European finance now operates under a dense web of intersecting rules. While these safeguards have reduced formal weaknesses, they often undercut strategic capacity, immobilize capital, and promote a tick-box mindset. This book argues that the problem is not the volume of regulations, but rather the absence of a shared language of risk. Treating risk as an external constraint renders institutions compliant yet fragile. Drawing on the author's background in banking, payments, and fintech—including CTO/CIO and board-level roles with responsibility for technology strategy, operational resilience, payment systems, and supervisory engagement—and research on risk-based performance indicators, the book blends practice and research. It offers a governance-centered framework that translates regulatory duties into risk-based decision-making and metrics, differentiates banks from nonbanks, and integrates technology and third-party exposure. Reframing supervision as a relational process built on proportionality, trust, and risk ownership, this book will appeal to readers interested in how financial risk governance shapes institutions, supervision, and society.
