Lessons from Leaders: Mike Smith In Conversation

How do you turn a “strange path” through the Navy, fraud risk, and call centers into a successful career as a bank privacy officer and compliance leader? In this episode of Compliance Chronicles, Liisa Thomas sits down with Mike Smith, Privacy Officer at Wintrust and former HSBC leader, to unpack how he built a wide‑angle view of risk, regulation, and real‑world data use.

Mike shares how running a centralized privacy project pulled him into the field, why adding the CRCM and broader regulatory compliance responsibilities changed his career ceiling, and how he thinks about the line between smart data use and “creepiness” in financial services. You’ll hear honest reflections on burnout, finding new energy in a fast‑moving regulatory landscape, and the importance of picturing a real person at the other end of the data—whether that’s your own family member or your most vulnerable customer.

Perfect for: privacy and compliance professionals in banking and financial services, aspiring CPOs, and anyone considering a move from fraud, risk, or operations into data privacy.

If you enjoy this conversation, make sure to subscribe to Compliance Chronicles in your favorite podcast app and follow the show so you don’t miss future episodes on privacy, AI, internal audit, and real‑world compliance leadership.