THE GLOBAL PERIMETER · 20 November 2026
Home · Nairobi

7th Annual Global Awards & Summit — Nairobi.

THE GLOBAL PERIMETER: building resilient institutions across borders. A global platform, an African home — the Awards & Summit convenes in Nairobi, East Africa's foremost financial and innovation hub.

● Voting Live

Public voting is open

Nominations have closed — cast your vote for the individuals and organisations you believe deserve recognition at the Nairobi Gala. The top 5 per category by public vote proceed to independent judging. Voting closes 15 August 2026.

Cast Your Vote →
About This Event

A global perimeter, anchored in Africa.

Regulators, bankers, fintech leaders, compliance professionals and policymakers gather for a day of rigorous dialogue and recognition — building homegrown solutions that reflect the region's own economic, cultural and institutional realities.

🏦

Maturing sector

Banking, insurance and capital markets professionalising fast.

📱

Mobile-first

Kenya's mobile-money ecosystem — a global reference point.

⚖️

Evolving regulation

ESAAMLG, central-bank directives and FATF evaluations.

🌍

Pan-African network

Nairobi joins Lagos in the Awards' history.

Who the Summit Is For

GRC is not a sector.

It is the infrastructure through which responsible institutions are governed. Financial crime is not solely a banking problem. Legal liability does not stop at national borders. Cyber risk does not respect industry boundaries. Third-party risk travels through entire supply chains. And institutional resilience cannot be owned by a single department.

Financial Services

Banking · Insurance · FinTech · Payments · Microfinance · Asset Management · Capital Markets · Digital Assets · Pensions

Legal & Professional Services

Law Firms · In-House Legal · General Counsel · Company Secretaries · Accountancy · Audit · Consulting · Insolvency · Forensics · Investigations

Technology & Telecommunications

Technology · Telecoms · Cybersecurity · Cloud · AI · Data · Digital Identity · RegTech · Platforms

Energy, Extractives & Infrastructure

Oil & Gas · Mining · Energy · Utilities · Engineering · Construction · Infrastructure

Real Estate & Property

Development · Real Estate · Estate Agency · Property Investment · Housing · Facilities Management

Healthcare & Life Sciences

Healthcare · Pharmaceuticals · Medical Technology · Health Insurance · Research

Consumer & Commercial

Retail · E-commerce · Manufacturing · FMCG · Hospitality · Media · Entertainment · Sports

Transport & Global Trade

Aviation · Maritime · Ports · Shipping · Logistics · Freight · Automotive · International Trade

Public & Third Sectors

Government · Regulators · Law Enforcement · State-Owned Enterprises · NGOs · Charities · Development · Education

Global Summit — 20 November 2026 · 09:00–15:00 EAT

Cross-sector by design.

Governance, risk, compliance and financial crime are no longer challenges belonging exclusively to banks. The 2026 Summit is built for financial services and the wider economy alike — legal and professional services, technology and telecoms, energy and extractives, healthcare, real estate, transport and trade, government and the third sector.

08:00
Registration, welcome breakfast & cross-sector networking
09:00
Global Opening — Welcome to Nairobi and to the 7th Annual Global Awards & Summit
09:10
Convener's Address — From Lagos to Nairobi: six years of heritage, a seventh-year transformation, one global community
09:25
Host Country Welcome
09:40
Opening keynote — THE GLOBAL PERIMETER · establishing GRC as an enterprise and societal issue, not a financial-services compliance discipline
10:00
Governance & Board Leadership — Global Leadership Panel: Governing Beyond Borders
10:40
Legal, Enforcement & Corporate Accountability — When Compliance Becomes a Legal Question
11:20
Networking & refreshment break
11:40
Financial Crime, AML/CFT & Fraud — Financial Crime Doesn't Stop at the Bank
12:20
Cross-Sector & Cross-Border Cooperation — Beyond Financial Services: Why GRC Is Now Everyone's Business
13:00
AI, Cyber, Data & Emerging Technology — AI, Cyber, RegTech & the Intelligent Enterprise
13:40
Cross-Sector & Cross-Border Cooperation — Across the Corridor: Global Corridors Dialogue
14:20
Risk & Institutional Resilience — Closing Boardroom: The Resilient Institution
14:50
THE NAIROBI DECLARATION — a global call for resilient institutions, closing conclusions from Nairobi 2026
15:00
Global Summit closes
15:00
Summit–Gala intermission — a three-hour protected break: delegate refresh, ballroom transformation, awards setup, technical rehearsal and media coordination
17:15
Red carpet & global reception
18:00
Global Awards Gala — five chapters: Governance & Organisational Excellence · Compliance & Financial Crime Prevention · Legal, Professional & Cross-Sector · Technology, Innovation, Women & Emerging Leadership · Global Honours
21:00
Formal event closes

Global Summit 09:00–15:00 EAT. Global Awards Gala 18:00–21:00 EAT. Every session belongs to one of nine programme themes. Programme provisional; speakers confirmed on a rolling basis.

Summit Sessions

Seven panels. Nine programme themes.

01
Governance & Board Leadership

Global Leadership Panel — Governing Beyond Borders

Regulator · Board/CEO · General Counsel · CRO/CCO · Public Sector · Industry leader. Cross-border expectations, corporate accountability, regulatory fragmentation, institutional resilience.

