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 authority is earned 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 experience with organisations such as the Council of Europe, Eurojust, and Interpol. 

Over time, she grew frustrated with how diluted impact can become when decisions are shaped by politics, and decided to fight financial crime because, as she notes, “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, and why that shift forces sharper judgment. She also points to gender dynamics that still shape who gets trusted by default, and why sponsorship matters when senior roles are still often built around “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 in Women Leading the Way by Drofa Comms: https://womenlead.co.uk/ideas/delphine-forma