CREW recently brought together a room of senior women in risk and compliance in Melbourne to talk honestly about that version of the job where you might be the only person in the room who sees the problem clearly, and also the only person whose job it is to say something about it. What follows are the takeaways the speakers have agreed to share.

Most product disclosure statements technically satisfy the regulatory standard. They are clear, concise and effective - on paper. At our recent PDS Managers Roundtable we heard from guest speaker Mia Lander, a clinical psychologist - we are designing PDSs for an ideal reader and that reader almost never exists - least of all at the time that a disclosure is actually read.

Design and Distribution Obligations (DDO) have now been embedded in the regulatory landscape for several years. Most organisations have completed the foundational work. TMDs are in place, frameworks are documented and processes exist. The question ASIC is now asking is more direct. Can you demonstrate that your framework is working in practice?

In financial services, the problem with hiring strong Product Management talent is not usually a lack of applicants. It is finding the right people in a market that is changing fast, where adaptability matters just as much as technical skill. A worthwhile read from our friend Victoria Butt at Parity Consulting.

At our recent ASFA National Legislation Discussion Group webinar we had special guest speaker Anthony Saliba, Partner in Deloitte's actuarial consulting practice discussing APRA's consultation on the Retirement Reporting Framework.

At our recent PDS Managers roundtable webinar, Emily Turnbull, Jillian Button and Julia Clemente from Allens provided a rundown of recent greenwashing actions and trends.

At our recent ASFA National Discussion Group, we had Andrew Brown from Adaptive Cultures join us to unpack what it really takes to create a genuine “Speak Up” culture. You’ve probably heard the line “Don’t come to me with a problem unless you have a solution". Read on as we explain why that line shuts people down and what you can say instead.

Product leaders across financial services are putting enormous effort into governance reform right now. More committees. More documentation. More oversight. More sign-off layers.