International network for women in Governance, Risk, Internal Control and Compliance

About LIC

Why Ladies in Control exists, how it is organised and where it is going.

Our story

LIC exists to connect women across the control professions — and to make their leadership visible.

Where it started

Ladies in Control grew from a simple observation: women are building strong careers across governance, risk, compliance and audit, yet they rarely meet across disciplines — and are still less visible in the rooms where the profession’s direction is set.

The gap we address

Professional bodies are usually organised by discipline. Few connect audit, risk, compliance, privacy, cyber and ESG, and fewer still focus on developing women leaders across them. As regulation converges on accountability, resilience and AI, that siloed model leaves talent unconnected.

Why women in control functions

Control functions sit at the centre of how organisations make and defend decisions. Women work in every line of defence, but the most senior roles — chief risk officer, chief audit executive, board director — remain less balanced. LIC exists to close that distance through community, mentoring and visibility.

Our vision

To become the leading international network for women in Governance, Risk, Internal Control, Compliance and related control functions.

Our mission

To empower women leaders through networking, mentoring, knowledge sharing, professional development, thought leadership and career acceleration.

Our ambition

To build an international community where women in control functions can connect, learn, mentor, lead and gain recognition for their professional contributions.

Phase 1 — Foundation

Europe

Our founding region. Building the first community, programme and governance structures.

Phase 2 — Expansion

GCC

Regional expansion across the Gulf Cooperation Council, with chapters and regional events.

Phase 3 — Expansion

North America

Regional expansion into the United States and Canada.

What is GRICC+AI?

GRICC+AI brings together the disciplines that govern, protect and assure an organisation: Governance, Risk, Internal Control, Compliance — plus ESG, cybersecurity, data protection and AI.
Select a discipline to see what it covers and who typically works in it.
How the organisation is directed and held to account: board structures, committee mandates, accountability regimes and the information boards need to oversee strategy and risk.
Typical roles: Company secretaries, governance advisers, board members
Go to the Governance pillar
Identifying, assessing and responding to uncertainty — enterprise, operational, strategic and emerging risks — and building resilience when things go wrong.
Typical roles: Chief risk officers, risk managers, resilience leads
Go to the Risk pillar
The policies, processes and checks that give reasonable assurance over reporting, operations and compliance, and the testing that proves they work.
Typical roles: Internal control managers, SOX and ICFR leads, process owners
Go to the Internal Control pillar
Keeping the organisation within laws, regulation and its own standards, and building a culture where doing the right thing is the default.
Typical roles: Compliance officers, MLROs, ethics and speak-up leads
Go to the Compliance pillar
Governance of environmental, social and governance matters: sustainability strategy, reporting and assurance, due diligence and climate risk.
Typical roles: Sustainability officers, ESG reporting and assurance specialists
Go to the ESG pillar
Governing and assuring the protection of systems and data — cyber risk appetite, security controls, incident response and operational resilience.
Typical roles: CISOs, cyber risk and IT audit professionals
Go to the Cybersecurity pillar
Accountable use of personal data: lawful processing, privacy by design, data-subject rights, international transfers and breach management.
Typical roles: Data protection officers, privacy counsel and analysts
Go to the Data Protection & Privacy pillar
The rules, roles and controls for responsible AI — model inventories, risk assessment, human oversight, testing and compliance with AI regulation.
Typical roles: AI governance leads, model risk managers, responsible AI officers
Go to the AI Governance pillar

The lines of defence

Most organisations divide accountability for risk and control between operational management, specialist oversight functions and independent assurance — all overseen by the governing body.

First line

Operational management owns risks, designs and runs controls, and reports on performance.

Second line

Risk, compliance, privacy, security and ESG functions provide frameworks, expertise, monitoring and challenge.

Third line

Internal audit gives the governing body independent, objective assurance and advice on governance, risk and control.

Interconnectivity

The lines are not walls. Effective organisations share information, use one risk language and coordinate assurance so the board sees one coherent picture. The Institute of Internal Auditors’ Three Lines Model (2020) puts this collaboration at the centre.

Governance structure

LIC is run by practitioners, with clear roles and a path to independent advice as the network grows.

Founder

[Founder name]

Sets LIC’s direction, partnerships and standards, and chairs the steering committee.

Steering committee

Strategy & programme

Members responsible for strategy, membership, events and the quality of LIC content.

Advisory board

Planned

Senior practitioners, board members and academics who will advise on direction and credibility.

Future phase

Expert pillars

Pillar leads

Practitioners who lead content, events and contributors for each of the eight expert pillars.

Add the founder’s name and the names of committee members when they are confirmed.

Values & principles

Six principles guide how members work together and how LIC represents them.

Integrity

We act honestly and transparently, and hold ourselves to the standards we ask of organisations.

Excellence

We value technical depth, rigour and continuous learning in every discipline.

Collaboration

We connect across lines of defence, sectors and borders — and share what we learn.

Resilience

We support each other through change, pressure and setbacks, and grow stronger for it.

Inclusion

We welcome women from every background, career stage and region.

Professionalism

We are discreet, respectful and constructive in every exchange.

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.
Join LIC
Become a founding member