Jean-Jacques Van Helten

Visiting Fellow 

Email: [email protected]

Tel. [+39] 055 4685 718  

Office: Villino, VL035

Biographical Note

Jean-Jacques van Helten is a Visiting Fellow at Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies & the Florence School of Banking and Finance, part of the European University Institute. 

He is formerly a Managing Director & Chief Risk Officer, EMEA for the Bank of Montreal (BMO) Financial Group and more recently Non-executive member of the Board of BMO Europe. He has worked in a range of senior executive risk and capital markets business roles in major investment banks in Europe, Australia, Asia and the UK where he has been responsible for market, liquidity & operational risks and credit risk analytics. Jean Jacques has also directed Bank recovery and resolution planning, enterprise risk management as well as the implementation of ICAAP and ILAAP and liquidity risk management process and procedures including liquidity stress testing. 

Jean Jacques completed his undergraduate and Master degrees along with his PhD in economics/economic history at the University of London, studied at the Goethe Universität, Frankfurt and Freie Universität, Berlin and has held academic research positions at La Trobe University and the University of London. 

Research Project

Research project on the post-Global Financial Crisis behaviour in EU financial institutions in terms of risk-taking/risk aversion and the development of a new risk management architecture focusing inter alia on post crisis strengthening of risk roles, enhanced training, reinforcing accountability and risk-adjusted performance metrics; risk appetite as an essential part of risk governance and its integration into banks’ internal processes and risk culture; governance roles and responsibilities and the role of risk management in balancing strategy & the needs of regulation with day-to-day risk practices. My research also considers the role of the City of London after BREXIT, focusing on whether it can maintain its role as an international financial centre; how UK and third country London-based financial institutions are practically preparing for BREXIT whilst trying to maintain full access to the EU markets; the role of EU supervisory institutions in consciously ‘decoupling’ London as a financial centre from the EU; the BREXIT process contributing to the dispersal/(re)location of financial services activities across the EU; and the changing hierarchy & geography of global financial centres as the traditional dominance by the financial centres like London declines.