Resilience Must Be Strategic to Thrive in Volatile Markets

In a time of rising geopolitical tension and regulatory scrutiny, Michael Sparks emphasizes that resilience is not just a compliance exercise but a competitive differentiator. Representing BNY at CeFPro's recent Risk Evolve convention, he explains how global banks must go beyond tick-box regulation to integrate resilience into their commercial DNA.

This means embedding risk thinking into day-to-day operations, corporate culture, and strategic decision-making. For Sparks, “resilience is commercial”—clients need to trust in the strength and stability of their institutions.

He highlights that while large banks like BNY had existing frameworks that broadly aligned with new UK and EU resilience standards, the real challenge lies in managing cross-jurisdictional divergence and increasing third-party risk expectations.

For firms of all sizes, success hinges on a cultural mindset where risk and resilience are lived values. Rather than trying to predict the next major risk, leaders must adopt a holistic, data-informed approach to identifying vulnerabilities and protecting core business functions.