LADIES IN CONTROL

Across All Lines of Defence

Women shaping governance, risk, control, and resilience across organisations worldwide.

First line

Own and manage risk

Business and operational leaders who run processes and controls day to day.

Second line

Set frameworks and oversee

Risk, compliance, privacy, security and ESG specialists who guide and challenge.

Third line

Provide independent assurance

Internal audit and assurance leaders who report to boards and audit committees.

What is LIC?

Ladies in Control (LIC) is an international professional network dedicated to advancing women leaders in Governance, Risk, Internal Control, Compliance, Audit, Privacy, Cybersecurity, ESG and AI Governance. We bring together women across the control professions to connect, share expertise, develop leadership capabilities and advance their careers.

Governance & Leadership

Good governance depends on people who can challenge, decide and lead. LIC develops women who hold those responsibilities — from first management roles to the boardroom — and gives them a peer group that understands the weight of the work.

Control Functions & GRICC+AI

GRICC+AI is our shorthand for the disciplines that keep organisations accountable:

Global Women Network

Founded in Europe, with regional expansion planned into the GCC and North America. LIC is open at every career level — emerging professionals, established specialists, senior executives and aspiring board members.

Six strategic pillars

Everything LIC offers its members is organised around six pillars — from community and mentoring to recognition.

Community

Building meaningful professional connections through networking, knowledge exchange and regional communities.

Mentoring

Supporting emerging leaders, senior executives and aspiring board members through structured mentoring and intergenerational exchange.

Learning Academy

Advancing expertise across governance, risk, compliance, privacy, cybersecurity and AI governance.

Career Accelerator

Supporting career progression through professional development, executive branding, career guidance and leadership opportunities.

Thought Leadership

Amplifying women’s expertise through research, regulatory insights, publications and professional dialogue.

Recognition

Celebrating professional excellence, leadership, mentoring and contributions to the control professions.

Expert pillars

Eight areas of expertise anchor our content, events and contributors. Each pillar covers frameworks, regulation and day-to-day practice.

Governance

Board effectiveness, oversight and accountability — the structures that hold organisations to account.

Risk Management

Enterprise and operational risk, risk appetite, scenario analysis and resilience.

Internal Control

Control frameworks, design and testing, financial reporting controls and assurance mapping.

Compliance

Regulatory compliance, ethics, financial crime prevention and compliance culture.

ESG

Sustainability governance, reporting and assurance, due diligence and climate risk.

Cybersecurity

Cyber Risk Governance, operational resilience and security control assurance.

Data Protection & Privacy

Privacy programmes, data governance and cross-border data obligations.

Artificial Intelligence Governance

AI risk, model governance, assurance and emerging AI regulation.

Featured insights

Perspectives from practitioners across governance, risk, compliance and assurance.

Governance

The three lines, revisited: why collaboration beats separation

The Three Lines Model moved the conversation from defence to value. What does that mean for how risk, compliance and internal audit work together?

LIC Editorial Team2 min read

AI Governance

Getting ready for the EU AI Act: a starting point for control functions

The AI Act applies in stages. Control functions do not need to wait for every guideline to start building the foundations.

LIC Editorial Team2 min read

Risk

Risk appetite that boards actually use

Too many risk appetite statements are approved once a year and never consulted again. A few design choices make them part of real decisions.

LIC Editorial Team1 min read

Executive spotlight

“Featured executive’s quote — two or three sentences in her own words on leadership across the lines of defence.”

Mrs. Kabira Blouckhour

Founder & Co-Chair
Rushd Advisors

Upcoming events

Roundtables, technical webinars, leadership panels and networking sessions across our regions and online.

New dates are being finalised. Join the network to hear about upcoming roundtables, webinars and panels first.

Join a global network of women across governance and control functions.

We invite women working across Governance, Risk, Internal Control, Compliance and related disciplines to express their interest in joining Ladies in Control and contributing to its development.