HBA UK Chairman Xenofon Zacharoudis with HCMC Chair Vassiliki Lazarakou at the 31st HBA UK Annual Gala discussing AI regulation and investor protection. — HBA UK Chairman Xenofon Zacharoudis with Vassiliki Lazarakou, Chair of the Hellenic Capital Market Commission, following the keynote address at the 31st HBA UK Gala at Drapers' Hall, London.

The 31st Annual Gala of the Hellenic Bankers Association UK (HBA UK), held at the historic Drapers' Hall in the City of London on Saturday, 13 June 2026, provided the setting for an important discussion on the future of Artificial Intelligence, regulation and investor protection in financial markets.

Vasiliki Lazarakou Hellenic Bankers London — The evening's keynote address was delivered by **Vassiliki Lazarakou, Chair of the Hellenic Capital Market Commission** (HCMC), who shared valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges presented by Artificial Intelligence across the financial sector.

During her keynote, Vassiliki Lazarakou announced that the HCMC has recently deployed a new Artificial Intelligence-powered supervisory tool, developed and adapted for the Greek market, to help identify potentially unauthorised investment activity across online and social media channels. Following its pilot phase, the initiative is expected to position the HCMC among the first capital markets regulators within the European Union to utilise such technology in support of investor protection and market integrity.

Her address explored the growing role of Artificial Intelligence across financial services, including risk management, fraud detection, compliance and supervision, while emphasising that technological innovation must be accompanied by strong governance, cybersecurity and human oversight. As AI continues to reshape financial markets, the discussion reinforced the importance of balancing innovation with trust and ensuring that technological progress supports, rather than replaces, sound judgement.

Opening the evening, HBA UK Chairman Xenofon Zacharoudis reflected on the Association's enduring mission over the past 31 years, highlighting the values of unity, continuity and innovation that have enabled HBA UK to remain a vibrant platform for the Greek and Cypriot financial community in the United Kingdom.

Chairman Xenofon Zacharoudis delivering welcome adress to HBA's 31st Gala guests — As Xenofon Zacharoudis noted:
*"Innovation creates opportunity. Regulation creates trust. Sustainable progress requires both."*

His remarks captured the spirit of the evening, recognising that meaningful innovation in financial services depends not only on technological advancement, but also on robust institutions, effective regulation and collaboration across the industry.

For more than three decades, HBA UK has served as a platform for dialogue between financial institutions, regulators, professional services firms, entrepreneurs and the wider Hellenic financial diaspora. By bringing together experienced leaders and the next generation of professionals, the Association continues to strengthen connections between the United Kingdom, Greece, Cyprus and the international financial community.

The 31st Annual Gala once again demonstrated HBA UK's commitment to fostering thoughtful discussion on the issues shaping the future of global finance, while reinforcing London's enduring role as a meeting point for ideas, expertise and professional collaboration.