Special episode: How to cut red tape for financial leaders while raising conduct standards with Penny Miller and Andrea Finn of Simmons & Simmons

Today’s episode is part of a special series of Following the Rules produced in association with Simmons & Simmons, an international law firm supporting financial institutions across the global regulatory landscape.

The series offers practical insights to help financial services firms navigate legal, regulatory, technological, and cultural change.

In this episode, we explore two closely-linked developments set to reshape the compliance agenda: reforms to the UK’s senior managers regime, and the FCA’s new rules on toxic workplace behaviour, which will bring bullying, harassment, and discrimination within the scope of regulatory misconduct from 2026.

So, what do these changes mean for senior managers and their teams? How can firms strike the right balance between cutting red tape and maintaining strong accountability? And how should legal, compliance and HR functions prepare for regulator’s growing focus on culture and non-financial misconduct?

Joining me to discuss these questions are: Penny Miller, who leads Simmons & Simmons' UK business and is a partner in its Financial Services Regulatory Group, advising global banks and asset managers on complex UK and cross-border regulatory issues and, Andrea Finn, a partner who heads the UK Employment and Pensions Group at Simmons & Simmons, specialising in employment and conduct matters, with extensive experience helping firms navigate the overlap between regulatory and employment law.

--- Short on time? You can read the episode highlights on The Banker's Risk & Regulation hub...