Brendan McGrath is Executive Director and Global Head of Third-Party Management at Waystone, where he leads the group’s vendor and outsourcing framework across multiple jurisdictions. His current focus includes strategic oversight of third-party risk, SLA governance, and regulatory compliance, with particular emphasis on DORA implementation and operational resilience.

 

Brendan has over 15 years Financial Services experience, at PAT, Brendan lectures on operational risk and compliance topics including business controls, third-party oversight, stakeholder management and regulatory governance. He brings a practical, cross-jurisdictional perspective to the classroom, helping students bridge academic theory with the realities of global financial services.

 

Prior to this, Brendan held senior roles at Waystone including Group Internal Audit Director at Waystone, where he transitioned the audit function from an outsourced model to a global in-house capability. He was responsible for designing the target operating model, building the team, and reporting to boards across Ireland, the UK, Ireland, US, Cayman, and Bermuda.

 

Brendan’s earlier career includes over six years at Centaur, where he served as Group Director of Risk and Internal Audit and held the PCF-13 designation as Head of Internal Audit. He also acted as Data Protection Officer (DPO) for the Centaur Group, overseeing compliance with GDPR, CCPA, Cayman DPL, and Bermuda PIPA. His foundational experience in fund accounting was gained through leadership roles at HedgeServ and Citi.

 

Brendan holds a Master of Arts in Financial Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and a Certified Operational Risk Manager (PRMIA). He also holds professional diplomas in International Investment Fund Services and Risk Management from the Institute of Banking (IOB), graduating with distinction.