
Linda Hellström
After 12 years of work in the fund industry as CEO, legal counsel and compliance officer, I founded GRC WATCH. A B2B SaaS (RegTech) which is like a LinkedIn for due diligence. We help financial institutes to be compliant with challenging laws and mitigate counterparty risks. Hundreds of banks and fund managers are now part of the network and we have members from 28 countries.
What makes you a Risky Woman?
I'm a very business oriented legal counsel and I'm not afraid of trying new ways to solve challenges that the industry has had for a long time. No single person or company can standardize due diligence processes to 100 percent. However, I wanted to introduce a new concept that triggers the industry to move in that direction. To create a central place where we can all work together in a smart way. We call it "network due diligence" and we hope it will completely change the manual processes we have had in the past.
Name your top 3 achievements
- Founder of GRC WATCH - a due diligence network with asset managers and banks from 28 countries
- Founder of Law24 - consultancy firm offering services related to GRC
- CEO East Capital Asset Management AB
What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career?
When I left a high paying job for a low salary in order to start a tech company and work with something I'm really passionate about.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I've won the Swedish championship and European cup in floorball several times and I'm mostly proud of the relation I still have with that amazing team.
What is the best quality for successful leaders in Risk?
People who really understand the drivers of their business and not just the aspects related to GRC.