Compliance is the industry where ideals meet enforcement. That’s the take we’ve drawn from our recent session with Delphine Forma — a compliance leader whose path runs through traditional banking, regulators, and crypto companies — as part of our Women Leading the Way series. We talked about what pulls people into this work, how to earn authority in male-heavy spaces, and why community often matters as much as any rulebook.
Delphine’s path didn’t start in “finance” in its classic sense. It took root in political science and law at Sciences Po, then human rights law in the U.S. Plus, she has an experience with organisations such as the Council of Europe, Eurojust, and Interpol.
Over time, she grew frustrated with how diluted impact can become when politics shape decisions. She decided to fight financial crime, noting, “when you cut money from criminals, the impact is tangible and direct.”
In the interview, Delphine is candid about what builds real credibility in compliance: impact over optics, and consistency over titles. She recalls how quickly the pace changes once you move from banking into crypto. Delphine also points to gender dynamics that still shape who people trust by default, and why sponsorship matters when senior roles still often appeal to “fit.”
Delphine also puts an emphasis on two ideas. First, community is not a nice-to-have in compliance — it’s how decisions get pressure-tested. “We share best practices, exchange templates for policies, procedures, and training, and pressure-test decisions together,” she says. Second, confidence remains a notable barrier for many women, even when expertise is there.
Looking in the future, Delphine’s advice is simple and usable: “trust yourself, be bold, and be confident.” Build your peer network early, ask for help directly, and aim to become a trusted partner to the business before product decisions harden.
👉 Read the full interview with Delphine: https://womenlead.co.uk/ideas/delphine-forma
