AI risks extend beyond your own organisation because third-party partners, suppliers, and vendors may embed AI into their services. This creates “shadow AI” - systems that affect your business indirectly but remain outside your direct control. You are only as safe as the AI your partners use. Shadow AI means you are potentially exposed to regulatory penalties, data leaks, and reputational damage.

GRC Catalyst offers fractional Compliance Officer and Data Protection Officer services to pharma, biotech, and life sciences organisations. But why engage a fractional Compliance or Data Protection Officer, and what benefits can they offer a company? The “fractional” executive has gained traction over the last five years. Nowadays, fractional roles form part of mainstream recruitment and are a recognised option for start-ups, SMEs and similar organisations.

I’m currently working with an organisation who have an established operational risk management programme. They have functional risk registers which are updated on a regular basis. They have project risk and issue registers for their key change programmes. They produce a consolidated 5x5 risk matrix of the top scoring risks for escalation through governance.

You may have heard the term Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC). Most people recognise the individual terms but may not appreciate how they work together. GRC not just an acronym or a tick-box exercise. GRC is an umbrella that brings together a number of capabilities so they work seamlessly together to deliver company objectives.