ComplyAdvantage Fintea Chats: Inside Lord Holmes of Richmond’s Vision for Technology, Leadership & Compliance

At the ComplyAdvantage Fintea Chats during the Catalyst event, Lord Holmes of Richmond MBE discussed a wide range of topics on technology, compliance, and why getting financial crime prevention right really matters.

Lord Holmes describes his role as being centred on how new technologies can be used for public, common, and private good with his focus spannings AI, blockchain, cyber, digital assets, and tokenisation with one constant priority: making sure the individual is always at the centre.

Reflecting on his biggest takeaway from Catalyst, Lord Holmes points to the power of people coming together around a shared mission: getting compliance right, at the right scale, and in the right place within organisations. For him, economic crime isn’t just a technical or regulatory issue, it’s a deeply human problem. Beyond the immediate harm to victims, there’s a wider social cost as every pound lost to fraud and financial crime is, as he puts it, is hospitals not built, teachers not hired, and nationwide opportunities never realised.

Looking at what excites him most about the direction of compliance, Lord Holmes highlights a clear shift upwards within organisations. While it’s frustrating to see powerful technologies misused by criminals, the upside is that compliance has moved firmly onto executive and boardroom agendas. That visibility, he argues, is essential as tackling economic crime requires leadership from the very top, across government, business, and society, and it needs to be done in a human way, guided by values and principles.

When asked about the challenge compliance teams face in proving their value, especially when success often means “nothing happens”, Lord Holmes is unequivocal in his support; offering a heartfelt thank you to compliance officers working behind the scenes to keep systems, economies, and individuals safe. Lord Holmes’ advice is simple but powerful: focus on the narrative. Clearly articulate the impact of what compliance teams do every day, and position that work at the heart of decision-making and when leaders understand the story, the value becomes impossible to ignore.

Looking ahead, Lord Holmes predicts that the next year will see compliance teams fully harness technology in ways that simply weren’t possible even a few years ago. If those tools are applied with human leadership, the results could be transformative. He stresses that this is a team sport, built on public-private partnerships, strong communities, and shared responsibility , and credits ComplyAdvantage for helping drive that collective momentum.

Lord Holmes’ message is clear: financial crime prevention isn’t just about systems and controls; it’s about people, leadership, and working together to protect society as a whole.