Adapting at the Speed of Change: Key Insights from Our Expert Panel

About the webinar

In our recent Strategy Booster webinar, Adapting at the Speed of Change, we focused on the challenges compliance teams face in keeping up with rapid regulatory developments. The discussion explored strategies for managing information overload, prioritising key updates, and turning compliance into a strategic enabler rather than a reactive function. The session also included practical steps firms can take to stay ahead of emerging regulatory trends.

Meet the panellists

The webinar was hosted by Adam Parkinson, Editor in the Vixio Insights team, and featured an expert panel:

• Frans Wiwanto, Managing Director, APAC, Flywire
• Kat Cloud, Head of Government Relations, Sumsub
• John Gidler, Head of Global Regulatory Research and Analysis, Vixio

These panellists shared real-world experiences and best practices for navigating the fast-changing compliance landscape.

Be collaborative, and don’t foster a ‘compliance against the rest of the business’ tension. It’s one company, we’re all in it together. Compliance is not just the responsibility of the compliance function - it’s the responsibility of every individual in the company.

_{- Frans Wiwanto, Managing Director of APAC, Flywire}

Questions we explored

The discussion addressed several critical questions facing compliance teams today:

1. What are the main risks for firms relying on manual tracking of compliance obligations?
2. How can teams manage information overload while prioritising key regulatory updates?
3. How can different business functions collaborate to ensure regulatory intelligence informs strategy and execution?
4. What are the emerging regulatory trends that firms should anticipate over the next 12–18 months?
5. What practical steps can businesses take to stay ahead of regulatory change?

Key insights from the panellists

Risks of manual tracking:
Manual tracking is resource-intensive, prone to human error, and often unsustainable as organisations scale. Teams risk missing key consultations or deadlines, which could impact growth or new market entry.

Managing information overload:
A risk-based approach is critical. Prioritising updates according to impact, leveraging existing insights, and implementing regional tagging or dashboards helps teams focus on what matters most.

Collaboration across functions:
Cross-functional alignment between sales, legal, and compliance ensures regulatory intelligence flows into strategic decisions. Steering committees, working groups, and engagement with trade associations facilitate knowledge sharing and prevent duplicated efforts.

Fostering a compliance culture:
Compliance should be seen as a business enabler, not a policing function. Embedding it across teams, incentivising compliance, providing interactive training, and involving legal and compliance early in product development are key to success.

Emerging regulatory trends:

• Operational resilience remains a global focus.
• AI governance, including transparency, explainability, and bias mitigation, is increasingly important.
• Cross-border payments, instant payments, and stablecoins continue to pose regulatory challenges.
• Consumer protection, age verification, and KYC are areas of heightened scrutiny.
• Deepfakes and AI-generated content are attracting proactive regulatory attention.

Action Points for payments compliance leaders

1. Automate horizon scanning: Invest in a scalable automated solution to minimise the risk of missing a regulatory update and track regulatory developments weekly. Use horizon scanning tools to monitor consultations, implementation timelines, and national deviations.
2. Create a compliance hub: Build a one-stop space on your organisation’s intranet that introduces your compliance team, provides some FAQs to help answer some common questions, and shares contact details for team members. This will improve accessibility and foster a collaborative compliance culture. 
3. Create a Regulatory Change Playbook: Establish and standardise processes.
4. Set up compliance committees: Establish committees for clear communication and to encourage a collaborative culture that repositions compliance as an enabler rather than a blocker.

By implementing these actions, firms can navigate regulatory change effectively, safeguard operations, and ensure compliance becomes a driver of strategic growth.

I would highly recommend Vixio, especially the Horizon Scanning tool. I check it minimum once a week, if not more. It has been incredibly helpful for me as I start to plan and communicate with the relevant teams. If you want to save yourself a lot of headaches and stress, definitely invest in a tool that you can trust and that you know will give you the relevant information you need to make your job ten times easier.

_{- Kat Cloud, Head of Government Relations, Sumsub}

Want to hear the full conversation?

Watch the full webinar on demand to hear our panellists’ in-depth perspectives, real-world examples, and practical guidance.