Bridging Policy and Engineering
Merrison De Freitas is a specialized advisory firm dedicated to AI Governance.
The Challenge
Financial institutions face a critical gap: AI governance frameworks are written by risk teams who don't understand ML engineering, while engineers build systems without considering governance requirements.
The result? Policies that can't be implemented. Controls that don't match reality. Audit findings that nobody can resolve.
We solve this by speaking both languages—translating between boardroom policy and production systems.
Our Approach
Standards-Based
We use the open-source FINOS AI Governance Framework—integrating regulatory requirements, industry best practices, and cutting-edge research. No proprietary black boxes. Your governance is transparent, community-vetted, and continuously evolving.
Implementation-Focused
We deliver production-ready roadmaps with specific actions, effort estimates, and technical implementation guidance—not just high-level recommendations.
Beyond Compliance
Deep expertise across EU AI Act, SR 11-7, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001, and emerging frameworks— but we go beyond checkbox compliance to deliver governance that enables innovation while managing risk.
Why Us?
Most AI governance consultants offer either theoretical policy frameworks or technical security expertise. We deliver both—and we're actively shaping the standards that define the industry.
Recognized Industry Leadership
We're not just using the FINOS AI Governance Framework—we're building it. As active contributors and FINOS Newcomer Award recipients, we've contributed over 1,300 lines of code covering agentic AI risks and mitigations, and completed a ground-up rewrite of the CALM visualizer. We lead workshops at OSFF NYC and other major industry conferences.
Deep Technical Credibility
Our team has served as security maintainers and release managers for Istio and Envoy, and brings hands-on experience building security programs from scratch—including achieving SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA compliance. We understand how AI systems actually work in production because we've built them.
FSI-Specific Experience
We've acted in field CTO capacity with Financial Services customers, translating AI governance requirements into actionable product requirements. Our expertise spans SR 11-7, EU AI Act, ISO 42001, and NIST AI RMF—not from reading documentation, but from implementing these frameworks in highly regulated environments.
Executive & Engineering Fluency
We bridge the gap between C-level strategy and engineering implementation. With experience managing $50M+ budgets and leading teams of 45+ engineers, we speak both boardroom and code— ensuring governance frameworks that actually work in practice, not just on paper.
When you work with us, you're not getting generic consulting—you're getting insights from practitioners who are defining the standards, building the tools, and solving these problems in the real world every day.
Global Reach, Local Expertise
London
FCA-aware governance implementation and EU AI Act compliance for UK and European financial institutions.
New York
SEC/FINRA-aligned risk management and NIST framework integration for North American banks and asset managers.
São Paulo
Workshops available in Portuguese and English, with expertise in BCB Resolution 4,893 and Latin American regulatory landscape.
Ready to start your governance journey?
Schedule a Strategy Call