The Association of Governance, Risk & Compliance
David Symes
Managing Director
Compliance Recruitment Solutions
UK
David Symes is MD of Compliance Recruitment Solutions, a global recruitment firm managed by former compliance officers, and has almost 34 years of experience in the compliance sector.
He started his career with a leading City firm of chartered accountants and, after qualifying, worked in audit with Banque Indosuez. He then moved to Guardian Royal Exchange (then a FTSE 100 Insurance and Investments Group, now part of AXA) to set up their first compliance department.
Originally in charge of all investment management compliance, he became Deputy Head of Group Compliance and briefly Head of Life and Pensions Compliance too until he resigned over fraud issues, which were later reported by the national media as the Fraud Squad dawn raided offices and arrested the Board of Directors involved.
He then set up Compliance Recruitment Solutions, where he has recruited for regulated firms globally and regulatory authorities in the UK, the Middle East and Hong Kong, as well as consultancies and law firms.
David was President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants London Area from 2012 to 2013 and still chairs their Compliance Group. He also sits on the Advisory Board of MLROs.com and was chair of ACAMS UK Chapter from 2013 to 2017. He has spoken at compliance conferences in the UK and Middle East including those organised by ACAMS, the APCC, CISI & Thomson Reuters, and a couple of times has been a guest on LBC Radio discussing compliance and regulation.