New and growing lenders
Particularly firms progressing through authorisation, funding or launch that need credible senior risk leadership without creating permanent CRO-level cost too early.
Fractional CRO · Interim CRO · Strategic Adviser
Senior risk judgement.
When the business needs it.
Flexible access to CRO-level experience for lenders that need senior risk leadership without permanent senior headcount — whether that means ongoing fractional support, interim cover or strategic advice alongside an existing team.
Who it works for
Senior capability that scales with the situation.
Established lenders
Where a capable full-time risk leader would benefit from experienced CRO-level support, challenge, mentoring or additional capacity around a specific period of change.
Firms in transition
Where a CRO has left, the risk agenda needs stabilising or a significant strategic or regulatory change needs experienced leadership while the permanent model is resolved.
What support can include
High-level judgement and hands-on delivery.
The scope is built around what the business actually needs. Dharma Risk does not start with a standard methodology and try to make the organisation fit it.
FCA and PRA engagementExperienced risk representation in regulatory discussions, authorisation activity and follow-up.
Board and executive risk adviceSenior challenge and judgement around strategy, growth, risk trade-offs and key decisions.
Funder and investor discussionsCredible senior risk input when external stakeholders want confidence in underwriting, controls, governance or the risk framework.
Lending and credit policyDesign, review and challenge of policy, criteria, scorecards and decisioning approaches.
Risk appetite and MIFrameworks that connect strategy to decisions, with reporting focused on insight, root cause and action.
Risk framework and governanceProportionate ERMF, governance, committee and escalation arrangements built for the size and maturity of the firm.
Risk team capability and structureSupport with role design, capability gaps, recruitment priorities and the balance between oversight and business partnership.
Problem solving where senior judgement is neededFocused support on the risk issues that matter most at that point in the firm's development.
How an engagement starts
Start with the business, not the Risk framework.
01
Understand
Strategy, business model, growth plans, regulatory position and the key decisions ahead.
02
Diagnose
Identify where risk capability, policy, governance or resource is missing or needs strengthening.
03
Prioritise
Build a practical risk plan based on what matters to the business rather than creating infrastructure for its own sake.
04
Deliver
Work alongside management, regulators, funders and the wider team to make the plan happen and flex the support as priorities change.
What this looks like in practice
Current fractional CRO engagements.
Scalable CRO support through authorisation and funding
Dharma Risk is supporting a new mortgage lender on a flexible basis as it progresses through FCA authorisation. Work includes designing credit policies, participating in FCA discussions and supporting funder and investor conversations.
What the client getsSenior risk representation at the moments where regulators and capital providers need confidence that experienced judgement is in the room.
Independent challenge as the lending proposition develops
Dharma Risk is providing fractional CRO support to a personal loans lender during the early stages of authorisation, including review and advice on lending policy, credit scorecards and management information.
What the client getsExperienced challenge around the core lending decisions before policy, analytics and reporting become embedded.
Flexible by design
Need CRO-level experience without hiring a full-time CRO?
Support can start small and flex as regulatory, funding or business activity increases. The right model depends on what the business needs to achieve.