About us
Experience you can rely on. Independence you can trust.
Howard Risk Associates was founded on a simple conviction: that businesses navigating complex regulatory and governance challenges deserve genuinely independent, senior-level advice — not junior consultants working from a template.
Barry Howard
Founder & Principal Consultant
Barry Howard has spent over 40 years working at the heart of financial services regulation and risk management. His career spans senior roles across compliance, risk, and governance — giving him a rare combination of regulatory depth, board-level perspective, and practical implementation experience.
He has worked with firms ranging from major financial institutions to specialist boutiques, advising on FCA and PRA regulatory matters, designing and implementing risk frameworks, and supporting boards through periods of significant change and scrutiny.
Barry founded Howard Risk Associates in 2013 to bring that experience directly to clients who need it most — without the overhead and impersonal service of a large consultancy. Every engagement is led personally by Barry, ensuring clients receive consistent, senior-level attention from first conversation to final delivery.
Areas of deep expertise
- FCA and PRA regulatory compliance and engagement
- Risk framework design, implementation, and review
- Corporate governance and board effectiveness
- Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SM&CR)
- Conduct risk and culture programmes
- Executive coaching for senior leaders in regulated environments
- Regulatory change management and horizon scanning
- Compliance programme health checks and remediation
Our approach
How we work
We believe the best consultancy is built on honest relationships, not billable hours. Our approach is straightforward:
Senior-led throughout
Every engagement is led personally by Barry Howard. You will not be handed to a junior team after the initial meeting.
Independent and objective
We have no product to sell and no preferred solution. Our only interest is in giving you the most useful, honest advice we can.
Practical and outcome-focused
We focus on what actually changes in your business — not on producing reports. If something is not working, we will tell you plainly.
Confidential and discreet
Sensitive matters require absolute discretion. We treat every client engagement with the same confidentiality we would expect ourselves.
Ready to work together?
An initial conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. We are happy to discuss your situation and explain how we might help.