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Description

Compliance Officer: Building Credibility, Positioning the Function and Being Heard

Being heard by business lines and senior management without being reduced to the role of internal gatekeeper

  • 1 day — 7 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Intermediate
  • Up to 6 participants

The Compliance Officer is expected to master the rules but is judged on influence. Business lines consult too late, senior management wants alerts but not blockages, and the function drifts towards producing procedures that no one reads. Credibility is rarely built on reporting lines alone.

This short-format programme works on posture as much as on method. Participants clarify their scope and mandate, learn to issue an opinion that commits without closing the discussion, to raise a disagreement with senior management, and to establish contact points within the business so that they are consulted before decisions are made.

Learning objectives

  • Define your scope of intervention and have it validated by senior management
  • Draft a reasoned compliance opinion that the business can act upon
  • Conduct a discussion with a reluctant operational manager
  • Raise a disagreement with senior management and keep a record of it
  • Build a network of compliance contact points across business lines
  • Measure the effectiveness of your framework beyond the volume of procedures

What makes this programme different

Difficult conversations with business lines are role-played and then debriefed
A compliance opinion drafted by participants is reworked so that the business can understand it
The mandate of the function is reformulated into a note addressed to senior management

Programme

1Mandate and positioning of the function

Setting the frame before persuading

  • Expected duties and boundaries with internal control and audit
  • Reporting line independence and resources of the function
  • Formalising the charter and the scope of intervention
  • Interaction with executives and governance bodies

2Convincing the business lines

Being consulted before the decision

  • Framing an opinion that is understandable and actionable
  • Handling late requests and urgent matters
  • Conducting a discussion with a reluctant counterpart
  • Running a network of compliance correspondents
  • Awareness sessions tailored to each department's activity

3Disagreement escalation and audit trail

Holding your position and documenting it

  • Escalating a disagreement to senior management
  • Drafting opinions and retaining written records
  • Handling reports and protecting the individuals involved
  • Compliance reporting to governing bodies
  • Effectiveness indicators for the framework

Who is it for

Newly appointed Compliance Officers as well as compliance managers and staff in control functions.

Prerequisites

Hold a compliance role or be about to take one up.

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.