150% of target in under 90 days: Stepping into a complex third-party risk program and delivering results ahead of schedule

When a resource gap threatened to slow a fast-growing fintech company’s third-party risk assessments, we embedded into its eight-domain program within days and delivered 15 vendor assessments against a target of 10, all in under 90 days.

Client Context

Our client is a fast-growing fintech company operating in one of the most heavily regulated sectors in the economy. As the company scaled, so did its network of third-party vendors, partners, and service providers, each of which introduced potential risk across multiple dimensions including security, financial stability, and geopolitical exposure.

The Challenge

How do you maintain momentum on third-party risk when your team has a gap to fill, fast?

The client had already invested in building a sophisticated third-party risk management program that went well beyond typical security assessments. Each vendor was evaluated across eight distinct domains, including security, privacy, financial responsibility, and geopolitical risk, using a custom in-house platform. But when a resource gap threatened to slow the pace of assessments, the company needed a partner who could step in immediately, learn the process quickly, and execute without disruption.

The stakes were high. In a regulated financial services environment, any lapse in third-party oversight could trigger regulatory findings, create unmanaged exposure, or slow the business development pipeline. The client needed continuity, not a learning curve.

Our Approach

Rapid immersion into an eight-domain risk framework built on custom tooling

We deployed a senior manager and senior consultant who embedded directly into the client’s existing TPRM program within days. Rather than imposing our own methodology, we took the time to thoroughly understand their already-defined process, which was significantly more complex than a standard TPRM program. Each vendor assessment required analysis across eight separate domains, with security and privacy representing just two of them alongside financial responsibility, operational risk, geopolitical exposure, and others.

The program ran entirely on a proprietary in-house tool, which required our team to rapidly learn a custom platform rather than working within a familiar industry tool like ServiceNow or OneTrust. We documented the full end-to-end process, enhanced it with visual workflow charts that improved clarity for both the execution team and internal stakeholders, and immediately began conducting assessments. The documentation served a dual purpose: it enabled our own rapid onboarding and gave the client a durable process artifact that would outlast the engagement.

The engagement was scoped as a three-month proof of concept with a target of 10 completed assessments. We completed 15, finishing ahead of the agreed schedule and delivering 150% of the original target.

Results

15 assessments delivered against a target of 10, in under 90 days

This engagement proved a principle that matters to every fast-growing company in a regulated industry: you do not have to choose between speed and rigor. By combining rapid immersion with disciplined execution, we stepped into a complex eight-domain risk program built on custom tooling, improved the process documentation, and delivered 150% of the assessment target, all within a 90-day window.