Episodes

Welcome to SMF Capital, specialist recruiters for senior management functions and compliance leadership. Today we are looking at appointing a Chief Compliance Officer or Head of Compliance in an FCA-regulated business. If your firm needs to recruit a CCO or Head of Compliance, our specialist service is here: https://www.smfcapital.co.uk/chief-compliance-officer-recruitment/ Understanding the role In most FCA-regulated firms, the Chief Compliance Officer or Head of Compliance holds SMF16 – Com...

Welcome to SMF Capital. In this episode, we look at fractional Compliance Officers and the SMF16 Compliance Oversight function: why regulated firms use fractional appointments, what the FCA expects and how to recruit the right individual. For smaller financial services businesses, employing a full-time Compliance Officer may not be practical. The firm still needs experienced regulatory oversight, but perhaps only for one or two days a week. A fractional SMF16 can provide that senior expertise w...

Welcome to SMF Capital, the specialist recruitment business for Senior Management Functions and senior regulatory appointments across UK financial services. In this episode, we are looking at career opportunities for compliance officers, Heads of Compliance, Money Laundering Reporting Officers and financial crime professionals. We will explore the different types of roles available, what firms are looking for, how experienced compliance professionals can move into their first Senior Management ...

Today we're talking about something slightly different from our usual discussions about senior compliance recruitment. SMF Capital has created a growing library of free guides and practical resources for FCA-regulated firms, particularly smaller businesses that need to understand their regulatory responsibilities without immediately bringing in a large consultancy team. The resources are available completely free from the SMF Capital website. You can access the full collection here: SMF Capit...

Welcome to another episode from SMF Capital. Today we're looking at something particularly practical for FCA-regulated firms: free compliance templates. It's one thing to understand what the FCA expects. It's another thing to actually create the documents and governance structures needed to demonstrate that your firm is meeting those expectations. SMF Capital has created a collection of free templates designed to give smaller regulated businesses a practical starting point. You can access the...

Welcome to the SMF Capital podcast. Today we're looking at a question increasingly being asked by smaller and growing FCA-regulated firms: Do you need a full-time Compliance Officer, or could an outsourced or fractional Compliance Officer provide the right solution? SMF Capital has produced a detailed guide to outsourced Compliance Officers: Outsourced Compliance Officer – SMF Capital For many smaller regulated firms, a full-time senior compliance appointment may not be necessary. But that do...

Welcome to another episode from SMF Capital, focusing on senior compliance appointments within FCA-regulated businesses. Today we're looking at an increasingly common requirement: finding a Compliance Officer for an insurance broker or MGA, particularly where the business needs experienced regulatory oversight without necessarily employing a full-time Head of Compliance. You can find the full SMF Capital guide here: Compliance Officer for Insurance Brokers and MGAs Why insurance experience ma...

Welcome to another episode from SMF Capital, exploring the people and expertise required by FCA-regulated businesses. Today, we're looking at CASS 5, the FCA's client money rules for insurance brokers and intermediaries. We'll explain the main requirements, common problems and why having the right finance and compliance professionals is essential. Read the full guide at SMF Capital – CASS 5 Client Money. What is CASS 5? CASS 5 applies to insurance intermediaries that receive or hold money fo...

Welcome to another episode from SMF Capital. Today, we're looking at how insurance brokers can become directly authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, the people they need in place, and how to prepare for the application process. Whether you're establishing a new brokerage or leaving a network after operating as an appointed representative, direct authorisation offers greater independence. But it also means taking responsibility for compliance, governance, financial resources and regul...

Today we're looking at four specialist recruitment businesses that cover some of the most important senior, regulatory, finance and tax appointments facing UK businesses: SMF Capital, Regulatory Capital, Tax Capital and FD Capital Group. The four websites are: www.smfcapital.co.uk www.regulatorycapital.co.uk www.taxcapital.co.uk www.fdcapitalgroup.co.uk Together, they represent a specialist approach to recruitment: rather than trying to be everything to everyone, each business focuses on a pa...

Today we're looking at one of the most important parts of an effective compliance function: compliance monitoring. For FCA-regulated firms, compliance monitoring is much more than a box-ticking exercise. It is the process of checking whether the business is actually complying with its regulatory obligations, following its own policies and procedures, operating effective controls and delivering the outcomes customers should receive. SMF Capital has produced a detailed guide to the subject: htt...

Welcome to SMF Unlocked, the podcast for anyone recruiting, holding, or thinking about taking on an FCA Senior Manager Function. I’m Adrian Lawrence, founder of SMF Capital, and every search we run is led by me personally. Today we’re focusing on one place that dominates the UK Senior Manager market more than any other: London. If you’re hiring a Senior Manager in London – or you’re an approved person weighing up your next move in the city – this episode is for you. We’re going to look at why L...

