Training for a cross-disciplinary view of risk: interview with Jérôme Desponds, lecturer on the new ISFB Internal Control and Risk Management certificate.

September 1, 2025

In this interview, Jérôme Desponds, lecturer on the new ISFB Internal Control and Risk Management certificate, shares his vision of the course, his teaching approach and current issues in the field. He explains how the program enables participants to develop a cross-functional understanding of risks and acquire practical reflexes to better anticipate and manage complex situations.

Jérôme Desponds, you are a lecturer at ISFB, where you teach the brand new ISFB Internal Control and Risk Management certificate. What are your expectations and what approach will you adopt as a lecturer?

Firstly, being a lecturer is a fantastic learning opportunity. Interacting with professionals who deal with complex issues and specific questions on a daily basis enables us to discuss and reflect together on identifying options and choosing the solution that best responds to all the relevant facts. The strength of the group enables its members to benefit from the themes and concrete cases brought forward by each member, and to apply the practices discussed to their own professional environment.

In this respect, the diversity of the participants' activities, backgrounds and training also represents an additional opportunity to demonstrate creativity in solving practical problems.

I also pay a great deal of attention to the structure of the course: a precise, clear and, as far as possible, exhaustive thread offers more opportunities to deviate from it to address the questions raised by the participants. Naturally, the aim is to present, explain and illustrate the concepts and regulatory framework related to the module's theme (market risk management). But once the foundations have been laid, I propose to put market risk management into context and practice, in order to elicit reactions from participants and enable them to project themselves into their professional environment.

Can you tell us about your academic and professional background?

After obtaining a Master's degree in Law from the University of Lausanne, I decided to move into the banking sector and joined Arthur Andersen (later EY) in the banking audit department. For over 15 years, I worked for financial institutions operating in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino, and obtained my chartered accountancy diploma. These years also gave me the opportunity to intern with the Swiss Federal Banking Commission (now FINMA), to sit on the professional audit committees of EXPERTsuisse and to teach auditing for several years as a lecturer at HEC Lausanne.

I then joined Mirabaud as head of risk and compliance for the Group, also in charge of the credit, tax and IT security departments, and active as a member of the Executive Committee. Over the course of 9 years, I led several projects linked to the transformation of governance and the development of the business model.

My taste for customer contact and my intellectual interest in a wide range of issues motivated me to "dive back in" to the consulting field, first with KPMG from 2022 onwards, then today on my own.

What do you see as the main challenges facing internal control and risk management today?

The challenges are numerous and constantly evolving. But three fundamental trends will, in my view, have a major impact on this field. Firstly, with the development of regulations, institutions tend to manage their risk in silos; yet maintaining a global, cross-functional view is essential to prepare for the next crisis. Secondly, FINMA's intention to implement a senior management regime will extend the scope of employees subject to greater personal responsibility. Finally, digitalization and automation are strategic factors that must be integrated to ensure efficient risk management.

The ISFB Internal Control and Risk Management certificate will start soon, in October 2025. How can this program offer concrete solutions?

The certificate provides an answer to two of the challenges I mentioned earlier. Firstly, by providing a 360° view of the world of risk, it enables participants to take a cross-disciplinary approach, breaking down silos in order to appreciate practices, whatever the type of risk under consideration. Secondly, thanks to the involvement of lecturers whose professional backgrounds have enabled them to manage numerous specific, complex or crisis situations, participants will benefit from a wide range of practical case studies designed to develop their professional reflexes and reinforce their ability to make the right choices when faced with a new situation.

Jérôme Desponds

Managing Partner (ad fidem sàrl)

Member services related to the topics covered in this interview