Background of the Barings Case Study
Nick Leeson, a trader at Barings Bank, caused the collapse of the institution due to unauthorized trading in derivatives.
A critical failure was the lack of segregation of duties, allowing Leeson to both execute trades (front-office) and oversee trade settlement (back-office).
How Segregation of Duties Failed
Proper segregation of duties ensures that no single individual has unchecked control over trading and settlement.
Leeson was responsible for both trading (front-office) and settlement (back-office), meaning he could hide losses without detection.
Why Answer A is Correct
A trader (Leeson) should never have been managing back-office functions.
His dual role allowed him to manipulate records and bypass controls, leading to $1.3 billion in losses and the bank's collapse.
Why Other Answers Are Incorrect
Option
Explanation:
B . A trader was responsible for managing the front-office.
Incorrect - Traders are supposed to manage the front-office; the issue was their involvement in back-office functions.
C . A risk manager was responsible for managing the back-office.
Incorrect - The issue was lack of oversight on the trader, not risk managers handling back-office duties.
D . A trader was responsible for managing the expense account.
Incorrect - The main issue was the trader's control over trade settlement, not expense accounts.
PRMIA Reference for Verification
PRMIA Case Study on Barings Bank Collapse
Basel Principles on Segregation of Duties in Risk Management