Governance vs. Agility: Can Risk Leaders Keep Up with the Speed of Tech?

Video

How can risk professionals avoid becoming blockers in the age of rapid tech advancement? Sean Titley explores how to enable innovation without compromising governance, oversight, and board accountability.

May 05, 2025

Ellie Dowsett, Growth Marketing Manager, CeFPro

Sean Titley, Deputy CRO, The Bank of London

Tags: AI and Technology (including Fintech)

The views and opinions expressed in this content are those of the thought leader as an individual and are not attributed to CeFPro or any other organization

In this interview from CeFPro’s Risk Evolve convention, risk expert Sean Titley discusses the governance challenges posed by emerging technologies and the imperative for risk professionals to shift from gatekeepers to enablers. As innovation accelerates—particularly in AI and cybersecurity—governance frameworks must evolve to remain effective without stifling agility. Titley emphasizes that risk teams should be embedded early in the tech lifecycle, not brought in as a post-mortem, enabling them to co-engineer solutions rather than unwind missteps.

He shares that board-level buy-in remains essential, not only through strategic alignment but also through education. Boards must become more tech-literate, supported by regular training and direct access to subject matter experts like CISOs, alongside second-line insights to contextualize risk. This ensures board members understand the implications of technological decisions and remain accountable under regimes such as the UK’s SMCR.

Titley also touches on the importance of cross-functional collaboration to prevent risks from being addressed in silos. With operational resilience as a growing regulatory and strategic priority, integrated risk views are critical. Events like Risk Evolve play a pivotal role in breaking down those barriers, providing a broader risk horizon. Finally, Titley underscores that the expanding risk landscape—from geopolitical shifts to cyber threats—makes continued evolution in governance not just a challenge, but a necessity.

Ellie Dowsett Bio

Biography coming soon

Sean Titley Bio

A leading member of the operational risk community in London, with over 30 years of experience in risk management, Sean is Deputy CRO at the Bank of London and an advisor on operational risk to the Institute of Risk Management, Risk.Net and CefPro. He is also a regular speaker on the subject at conferences, webinars and industry forums, including speaking to his extensive network of practitioners, advisors and regulators. Sean has worked in the first and second lines of defence as a risk director and in an advisory and audit capacity, including extensive experience in wholesale capital markets, corporate lending, asset finance, retail banking and payment services at major banks and smaller institutions At the Bank of London, Sean is responsible for the Bank’s approach to enterprise and operational risk, including risk governance, culture and appetite. Prior to that, Sean operated as an independent consultant, working for a range of clients and providing training on topics including risk management frameworks, the three lines of defence, GRC tool implementation, operational risk and resilience, third party risk, model risk and governance and culture. Previous permanent roles included Director of Enterprise, Operational and Model Risk at Metro Bank.