The Institute
Interview with Damien Repond: SAQ certification, a strategic asset for banks.
March 31, 2025
In the face of ever-increasing regulatory requirements, SAQ certification has become a key asset in guaranteeing advisory excellence and compliance for financial institutions. In this interview, Damien Repond sheds light on the impact of this certification and the best practices for supporting employees as they develop their skills.
On April 4, ISFB, in collaboration with BDO, is organizing an event entitled "SAQ, a strategic investment". Mr. Repond, how can this event help bank managers better understand SAQ certification?
Today's banking and financial institutions must continually train their staff to meet the demands of the regulator and offer their customers impeccable quality of advice and service.
ISFB's training and preparation program for SAQ CWMA Certification meets this need by offering a guarantee of quality to the staff of financial institutions, thanks to the training modules offered, the speakers who are all active in banks or financial companies, and the self-learning materials and resources made available under the supervision of a program director.
Why do you think SAQ certification has become a strategic asset for banks?
The training of banking staff is essential to ensure the effectiveness of an internal control system. Through training, employees must be able to better grasp the challenges and responsibilities incumbent upon them.
In this sense, being able to rely on SAQ-certified training courses is a strategic asset. These certifications enable bank managers to target a training catalog for their staff, enabling them not only to develop their skills but also to update their technical knowledge.
What new regulatory approaches will be explored at this event dedicated to SAQ certification?
As I mentioned earlier, training has become essential in the financial sector in order to comply with regulatory requirements and guarantee an efficient internal control system.
In addition to high-quality initial training, these regulatory requirements also call for ongoing training. In the past, training focused on management functions, control functions and internal auditing, but today all levels of a banking establishment are concerned, to varying degrees of course.
The implementation of the LSFIN required that front office staff also receive training. These employees must have both technical and behavioral skills.
From a regulatory point of view, we will see at this April 4 event that training requirements do not derive solely from the LSFIN. We will also see that audit firms must analyze the training programs set up by financial institutions.
How can managers optimize employee support for SAQ certification?
Firstly, I would say that banking establishments should not see these training courses as a mere obligation, but rather as an opportunity to improve their organization.
In this sense, I think it's a good idea to support employees throughout their training and re-certification. Asking them for feedback on what they have learned, shared with colleagues from other banking establishments, is also an opportunity to be taken into account. With most of its training courses taking place face-to-face, the ISFB aims to encourage these exchanges and collective learning.
