In 2026, the divide between traditional financial institutions and emerging “Frontier Firms” has widened into more than a technological gap, it has become a regulatory fault line. As the FCA and PRA shift from principle‑based AI guidance to enforced explainability, attribution, and clear lines of individual accountability, senior leaders now face a stark challenge: How do you drive the AI‑powered transformation required for competitiveness, without exposing yourself to unmanageable personal liability under the Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SM&CR)?
This webinar brings together regulatory, resilience, and strategic leaders to unpack what responsible innovation looks like in an era defined by autonomous agents, algorithmic operations, and continuously learning systems.

Key Topics We’ll Cover:

• The Accountability Gap: In a world where autonomous agents make high‑stakes decisions, who is ultimately accountable?
  We explore the emerging liability landscape for 2026 and beyond, unpacking what “Reasonable Steps” documentation looks like when decisions are dynamic, self‑optimising, and machine‑led.
•  Operational Resilience 2.0: Under DORA and PS21/3, resilience expectations have evolved.
  We examine new requirements around AI Integrity — including how firms must respond when hallucination corrupts core systems, how to rebuild trust in compromised data, and why regulated entities must now maintain compliant “cleanrooms” for model recovery and audit.
• The Frontier Advantage: Just 5% of firms are outperforming the market by more than 3x — here’s why.
  We break down the technical, organisational, and governance characteristics that define Frontier Firms, and the steps institutions can take to escape “Pilot Purgatory” and scale AI safely into production.

Why Attend?

Financial institutions now operate at the intersection of innovation and personal accountability. This session will give you the clarity, frameworks, and practical considerations needed to:

• Embrace AI as a strategic differentiator
• Mitigate regulatory exposure under SM&CR
• Build resilient, auditable, production‑ready AI operations
• Position your institution as a true Frontier Firm

Meet the Speakers

Garth Niblock

FS&I Industry Lead at ANS

Garth Niblock is the Financial and Professional Services Industry Lead at ANS. With a robust background in both industries and Microsoft's technology portfolio. Garth brings over four years of experience from his tenure at Microsoft and knows how to get the best out of any investment. His extensive knowledge of Azure and its applications in positions him as a key player in driving digital transformations. Garth’s expertise enables organisations to leverage Azure for innovative solutions, enhancing efficiency and fostering growth in the digital age.

Chris Knox

Director, Global FS Regulatory Strategy & Policy at Microsoft

Chris is currently a global director within Microsoft’s Worldwide Financial Services Regulatory Strategy & Compliance team where he engages with regulators and customers on topics such as Operational Resilience, Cyber Security, Third-Party Risk and AI regulation. Prior to Microsoft, Chris was a regulator at the Bank of England, PRA focusing on Operational Resilience and Cloud Outsourcing across multiple Banking, Insurance, and Investment firms. Chris has also worked directly within the 1LoD and 2LoD within an Operational/Technology Risk capacity and started his career at KPMG in London. His professional certifications include CISSP, CISM, CISA & CRISC.

Mark Molyneux

CTO Northern Europe at Commvault

Mark Molyneux is a Technology Director with deep expertise in Group Storage, Virtualisation, and Public Cloud operations. With over 20 years of experience leading large, globally distributed teams, he is recognised as a strong senior leader skilled in strategic technology decision‑making, financial management, and workforce development. Mark has spent much of his career in Financial Services, including more than 12 years at Barclays, where he led the organisation’s Cloud and Global Storage strategy. His track record reflects a commitment to modernising infrastructure, driving innovation, and delivering technology capabilities at enterprise scale.