Welcome to SMF Unlocked, the podcast exploring senior management, regulatory accountability and recruitment across UK financial services. In this episode, we’re focusing on SMF Capital: who we are, what we do, and how we help FCA and PRA-regulated firms recruit the senior people they need. That is where specialist recruitment can make a difference. SMF Capital was established to focus on Senior Manager Function appointments, bringing together recruitment expertise and an understanding of the ...

Welcome to SMF Unlocked, the podcast from SMF Capital for anyone involved in FCA Senior Management Functions. If you are a board member, senior executive, compliance professional, HR or governance specialist, investor, or someone considering taking on an SMF appointment, this podcast is designed to make the Senior Managers and Certification Regime easier to understand in practical terms. The aim is straightforward. Rather than simply repeating regulatory terminology, each episode looks at a s...

Welcome to SMF Unlocked, the podcast from SMF Capital. Today we are looking at an issue that can become particularly important when recruiting senior people into regulated financial services: regulatory references and the FCA's six-year rule. For an individual applying for an SMF, taking on a certification function or moving into another regulated senior position, references are not simply a standard HR formality. The regulatory reference process can provide important information about a pers...

Welcome to SMF Unlocked, the podcast from SMF Capital. Today we are looking at one of the most important aspects of being an FCA Senior Management Function holder: the Conduct Rules. For an SMF, regulatory responsibility is not simply about having a particular job title or being approved by the FCA. Senior managers are subject to specific standards of behaviour and have personal accountability for the areas of the business for which they are responsible. The FCA's Conduct Rules set minimum st...

Welcome to the SMF Capital podcast. When should you build your Senior Management Function team? For a new regulated business, it can be tempting to concentrate first on the business plan, technology, product and commercial team, and leave the senior regulatory structure until later. But the people responsible for the firm's key functions are not simply an organisational detail to be added at the end. The FCA expects individuals performing Senior Management Functions to be approved before they...

Welcome to the SMF Capital podcast. Today we're looking at a transition that can significantly change the senior management structure of a regulated business: moving from Core to Enhanced SM&CR status. For a growing financial services firm, reaching the point where enhanced requirements apply is an important stage of development. It can mean additional Senior Management Functions, more formal allocation of responsibilities and a greater need for a coordinated board and executive structure...

Welcome to the SMF Capital podcast. Today we're looking at an important governance question for regulated firms: Is your Responsibilities Map actually fit for purpose? For an Enhanced firm, the Responsibilities Map is not simply a document prepared for the regulator and then filed away. It should provide a clear picture of how the firm is managed, how responsibilities are allocated between senior managers, and where accountability sits across the organisation. What Is a Responsibilities Map? ...

Welcome to the SMF Capital podcast. Today we are looking at SMF19 – the Head of Third Country Branch function and the particular responsibilities involved when an overseas financial services firm operates through a branch in the United Kingdom. For an international firm, establishing a UK branch is not simply a question of bringing an overseas business model into a new market. The UK branch operates within a UK regulatory framework, and the firm needs clear local accountability for the activi...

Welcome to the SMF Capital podcast. Today we are looking at two important Senior Management Functions within the UK's Senior Managers and Certification Regime: SMF16, Compliance Oversight, and SMF17, the Money Laundering Reporting Officer, or MLRO. These roles sit at the heart of a firm's regulatory framework. They involve responsibility for compliance, financial crime controls and escalation of significant regulatory concerns. They can also carry substantial personal responsibility for the i...

Today we're looking at SMF24, the Chief Operations Function — a Senior Management Function that has become increasingly important as operational resilience, technology risk and third-party dependency have moved much closer to the centre of regulatory supervision. The modern Chief Operating Officer in a regulated business is no longer simply responsible for making sure the organisation runs smoothly. The role can involve responsibility for the systems, processes, technology and operational inf...

Today we're looking at an important change to the Senior Managers and Certification Regime that came into force on 24 April 2026: the revised 12-week rule for providing temporary cover when an SMF holder is absent or unexpectedly leaves a regulated firm. The change gives firms greater flexibility when an important senior management position suddenly becomes vacant. But the 12-week rule is not a substitute for proper succession planning or a permanent recruitment process. In this episode, we'l...

Today we're looking at a growing question for regulated businesses: does an important Senior Management Function always need to be a full-time executive appointment? For some firms, the answer may be yes. For others, particularly smaller regulated businesses or firms going through a period of transition, a fractional SMF can provide access to experienced senior leadership without creating a full-time permanent position. In this episode, we'll explore when fractional SMF support can make sense...