Plenary
02
Legal, Enforcement & Corporate Accountability

When Compliance Becomes a Legal Question

Senior Counsel · General Counsel · Regulator · Prosecutor · CCO/MLRO. Corporate criminal liability, personal accountability, privilege, cross-border investigations, professional enablers, beneficial ownership.

Flagship
03
Financial Crime, AML/CFT & Fraud

Financial Crime Doesn't Stop at the Bank

Banking · Legal · Telecoms/Technology · Real Estate/Extractives · Law Enforcement. Following money, assets, companies and professional enablers across industries.

Flagship
04
Cross-Sector & Cross-Border Cooperation

Beyond Financial Services — Why GRC Is Now Everyone's Business

Telecoms · Energy & Mining · Healthcare · Technology · Manufacturing · Transport · Real Estate. Enterprise risk, anti-bribery, third-party and supply-chain integrity, ESG, whistleblowing, board oversight.

Flagship
05
AI, Cyber, Data & Emerging Technology

AI, Cyber, RegTech & the Intelligent Enterprise

AI governance, deepfakes, synthetic identity, algorithmic accountability, model risk, digital identity, responsible AI — across every industry.

Panel
06
Cross-Sector & Cross-Border Cooperation

Across the Corridor — Global Corridors Dialogue

Africa · UK/Europe · Middle East/International · Multinational corporate. Trade, capital, sanctions, supply chains, corporate structures, cross-border investigations and regulatory cooperation.

Panel
07
Risk & Institutional Resilience

Closing Boardroom — The Resilient Institution

Board Director · General Counsel · CRO · CCO/MLRO · CISO · Internal Audit. Breaking the silos between governance, legal, risk, compliance, cyber and financial crime.

Boardroom
Speakers — 2026 Programme

The voices leading the global GRC conversation.

Keynotes and panellists drawn from banking, fintech, insurance, regulators, legal, RegTech and academia. Names confirmed on a rolling basis.

CCO
[To Be Announced]
Group Chief Compliance Officer — Tier-1 Commercial Bank, East Africa
FT
[To Be Announced]
Head of Compliance & Risk — Mobile Money / Digital Finance Platform
CRO
[To Be Announced]
Chief Risk Officer — Insurance / Asset Management, Africa
FIU
[To Be Announced]
Director — Financial Intelligence Unit, East Africa
CB
[To Be Announced]
Director, Financial Sector Supervision — Central Bank of Kenya or Equivalent
LAW
[To Be Announced]
Senior Partner, Financial Crime & Compliance — Pan-African Law Firm
RT
[To Be Announced]
Founder & CEO — East Africa RegTech / Compliance Technology
AC
[To Be Announced]
Professor, Governance Risk & Compliance — Leading East African University
Award Categories — 2026

Excellence recognised across every sector of the economy.

Six award pillars spanning every regulated sector — from financial services and fintech to energy, engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, aviation, telecoms and the public sector.

01

GRC & FinCrime Achievement

Banks, microfinance, fintech, insurance and asset management leading on AML/CFT and GRC.

02

Sector GRC Excellence

Energy, engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, aviation, telecoms, legal, agriculture & public sector.

03

Individual Leadership

Influencers, FinCrime and GRC leaders, cyber champions, auditors and rising stars.

04

Women in GRC & FinCrime

Recognising women advancing excellence and equity across the profession.

05

Media & Promoters

Reporters, publications, broadcasters and digital media advancing the conversation.

06

Providers & Lifetime

Training, advisory, RegTech and recruitment providers — plus the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Venue

Nairobi's address for international excellence.

The Radisson Blu sits on Elgon Road in Upper Hill — Nairobi's business and financial district, home to the regional offices of international banks, development finance institutions, regulators and multilaterals. It offers one of the largest conference facilities in Kenya: fourteen meeting spaces totalling 1,419 sq m, a 150 sq m exhibition area, and the 590 sq m Mount Kilimanjaro Ballroom.

271 guest rooms and suites are on site — worth booking, given a delegate day that runs from 08:00 registration to a 21:00 close.

Mount Kilimanjaro Ballroom14 meeting spaces150 sq m exhibition area271 guest rooms~10 min from CBD

🧳 A delegate travel pack — covering visa guidance, negotiated hotel rates, airport transfers and a suggested arrival schedule — is issued on registration. Most nationalities require a Kenya eVisa or Electronic Travel Authorisation; apply at least three weeks ahead.

✈️ From JKIA
~25–40 min
🛩️ From Wilson
~10–15 min
🏙️ From CBD
~10 min
🚕 Ride-hailing
Uber / Bolt 24/7
👥 Capacity
Up to 200 guests
✉️ Contact
events@grcfincrimeawards.com
While You're In Nairobi

Make the most of your visit.

Upper Hill and the surrounding districts offer excellent dining, shopping, culture and nature — all within easy reach of the venue.

🍽️ Dining, Shopping & Nightlife

Upper Hill & Hurlingham restaurantsYaya CentreWestlands nightlifeTwo Rivers MallThe Hub, Karen

🦒 Culture, Wildlife & Parks

Nairobi National ParkGiraffe CentreDavid Sheldrick Wildlife TrustKaren Blixen MuseumUhuru ParkNairobi Arboretum

💡 Tip for international delegates: Nairobi's altitude (~1,795m) and equatorial climate mean mild temperatures year-round (typically 15–25°C in November) — light layers by day, a jacket for cooler evenings. A valid passport and, for many nationalities, an eVisa or e-Travel Authorisation are required for entry into Kenya.