In a regulated firm every programme is judged twice: by the board on value, and by the supervisor on customer outcomes and evidence. Most of what stalls here stalls on the second test. Vardonne plans for both from the first decision, so the evidence the FCA or the PRA, a skilled person, internal audit or the second line will ask for is produced as the work is done, not rebuilt at the end.
The same holds for AI. A model that cannot show its data lineage, its validation and its monitoring, and, where customers are affected, the point at which a person decides, will struggle at model risk review, however well it performs in the pilot.
Where we are brought in
A remediation programme under supervisory scrutiny
Redress, complaints handling and Consumer Duty remediation, where the affected population, the method and the evidence all have to stand up to challenge. Run to a plan the regulator can follow, with attestation points the responsible Senior Manager can sign.
Usually starts with Recovery or Delivery leadership
A model the second line will not sign off
An AI or machine learning model built, bought or half-deployed and stuck at model risk review. The inventory, validation, data lineage and monitoring that review expects, set out and put in place, with guardrails and human decision points for anything customer-facing.
Usually starts with AI readiness assessment or Enterprise strategy
Fraud and financial crime systems that underperform
Fraud detection, transaction monitoring and scam prevention where the vendor and the firm disagree about why the results are wrong. The implementation triaged, the contract read for what it actually requires, data readiness restored and scope reset to what the regulator needs first.
Usually starts with Delivery review or Recovery
A change portfolio the board cannot see
Transformation, core platform, integration and operational resilience work spread across entities and suppliers. Stage gates, budget traceability and one line of reporting to the executive committee and the board, with benefits tracked after go-live.
Usually starts with PMO as a service or Delivery leadership
An AI business case the finance committee will ratify
Run costs, licence and compute estimates and benefits stated in terms finance will accept before approval; or, after deployment, a check that the operating cost matches what was approved.
Usually starts with Operating financials
Where this has been done before
Programmes led by Vardonne’s managing director before the firm was founded; clients are not named.
Banking · Saudi Arabia
A machine learning fraud system, recovered
A failing vendor-led implementation, triaged for the chief executive: gap analysis, vendor dispute settled, governance and data readiness restored, scope reset to the regulator’s minimum and a second stage agreed.
4 months from failing to stable
Banking · UAE
The bank’s first customer-facing AI, into production
Enterprise data cleansed and made ready, guardrails defined and post-deployment governance set; an AI assistant and internal agent piloted while a failing technology portfolio was recovered.
1st customer-facing AI at the bank
Banking group · Seven countries
A transformation portfolio, led to the board
An $88M portfolio run through a directive PMO reporting to the Group CEO: stage gates, budget traceability, a data lake re-architecture and a $40M acquisition integrated.
$35M sustainable efficiencies
Banking · United Kingdom
Regulatory remediation under FCA scrutiny
A £167M consumer credit remediation programme and an end-to-end complaints operating model, delivered with the regulator in the room.
£167M in remediated funds, completed
In production at UK firms
From the use-case library: AI in live use at banks, insurers and lenders, each with its source, the reported outcome and what a comparable firm would need.
- AI call summaries and simplified complaint responses NatWest Group
- A knowledge assistant for colleagues answering customers Lloyds Banking Group
- Medical reports summarised for protection underwriting Aviva
- Scam checks inside the banking app Starling Bank
Tell us the situation and we will send the shape and the fee that fit. Start a conversation.