Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC)

Building ethical, transparent, and well-controlled organizations through regulatory alignment and risk intelligence.
Key offerings: Board governance, enterprise risk management, AML/CFT compliance, internal controls, policy frameworks, and SOP development & implementation to institutionalize best practices.

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Corporate Governance

Governance Framework Design & Implementation

• Corporate Governance Frameworks aligned with OECD, ADGM, DIFC, SCA.
• Governance Policies & Manuals (Code of Conduct, COI, Whistleblower, Disclosure).
• Delegation of Authority (DoA) and decision-rights design.
• Governance integration into strategy and operations.

Board & Committee Advisory

• Board composition and structure review.
• Board & Committee charters.
• Board performance and annual evaluations.
• Audit, Risk, Nomination Committee advisory.
• Board reporting templates and reporting framework design.

Governance Diagnostics & Maturity Assessment

• Governance maturity assessment (GMM).
• Gap analysis vs UAE CG Code & OECD principles.
• Governance health checks.
• Stakeholder mapping and governance risk analysis.

Risk Governance & Compliance Integration

• Risk governance frameworks aligned with ERM (COSO/ISO 31000).
• Compliance governance structure design.
• Governance–Risk–Compliance (GRC) integration.
• Risk appetite and oversight alignment.

ESG & Sustainability Governance

• ESG governance structures and committees.
• Sustainability and ESG policies.
• Non-financial reporting (GRI, SASB, UN SDG).
• ESG oversight and performance monitoring.

Policy, Process & Compliance Alignment

• Corporate policy and SOP development.
• Policy-to-process mapping and alignment.
• Compliance, AML/CFT & data governance reviews.
• Documented control frameworks.

Corporate Ethics & Culture

• Code of Ethics & cultural programs.
• Whistleblower framework and investigation protocols.
• Ethics and governance training.
• Tone-at-the-Top and culture diagnostics.

Training & Board Development

• Board induction and onboarding.
• Advanced governance and fiduciary workshops.
• Executive governance training.
• Committee-specific training (Audit, Risk, ESG, Remuneration).

Family Business & Private Sector Governance

• Family governance frameworks and charters.
• Succession planning and leadership transition.
• Balancing family vs corporate governance.
• Family office governance and investment policies.

Public & Institutional Governance

• Governance frameworks for GLEs and public entities.
• SOE governance and disclosure structures.
• Regulatory compliance and governance reviews.

Risk Advisory

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM)

• ERM frameworks aligned with COSO & ISO 31000.
• Risk policies, roles, and governance structure.
• Risk appetite & tolerance setting.
• Mapping of strategic, operational, financial & compliance risks.
• Risk registers and heat maps.
• KRI design and reporting dashboards.
• Risk assessments and management workshops.
• Integration of risk into strategy and budgeting.

Internal Controls & Risk-Based Audit

• Risk-based internal audit planning.
• Control design and effectiveness reviews.
• ICFR, SOX & COSO control frameworks.
• Control self-assessment (CSA).
• Segregation-of-duties (SOD) reviews.
• Process risk reviews (P2P, O2C, R2R).
• Automated testing using analytics tools (ACL, IDEA, Power BI).

Operational Risk Management

• Operational risk assessments and control mapping.
• Process-level risk registers and mitigation plans.
• Loss event database setup.
• Root-cause analysis of control failures.
• Vendor and outsourced process risk management.
• Operational KPI–KRI alignment.

Financial & Market Risk Advisory

Compliance & Regulatory Risk

• Compliance risk assessments and gap analysis.
• Compliance control frameworks and testing.
• AML/CFT assessment and monitoring.
• ESG & sustainability compliance checks.
• Data privacy, cyber & information security mapping.
• Compliance culture and governance training.

Strategic & Reputational Risk

• Strategic risk assessments linked to corporate plans.
• Reputation risk mapping & early-warning indicators.
• Media and stakeholder perception analysis.
• Crisis communication & reputation recovery.

Fraud Risk Management

• Enterprise fraud risk assessments.
• Anti-fraud frameworks and response plans.
• Whistleblowing design and implementation.
• Fraud analytics and anomaly detection.
• Investigation support and forensic reviews.
• Ethics and fraud awareness training.

Business Continuity & Crisis Management

• Business Impact Analysis (BIA).
• Business Continuity Management (BCM) frameworks.
• Crisis simulations and tabletop exercises.
• IT Disaster Recovery planning and testing.
• Emergency and pandemic response frameworks.

Technology & Cyber Risk

• IT risk assessments and control frameworks.
• Information security audits (ISO 27001 aligned).
• Cyber risk & vulnerability assessments.
• Data governance and privacy audits.
• Third-party IT vendor risk management.
• Cybersecurity awareness training.

Risk Culture, Governance & Training

• Risk framework documentation and manuals.
• Risk governance structure and committee roles.
• Customized risk training programs.
• ERM system & dashboard training.
• Performance-linked risk management workshops.

Compliance Advisory

Regulatory Compliance Advisory

• Regulatory gap assessments for UAE and free-zone requirements.
• Compliance frameworks and governance models (ISO 37301 aligned).
• Compliance policies, manuals, and escalation protocols.
• Regulatory compliance audits and filing reviews.
• Regulatory readiness before inspections.
• Coordination with FTA, SCA, CBUAE, ADGM, DIFC.

AML / CFT Compliance

• AML/CFT policy and procedure development.
• CDD / KYC framework design.
• Risk-based AML assessments and risk registers.
• Transaction monitoring setup and testing.
• STR/SAR training and awareness.
• Independent AML audits.
• Outsourced MLRO / AML Officer support.
• AML/CFT training programs.

Economic Substance Regulation (ESR) Compliance

• ESR applicability and activity assessment.
• Preparation and submission of ESR Notifications and Returns.
• ESR gap analysis and documentation review.
• Substance test validation (CIGA, board meetings, expenditure).
• ESR training for finance and compliance teams.

UBO & Corporate Transparency Compliance

• UBO structure mapping and verification.
• UBO declaration filing and ongoing updates.
• Nominee director/shareholder register maintenance.
• Ownership transparency and governance alignment.

Tax Compliance & Regulatory Filings

• VAT registration, filing, and reconciliation checks.
• Corporate tax registration and return preparation.
• Tax documentation control and audit readiness review.
• Tax risk management and compliance monitoring.
• FTA audit representation and communication support.

Data Privacy & Information Security Compliance

• Data protection and privacy framework design.
• Data inventory and classification reviews.
• Data retention and destruction policies.
• Third-party data risk assessments.
• Privacy and data-protection awareness sessions.

Corporate Governance & Compliance Integration

• Compliance governance models for Board & Committees.
• Compliance KPIs and reporting dashboards.
• Periodic compliance reporting to Audit/Risk Committees.
• GRC tools and automation (Power BI / Excel dashboards).

Ethics, Code of Conduct & Whistleblowing

• Code of Conduct development and rollout.
• Ethics and compliance awareness programs.
• Whistleblower policy design and hotline setup.
• Investigation protocols and disciplinary procedures.

Industry-Specific Regulatory Compliance (For financial, licensed, or specialized entities)

• CBUAE compliance (AML/KYC, risk governance).
• SCA compliance for brokers, dealers, and investment firms.
• DIFC/ADGM and Insurance Authority compliance alignment.
• Free-zone compliance filings and audits.

Training, Capacity Building & Certification

• Customized compliance training programs.
• AML/CFT, UBO, and regulatory workshops.
• Compliance simulation and practical exercises.
• Certification support (ICA, ACAMS, etc.).