Elizabeth Martine

Elizabeth Martine is an ExCo-1 leader shaping the future of controls, data governance and AI risk within financial services. From operations apprentice to executive leadership, she has built more than 16 years’ experience across banking, wealth management and governance. She combines deep risk expertise with a passion for mentoring, coaching and developing the next generation of leaders.

What makes you a Risky Woman?

I’m a Risky Woman because I’ve rarely taken the obvious path. I’m curious by nature, enjoy solving complex problems and am always willing to take on something new. I also believe success means bringing others with you and creating opportunities for people who might otherwise be overlooked.

Name your top 3 achievements

1. Building a career from operations apprentice to ExCo-1 leadership in a FTSE250 organisation
2. Raising three children (and three step-children) whilst building a senior executive career and continuing my professional development.
3. Building and leading new enterprise capabilities in controls, data governance and responsible AI while helping develop future leaders through mentoring and coaching.

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

Returning from maternity leave and taking on a newly created enterprise controls and data governance role with no established team, remit or roadmap. With a young baby at home, it would have been easier to stay with something more familiar. Instead, I chose to take on a new challenge and build something from scratch.

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

Before building a career in financial services, I was a keen musician and played the oboe at the United Nations at 16.

What is the best quality for successful leaders in Risk?

Empathy for the business. The best risk leaders seek first to understand. When we genuinely understand the business, we can support innovation, help people make better decisions and become the brakes that make the business go faster.