Project & Portfolio Assurance for Financial Services – Case Studies
In financial services, assurance isn’t just a box-ticking exercise — it’s what gives senior leaders the confidence that complex projects are heading in the right direction. When the stakes are high and the pressure’s on, it helps to have a clear view of what’s working, what’s not, and where things might be slipping. The examples below show how well-timed assurance — from running deep-dive reviews to partnering with project teams and coaching them to small improvements — can make a real difference to outcomes, capability, and confidence.
Here are some examples of how my assurance approaches have been used by major financial institutions to improve their change outcomes.
Natwest / Royal Bank of Scotland
Banking
I provided independent assurance across RBS’s Building Capability portfolio, which included major programmes in operational simplification, regulatory compliance, and people transformation.
Acting as stage gate reviewer and approver, I ensured initiatives were well-governed, risk-aware, and strategically aligned — giving senior leadership confidence in delivery while providing early visibility of projects that were falling into difficulties.
MasterCard / Vocalink
FinTech / Payments
Brought in as Portfolio Assurance Partner during a period of rapid change, I delivered a deep-dive review of a critical productisation programme, uncovering multiple control failures and enabling corrective action that protected delivery to a key client.
I developed tailored assurance tools for both agile and waterfall environments, and provided assurance across multiple portfolios.
AXIS Capital
Insurance
Supporting the evolution of the AXIS International PMO into a global portfolio management function, I built governance frameworks that enabled assurance across a portfolio spanning over one hundred projects.
After establishing and embedding delivery standards, I used assurance reviews to drive compliance, leading to continuous improvement and delivery confidence across regulatory and operational transformation programmes.
If your organisation is navigating complex change and you want an experienced, independent voice to make sure things stay on track, I can help. I bring a calm, structured approach to assurance, grounded in real delivery experience and an understanding of how to work with senior leaders. Whether you need a short-term health check or ongoing fractional support, I’d love to hear more about your goals. You can arrange a call with me here: calendly.com/influentialpmo/influential-pmo-b2b-query.
Influential PMO 