights to ensure adequate control environment. In the role, Susana delivered an agile ready change governance framework, which was being deployed across Barclays. After a couple of years in the Company, Susana’s role was expanded to include 1LOD Enterprise risk management and control environment assessment and assurance for Barclays Payments Issuing, Operations, and specialist Fin Crime and Conduct governance and risk management. Susana was a member of the Barclays Payments Executive Leadership team and delivered successful Operational Rigour, Conduct, and FinCrime risk management, operating construct, and ways of working.

After Barclaycard, Susana had a couple of consulting roles with Starling and Nationwide. Her recent role as Director of Enterprise Risk at Just Group allowed Susana to expand her experience and bring in her operational and enterprise risk management expertise to the retirement sector of the insurance industry.