Search UK Finance

You can use the search function to find a range of UK Finance material, from consultation responses to thought leadership to blogs, or to find content on a range of topics from Brexit to commercial finance.

Diversity & Inclusion Series: Human Trafficking

  • 8 March 2021
  • 13:00 - 14:00

Part of the Diversity & Inclusion Series

Overview

How do we ask the difficult questions?

On International Women’s Day, when people all over the world join to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, UK Finance begins its D&I series by raising awareness of the role the financial services sector plays in tackling modern slavery and human trafficking. Not only a violation of victims’ human rights, trafficking has profound effects on national economies and the global supply chain. It is estimated that over 40 million people are currently enslaved, of whom 79 per cent are women and children.

Chair Karen Baxter, UK Finance’s MD, Information Strategy for Economic Crime, is joined by Pete Barnes, Group Head of Financial Crime Investigations at Standard Chartered Bank, and Geraldine Lawlor, Global Lead for Financial Crime, KPMG to discuss:

  • The findings of the recent financial sector report by the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner
  • How far can we use typologies from other crimes to identify trafficking, such as domestic violence and financial abuse
  • Whether current banking products go far enough to identify and protect victims
  • How governments and NGOs can work with banks and financial services to protect society’s most vulnerable
  • How we make better use of existing tools to help prevent and combat human trafficking in the digital age.

Save your spot

Event details

Venue

    Online

Date and time

    8 March 2021 13:00 - 14:00

Full and associate member rate

FREE

Non-member rate

FREE

Book now

The series aims to share information, provide advice, and support our members in challenging behaviours and addressing some of the current challenges facing the financial sector challenge behaviours.

Karen Baxter

Managing Director, Intelligence Strategy for Economic Crime

Karen joined UK Finance in October 2020 as Managing Director for Intelligence Strategy. Prior to this she was a police officer for nearly 29 years, starting her career in the Royal Ulster Constabulary and retiring from the City of London Police. Her final policing role was Commander and National Coordinator for Economic Crime across UK Policing. Karen’s responsibilities included Complex Fraud, Money Laundering, Overseas Anti-Corruption, Intellectual Property and the Economic Crime Academy. She deputised for the National Police Cyber lead and led on the ‘Protect strategy’ for cyber policing across UK.

As an investigator Karen has led and been operationally involved in virtually all aspects of serious crime investigation from organised criminality to safeguarding, murder and kidnap.

Karen has been key in areas of leadership including diversity and inclusion and the development of women and other minority groups across policing. She has a degree in Social Policy and holds a (Mst) with the University of Cambridge.

Pete Barnes

Group Head of i3 Financial Crime Investigations, Standard Chartered

Pete Barnes is Group Head of Financial Crime Investigations at Standard Chartered Bank. He oversees significant Financial Crime investigations across the Bank’s global footprint.

Pete has over 26 years of police and industry experience. During his 18 years in the Metropolitan Police he managed the intelligence and disruptions function of the National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit and was commended for his work in disrupting multi-million-pound drug smuggling operations. More recently he established and managed a European Intelligence and Investigations capability at Western Union.

Pete also leads the Bank’s involvement in the UK’s financial Information sharing project, the Joint Money Laundering Intelligence Taskforce. He chairs a cross industry and public sector working group on human trafficking and has delivered training to law enforcement in the UK and globally on the value of public private partnership in financial crime investigations, specifically in countering human trafficking.

 

Geraldine Lawlor

Global Head of Financial Crime, KPMG

Geraldine is known for her leadership in  financial crime having worked in a range of related roles covering advisory, global oversight, standard setting and operational design and delivery.  She is experienced in advising and engaging at the most senior levels within organisations as well as working effectively with Regulators for and on behalf of the bank and the Industry.  Prior to joining KPMG as their Global Head of Financial Crime, Geraldine was the Global Head of Financial Crime for Barclays plc responsible for the global design, implementation and delivery of an effective Financial Crime risk management strategy and policy framework.  

Throughout her career Geraldine has represented the bank and the industry on a number of working groups predominately in the UK, Ireland and Europe.   She has over 15 years chaired various financial crime related committees at industry level and prior to joining KPMG was the Industry lead on the Government led Economic Crime Reform programme.  She was a founding member of the management board of the Joint Money Laundering Intelligence Taskforce (JMLIT) and the UK Industry lead for the Anti Money Laundering arm of Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group (FELEG).

Ruth Dearnley, OBE

Chief Executive, STOP THE TRAFFIK

Over 15 years, Ruth has taken STOP THE TRAFFIK (STT) from an idea to an organisation with global impact.

Driven by her passion to educate, equip & inspire people Ruth brings social justice through creating systemic change. Ruth’s strong sense of calling drives her perseverance, resilience and innovation and her leadership style is always reaching outside in order to include. She has led a series of firsts, such as the first ever human trafficking (HT) global petition, HT global webcast and building the first ever global data hub to fight human trafficking. Ruth sees the future early and builds what is necessary for today. The UK Cabinet Office awarded her with an OBE in the 2014 British New Year Honours.