In the latest edition of the Axiol Roundup we cover the Spotlight Series, recent enforcement outcomes, Axiol’s new module and upcoming events.

Spotlight Series 

Over the past three months, we’ve filmed a spotlight series featuring Steve Sullivan, Group Head of Business Development and Sales at Axiol; Susanne Allen, Principal CRO consultant; and Vikki Pead, Chief Product Officer at Axiol. We have discussed AI in GRC, Regulations, Frameworks, Governance and Culture, and GRC Tooling. Clips of these chats are available on LinkedIn, and the full-length videos are on YouTube.

FCA enforcement outcomes 

In August, the FCA handed out numerous punishments to firms and individuals who had broken rules applicable to COCON 2.2.4R and Statement of Principle 6.

The FCA has prohibited Howard Roland Duckett and withdrawn his SMF3 and SMF16 approvals at Beauforce Corporation Limited (FCA, 2026d). The High Court disqualified him as a director for ten years in 2020, finding that he had lied on oath and relied on fabricated invoices in those proceedings. He then failed to notify the FCA of the disqualification, contrary to COCON 2.2.4R, and continued to hold senior management functions while disqualified. Worth checking that your annual fitness and propriety attestations ask about director disqualifications, and that someone verifies the answers – or contact Axiol to see how our new SMCR Certification module can help you.

Demetrios Hadjigeorgiou, former chief executive of SVS Securities Plc, has been fined £56,400 and prohibited from performing any senior management or significant influence functions (FCA, 2026e). The FCA found he breached Statement of Principle 6 between January 2018 and August 2019 by failing to manage conflicts of interest, treating due diligence as a formality where the investment decision had in substance already been taken, and assenting to a 10 per cent mark-down on fixed income disinvestments that earned SVS £359,800 at customers’ expense without proper disclosure. The breaches were categorised as negligent rather than deliberate.

His own team raised concerns about the mark-down repeatedly. The FCA’s criticism is that as chief executive he deferred to Compliance rather than deciding the fairness question himself. Escalation that goes nowhere does not discharge a senior manager’s responsibility.

For the full article, please click here.

New Complaints handing module 

The Axiol system’s new Complaints Handling module enables Customer Service and Compliance teams to manage the full complaints process in one centralised system, from initial logging and assessment through to investigation, response and closure.

It supports regulatory compliance through structured, bespoke workflows, deadline reminders, full-process tracking and a clear audit history. The module also provides management information on complaint status, outcomes and recurring complaint patterns, together with an exportable Complaints Register. Where appropriate, complaints can be escalated to the Incident or Breach module for further assessment and management.

Upcoming events

Risk Leadership: Rules of Engagement Roundtable – In November, we will host the latest roundtable in the Axiol Roundtable series; sign up through the link here!

Women in Risk and Compliance Roundtable – After our very successful Women in Risk roundtable hosted previously in partnership with Risky Women, we are pleased to announce we are running another for Women in Risk and Compliance in Q1 2027

Demos – If you’d like to see more of the Axiol system, click the link below to schedule a demo. A member of the team will reach out to you!