About Anne Leslie

Anne Leslie (CISM – CRISC – CCSP) is the Cloud Risk and Controls Leader for EMEA at IBM. With 18+ years of experience spanning financial services and technology businesses, she is a renowned expert at the intersection of AI, cloud, operational resilience, and cybersecurity.

Since joining IBM, Anne has been instrumental in guiding clients worldwide in securely accelerating their adoption of public cloud and AI technologies, while also preparing them for the future landscape shaped by quantum computing. Her work enables these organizations to adapt their operating models and governance structures programmatically with the aim of delivering stronger resilience and improved security outcomes in a rapidly changing digital and regulatory environment.

Co-editor of The AI Book and co-author of The RegTech Book, Anne excels at facilitating outcome-oriented dialogue on complex industry issues, building positive relationships across diverse stakeholder groups. She is actively driving industry momentum around operational resilience and AI governance by advising clients on strategies to mitigate risks and embrace opportunities. Well-established as a trusted voice in the industry, Anne regularly contributes her thought leadership to C-level conferences and working groups convened by public authorities.

Irish by nature and French by design, Anne lives with her family in Paris, France, which has been her home for almost 30 years.

When AI Governance is so much more than AI Governance

AI governance should not be seen as merely a reactive measure but rather as a key element of a proactive business and technology alignment strategy. By establishing effective governance from the outset, organisations can create an integrated blueprint for AI adoption at scale across the enterprise, enabling risk-informed decision-making and operational effectiveness that delivers measurable performance improvements. Moreover, by proving the business value of effective AI risk management and governance, risk and security practitioners will be better equipped to rally support for building scalable, responsive capabilities and a strong case for applying the same methodology to other technology change programs, such as the move to public cloud. In essence, AI governance is a strategic investment that safeguards organisations from the consequences of regulatory non-compliance and optimizes their AI initiatives for sustained business-alignment and value-driven outcomes. It also reshapes how the organisation approaches technology adoption, offering a significant opportunity for driving a step-change in the value generated from digital transformation investments.