The New Assurance Blueprint: Redefining Controls for FY26 Board Effectiveness 

Sponsored by Protecht 
Wednesday 15th October 2025
Searcys at The Gherkin, 30 St Mary Axe, City of London, London EC3A 8BF

As regulatory demands rise and boards face new declaration requirements, financial institutions must deliver robust, transparent control assurance. DORA and the revised UK Corporate Governance Code have shifted the focus from box-ticking to proving the effectiveness of material controls. This FStech roundtable event, sponsored by Protecht, will bring together senior risk and control assurance leaders to discuss the realities of building assurance programmes that inspire board-level confidence.

The conversation will address challenges in making control assurance effective, evidence and metrics for board sign-off, strategies for executive buy-in, and steps for operationalising assurance policies across all lines of defence. Key themes include balancing cost and value, tailoring approaches for IT and general controls, and the evolving role of automation and AI. The session will also cover the move from periodic to continuous assurance and how to stay ahead of regulatory expectations for FY26.

Attendees will gain peer insights and practical guidance to strengthen their control assurance frameworks and support confident board declarations.

Topics for discussion:

• What criteria define a truly “material” control in your organisation, and what types of evidence or metrics have most effectively convinced your Board of their effectiveness?

• How are you managing the shift from periodic testing to near-continuous assurance, and what approaches help risk and audit teams adapt without burnout?
  Controls come with a price tag. How do you measure and communicate the value of individual controls to support rational decisions about investment, automation, or retirement?

• What arguments or stories have proven most effective in securing C-suite commitment and funding for deeper assurance: risk reduction, regulatory readiness, cost savings, or something else?

• Looking ahead to FY26, what do you see as the most significant changes in board accountability and reporting obligations, and how are these shifts influencing your organisation’s approach to control assurance?

Timings for the evening:

18:00 – 18:30        Welcome and refreshments
18:30 – 20:00        Introduction to fellow guests and roundtable discussion
20:00 onwards     Complimentary three-course dinner

Brought to you by FStech