SIFMA’s Compliance & Legal Society is the leading forum for compliance and legal professionals working in the financial services industry. With a rich 50-year history, it provides a unique opportunity for industry leaders and regulators to come together to share information and collaborate with the goal of ensuring our capital markets are the most fair, transparent and ethical in the world.

Recently, we sat down with Karen O’Toole, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Fidelity Investments and Chair of the 2022 SIFMA C&L Annual Seminar. Read on to find out what she and the team have in store for The Big Return!

It’s been some time since we were together in-person (it will be 36 months, but who’s counting). Thinking back, when did you first attend the C&L Annual Seminar?

I think that my first time at the Seminar was in Desert Springs in the early 2000s. I had my first opportunity to speak at the Seminar when I was a member of the AML panel. I was so energized by the quality of the program and likewise by the quality of the people I met. This was the A-List, the luminaries and thought leaders in our field. It was a chance for me to meet them, learn from and get to know them, and – I hope – for them to learn from me. I’ve attended ever since and, in 2017, I had the privilege of joining the C&L Society Executive Committee.

Serving as Chair of the C&L Annual Seminar is a commitment! How did we convince you to volunteer?

Having the opportunity to serve as Chair for the 2022 C&L Annual Seminar is an honor. With a rich history of excellent Seminars organized by prior Chairs, I welcomed the opportunity to create another topflight, high caliber educational and networking experience. I find this particularly important now, as we plan to gather in-person after a long hiatus.

What does it mean to say “by the industry, for the industry”?

Our program is truly designed by the industry. As Chair, I’m surrounded by an outstanding Planning Committee whose dedication and professionalism are remarkable. We represent a broad swath of the industry, covering retail and institutional, regional and national, and a multitude of business models. We gather regularly to painstakingly comb through every topic of interest from multiple vantage points. When we’re done, we’ll present our Seminar participants with 50+ in-depth panel discussions and a program that has no parallel. And we design it specifically for our industry – we focus on topics and speakers that are most relevant, interesting and timely for our attendees, and that will be most useful to them in their roles as Legal and Compliance professionals.

What topics are not to be missed this year?

All of them! But if I had to choose, it would be sharing perspectives from legal and compliance leadership, hearing from regulators on compliance and enforcement priorities, financial services best practices on hot topics like cybersecurity and AML, and so much more. Of note this year, the Executive Committee is excited to introduce an award recognizing industry leadership in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Over the next few months, representatives from our Planning Committee will be sharing further details about this year’s Seminar so be sure to look out for these email updates.

What are you most excited about this year?

I am most excited to bring together a three-day series of panels and speakers that are substantively powerful, interesting and educational – and to do it in-person where we can reconnect with our colleagues for the first time since 2019. Throughout the pandemic, many of us have also met colleagues virtually; this is our chance to come together in person for the first time.

The C&L Annual Seminar has both the substance and the people. It is a unique combination that isn’t easy to find anywhere else. I have found over the course of my career that relationships are what matters most. Our people make our industry great, and our professional relationships make our jobs fulfilling.

Karen O’Toole is Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Fidelity Investments and Chair of the 2022 SIFMA C&L Annual Seminar. To receive our monthly C&L Society Update and more, please visit my.sifma.org.