Introduction

Effective corporate governance is fundamental to the stability, credibility, and long-term performance of financial institutions. Increasing regulatory expectations, stakeholder scrutiny, and systemic risk exposure require boards and senior professionals to apply governance principles with clarity and discipline. This Corporate Governance for Financial Institutions training course explains governance concepts, tools, and structures, while demonstrating how risk management, compliance, and internal audit operate as interconnected pillars.

The course provides practical guidance on implementing governance frameworks, aligning governance with organisational strategy, and improving cooperation among assurance functions. It also addresses barriers to effective governance and highlights lessons learned from crises and regulatory developments affecting financial institutions.

Key focus areas include:

Key Learning Outcomes

At the end of this training course, participants will be able to:

Training Methodology

This training course combines expert-led instruction with structured discussions, applied exercises, and practical analysis of governance challenges. Participants engage with real-world scenarios to evaluate governance effectiveness, explore assurance coordination, and translate concepts into actionable governance practices.

Corporate Governance for Financial Institutions

Who Should Attend?

This training course is ideal for professionals seeking to:

  • Board members and senior executives
  • Risk management professionals
  • Compliance and regulatory officers
  • Internal auditors and assurance specialists
  • Governance, legal, and control professionals
  • Senior managers within financial institutions

Course Outline

Day 1

Corporate Governance: What is it exactly? How to enforce it practically?

  • Definition, concept, rules, principles and added value
  • Barriers / obstacles that prevent full implementation of corporate governance
  • External & internal parties involved in governance process
  • Difference between executive and non-executive board members
  • Board committee: roles and responsibilities
  • Role of audit committee / risk management committee / remuneration committee
  • Understanding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and its importance
  • Board models: passive board, certifying board, engaged board, intervening board and operating board
Day 2

Risks of Poor Governance Boards & Poor Strategic Thinking and Planning

  • Role and responsibilities of strategic boards and strategic members
  • Role of strategic planning and thinking in driving organization's sustainable growth for within the context of sustainable development
  • Developing strategic planning culture is required to uphold organizations’ growth
  • Connecting challenges with strategic objectives
  • Digesting strategy's berries to ensure success

Risk Management, Compliance & Internal Audit Triangle

  • The fundamental differences and importance of its convergence
  • Overlapping: healthy or wasteful?
  • Cooperation & collaboration among these functions
  • Implications for the audit and governance arrangements
  • Implications for the risk management and risk appetite measures
  • Implications for the compliance and regulators requirements

 

Day 3

Risk-Based Internal Audit

  • What is risk-based internal auditing approach?
  • The transition from system-based to risk-based internal auditing
  • Risk-based audit methodology
  • Audit the control environment
  • Determination of internal auditing universe
  • Risk mapping / risk registration
  • Developing internal auditing plan to be approved by audit committee

Risk-Based Compliance

  • Definition, responsibilities, and goals of compliance
  • What is risk-based compliance approach?
  • What is the right profile of the chief compliance officer?
  • Money laundering threats and methods
  • Terrorist financing threats and methods
  • What is fraud? The fraud triangle & the fraud diamond
  • Behavioral red flags of perpetrators
  • Fraud risk factors: why people commit fraud?

 

Day 4

Risk Management: Risk Catalog & Risk Taxonomies

  • What is Enterprise Risk Management? Its universe, framework & fundamental concepts
  • Risk control self-assessment, key risk indicators & key performance indicators (KPI)
  • Business continuity plan vs. disaster recovery plan
  • Identifying credit risks / identifying financial risks
  • Identifying operational risks / identifying reputational risks
  • Identifying legal risks / identifying non-compliance risks
  • Identifying political risks / sovereign risks / country risks
  • Identifying ethical risks / fraudulent risks / criminal risks
Day 5

Identifying Risks and How to Mitigate It?

  • Risk taxonomies and organizational classification of risks

Board’s Role in the Crisis Management and Beyond

  • Board’s role during a crisis
  • Crisis management plans
  • Business lessons learned by leaders during crisis
  • Financial lessons learned from a pandemic
  • Role of the board and audit committee at time of pandemic

 

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Reserve your slot today and start your learning journey with us.

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Related Categories

Find Your Perfect Course in Related Categories

Investments · Accounting · Oversight
Board · Ethics · Accountability

FAQs

The course focuses on governance frameworks, board responsibilities, and the integration of risk management, compliance, and internal audit within financial institutions. 

Yes, it explores risk-based approaches across governance, internal audit, and compliance functions.

Yes, it is highly relevant for board members, committee members, and senior executives involved in governance oversight.

The course examines international frameworks, regulatory expectations, and their practical application.

Yes, it addresses board roles during crises, lessons learned, and governance resilience.

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