Elise Soucie Watts

Part of the Innovate Finance Standout 45 on the Women in Fintech Powerlist 2024 as a Regulator and Policy Expert and Women in Finance UK’s 2022 Next Generation Leader of the Year for her work on global digital assets and data policy. In the past 6 years Elise moved from the FCA working across their Tech Resilience and Cyber Division, leading digital assets and data policy work at AFME, to her current role as Executive Director of Global Digital Finance.

What makes you a Risky Woman?

I never stop taking risks to develop innovative and future proof regulatory frameworks globally. Speaking up in male dominated spaces and working to improve and challenge policy outcomes for the good of the ecosystem around the world is risky and tough technical work but I love it!

Name your top 3 achievements

1. As executive director of GDF I run our policy and regulatory programme and focus on strengthening the digital finance ecosystem via community partnerships and cooperative efforts around policy and regulatory topics.
2. This work occurs around the globe including consultation responses, industry working groups and outreach programmes with policymakers, central bankers, and government departments. Since I joined GDF, we now have active policy working groups covering EU, UK, APAC and MENA regions. I ran strategic policy programmes globally from Washington DC, evidence sessions in Westminster via our Digital Finance APPG, Staking Sessions to brief EU and UK authorities, and similar initiatives Dubai, Abu Dhabi & Singapore.
3. Direct impacts include the Smart Contract Primer which I coauthored being used by MAS’ Project Guardian, core recommendations from the Digital Finance APPG report which I led on being used by the UK government on Gilts, and staking being clarified as not a CIS under UK FSMA.

What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career?

Moving from counterterrorism (living/working in the US) and my international relations/security background to changing career paths and countries to work in financial regulation. I had to apply what I knew about security to cyber security but also tackle a steep learning curve to keep pace with rapid evolutions in digitisation.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

My love for tech policy – and how we can achieve optimal digital outcomes – stems from a love of cautionary sci-fi like Huxley’s Brave New World. Though more people probably know about this now following the launch of the podcast I co-host, The Outside Context.

What is the best quality for successful leaders in Risk?

Curiosity and a ceaseless desire to continue to learn.