Chief Compliance Officer

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We are a leading international law and professional services firm providing legal, corporate and fiduciary services to global corporations, financial institutions, capital market participants and investment fund managers. With a global presence spanning the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we advise on the laws of Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Ireland and Jersey.
We treat everyone as the intelligent professional they are. Our approach is to trust and empower our people to deliver consistently, and enable them to succeed. Diversity is our secret weapon – it’s the sheer breadth of Walkers people that makes us who we are – gathered from across the globe and fluent in languages, jurisdictions and cultures that help us to mirror our clients and keep our own thinking in tune with the world in which we operate.

THE TEAM

The General Counsel, Risk and Compliance (GCRC) team provides support to the global business, ensuring that the firm meets and maintains the highest standards in professional conduct and quality and adheres to its legal and regulatory requirements.

The team is led by Walker's General Counsel and Chief Risk and Compliance Officer (based in our London office) and is made up of over 100 risk and compliance professionals and lawyers based across our offices in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. Our London office serves as the GCRC team's hub.

THE ROLE

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced compliance professional with a background in the legal and/or professional services sector to lead the firm's global Compliance function.

Reporting to our General Counsel, this new group level position will have responsibility for compliance across both Walkers' law firm and professional services businesses globally, and play a pivotal role in devising and delivering the Compliance team's strategy to support the firm's ambitious growth plans.

The successful candidate will lead our growing Compliance team (currently numbering over 80 compliance professionals) to ensure continued compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements. The CCO will directly line manage our Director of Group Business Acceptance, Director of Financial Crime, Monitoring & Investigations, and our Head of Compliance Operations & Delivery. Between them, they are responsible for all aspects of compliance including: new client/business intake (including CDD/EDD and conflicts); ongoing monitoring and screening; investigations; regulatory engagement (including reporting and inspections); remediations; financial crime and regulatory compliance; policy and training; and horizon scanning.

This role is being introduced at a time of significant growth and investment in the team. Over the next three years, we anticipate significant transformation making best use of technology, processes and our people to ensure ongoing compliance and excellent service delivery to the business and our clients. The successful candidate will work with the GC, senior leadership team and key stakeholders to further define and deliver our target team shape and priorities that enable us to achieve our vision: to be the market leading legal, risk and compliance function that protects the business and supports Walkers’ strategy for growth through proactive risk and compliance oversight, technical excellence, efficiency, adaptability and client service.

• Line manage the Director of Group Business Acceptance, Director of Financial Crime, Monitoring & Investigations, and Head of Compliance Operations & Delivery.
• Responsible for the overall performance and output of the Compliance team (which currently numbers over 80 team members globally) across all areas of responsibility.
• Overall responsibility for our group Compliance policies, training and communications.
• Working with the GC and wider senior leadership team, build out and implement our team strategy in support of the firm's overall business strategy.
• Devise a phased programme of work which underpins our strategy, exploring and optimising our approach to/best use of technology/automation, people, policies controls and procedures (PCPs), and modes of service delivery.
• Oversee the planning, execution and delivery of various workstreams within our programme of work to ensure they are successfully delivered on time, within scope and in budget.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders across the business.
• Devise and lead people initiatives within the team to drive development, attraction and retention, and foster a high-performing, collaborative and open team culture.
• Provide regular reporting (including MI and horizon scanning) and present to/attend senior management/Boards.
• Represent Compliance in various cross-functional fora.
• Champion and drive compliance, risk management and high standards across the business.
• Drive quality, service excellence, efficiency, proactivity and adaptability across the team.
• Act as ultimate point of escalation for incidents and high risk clients/instructions referred from the team and the business.
• Act as principal contact for regulators and law enforcement in connection to inspections, returns, remediation exercises, and external reporting.
• Advise colleagues across the business on compliance issues.

Required

• Bachelor's degree in law, business, finance or another relevant field.
• Demonstrable experience in a compliance or in-house legal leadership role in an international law firm or professional services environment.
• Compliance subject matter expertise including deep knowledge of key AML/CTF regimes and requirements, financial crime compliance and other core legal and regulatory requirements relating to law and professional services firms.
• Extensive experience of people management, including leading large operational teams and devising and driving people initiatives (including around recruitment and development)
• Proven track record of delivering transformational change, including complex projects that optimise technology/automation and working with third party vendors.

Advantageous

• Experience working in an offshore environment or with offshore structures.

Personal Attributes

• Strategic: a strategic thinker with the ability to develop and deliver a clear vision and align priorities with the firm's overall strategy.
• Leadership: ability to lead and inspire the team, drive collaboration and foster a high-performing team culture.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills: solutions-orientated with the ability to interpret data to develop insights and recommendations.
• Adaptable: willingness to embrace change and uncertainty and manage competing demands in a dynamic and fast-paced environment; willing to constructively challenge the status quo.
• Communication: strong verbal and written communication skills, ensuring communications are properly targeted, persuasive, accurate and accessible.
• Collaborative: builds strong and effective relationships with stakeholders; works collaboratively with colleagues across the business.
• Commercial: an understanding of key financial management principles, experience managing budgets, and sound commercial decision-making; adopts a risk-based approach.

• Walkers is a global business and this role may therefore require audio or video conferencing outside of normal business hours.
• This role is based at our London office. However, our agile working policy does allow some working from home each week.
• Some international travel may be required.

No agencies please. 

#LI-LQ1

We are an equal opportunity employer. Equality, Equity and diversity are key to our global identity and an integral part of our goal to continue being an employer of choice. We are committed to a work environment that supports all individuals irrespective of gender, ethnicity, nationality, race, religion, marital status, age, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other applicable legally protected characteristics. We make every effort to ensure that employment opportunities are open and accessible to all on the basis of personal ability.