As such intense oversight is not practical, the regulator can only do so much, with most of the responsibility resting with the firms and organizations themselves. For operations teams their role in protecting the firm stems from their ability to manage critical processes like reconciliation, asset position agreements and the nostro accounts efficiently and effectively. Regulators need the help and support of the businesses to have a 'business-friendly environment'. When some abuse the trust placed in them and the regulatory environment, a 'scandal' or worse occurs, with the result that the majority are penalized as regulators react to criticism and apply more onerous regulations. It is often the operations teams that bear most, or at least some, of the repercussions of greater regulatory oversight of the business. It is therefore vitally important for operations teams to have a firm understanding of the regulatory issues and drivers.
