The forthcoming summit, which builds on the success of the three previous summits that City & Financial has organised on the SMCR, focuses on the key issues that all regulated firms need to get to grips with, whether they are asset managers and insurers who are finalising their implementation projects prior to coming within the ambit of the SMCR, or banks that are already within scope. The summit will address the needs of senior executives in all FCA and PRA regulated firms.

David Blunt, Head of Conduct Specialists, Financial Conduct Authority, has confirmed that he will give a keynote address.

The event has been made even more topical as a result of the recent publication of three FCA policy statements on the extension of the SMCR to all regulated firms and the FCA new Directory proposal. The former included guidance and set out the main features of the regime, details of how the move to the SMCR will happen and a summary of the necessary changes to the FCA rules. The Directory will include all those who hold Senior Manager positions requiring FCA approval and those whose roles require firms to certify that they are fit and proper. Simultaneously, the PRA also published a number of papers related to the extension of the SMCR to insurance companies. 

In addition to covering the content of these publications, the following issues will be addressed:

• Managing an FCA investigation and mitigating reputational risk: lessons from the FCA’s approach to investigations of, and enforcement against, senior managers
• Practical challenges that banks have encountered in implementing the SMCR to date
• How to manage hand over of roles between senior managers, including onboarding new senior managers in light of the SMCR
• Re-engineering management information systems to provide senior managers with the information they need to discharge their SMCR responsibilities
• What constitutes reasonable steps under the Duty of Responsibility and what evidence do you need?
• The proposed Directory and how to implement an effective certification process
• Enabling a ‘speak up culture’ that protects whistle blowers
• How to put in place effective mechanisms for identifying assessing and recording breaches of the Conduct Rules
• Strengthening performance management systems so that they encourage compliance with SMCR
• Complex transaction and data reporting requirements (e.g. MiFID II and EMIR): what are the implications for senior managers under the regime?
• The link between the SMCR and organisational culture: has the introduction of the SMCR been a catalyst for real change? How could it be improved?