Robert Brooker

What do you love about your job?

As a consultant I love the fact no two days are ever the same, the variety of work continually makes it interesting.

What do you dislike about your job?

As a consultant we meet some great people at our clients, but we only get to see them for a short period of time as opposed to them being a work place colleague.

What advice would you give a junior coming into the industry now?

I am jealous of juniors entering the Financial Crime space now as the opportunities are far greater than when I started, so get qualified in all aspects of FC and continue to work across all for as long as possible. Do not become pigeon holed as a specialist in a particular area. Remember we are all getting old at the same time, leaving plenty of opportunities for the next generation.

What do you see as the biggest advance in technology in your field in the last 5 years?

Technology has grown beyond recognition over the last 5 years and obviously AI is the area we are all talking about and working with different platforms. Just remember the bad guys are already ahead of us, so make sure we are on their coat tails. Do not be scared of technology, go with it, see where it takes you!

What excites you about the future of your industry?

The Financial Crime world is always exciting as no one stands still and the fraudsters are exploiting new processes and technology to their advantage so really looking forward to the next 12 months as we counter act them with the use of technology, legislation and how it evolves and the emergence of the younger generation taking FC onto the next level. Along with collaboration across industries as well as Private and Public sector sharing data to apprehend the criminals.

What is the biggest challenge you see in your role over the next 12 months?

The biggest challenges we imminently face is the extension of the financial/energy crisis whereby the situation will get worse before it gets better and desperate times call for desperate measures so we need to be on our guard and looking inwardly at the insider threat as more people are struggling to put bread on the table or keep a roof over their family’s head.

What is the biggest curveball question you have ever been asked in an interview?

As an interviewer, a potential candidate asked me “how long do you intend to be in position, are you part of the furniture or is it worth me taking this any further?” I answered that question for them and they soon left.

What trait are you looking for from everybody you interview?

Enthusiasm and a desire to make a difference are traits I always look for in candidates when interviewed. We all need to enjoy what we do and never sit still.

One fact about you that nobody knows?

One fact not many know about me is I am a kidney transplant patient having had a successful operation in 2012 whereby my long term partner donated me her kidney.

What do your days off look like?

Days away from Financial Crime are spent walking my 20 month Weimaraner, watching Watford FC in the winter and golfing in the summer, a fair weather player nowadays though.

What is the worst gift you have ever been given?

My kidney is the best gift I have ever received and consider myself so lucky I have never received a poor gift as I am always grateful of small mercies.

We would like to thank Robert for his generous time and for the personal insight into his life and journey. If you would like to feature in this informal, fun series aimed at creating a community of senior people who meet and network then please reach out to us on hello@dnevo.com. We would love to hear from you!