About
Elysian
We help regulated organisations build practical compliance, risk and governance systems that support growth, accountability and regulatory confidence.
Practical advisory for regulated businesses
Elysian Compliance & Risk Management works with financial services businesses, fintechs, payment businesses and regulated organisations that need clear, practical and structured compliance support.
We operate at the intersection of compliance, risk, governance and operating model design. Our approach is designed to help clients move from reactive compliance activity to stronger, more repeatable systems of control.
Elysian supports clients with regulatory readiness, licensing preparation, compliance frameworks, policy development, risk reviews, governance structures and board-level reporting.
Compliance should be practical, structured and embedded
Compliance should not exist as a disconnected set of documents. It should be built into how an organisation operates, makes decisions, manages evidence, monitors risk and reports to leadership.
Elysian helps clients design this foundation through clear advisory support, structured frameworks and practical implementation guidance.
Advisory and practical
We connect regulatory requirements to practical business operations and real delivery.
Structured and evidence-led
We help clients create clear documentation, controls, issue logs, reporting packs and implementation plans.
Built for leadership visibility
Our work supports better decision-making through board-ready reports and management-level outputs.
Focused on long-term confidence
We help clients build compliance routines that can be maintained beyond a single project.
Designed for clarity, evidence and leadership confidence
Strategic and practical
We connect regulatory requirements to practical business operations.
Structured and evidence-led
We help clients create clear documentation, controls, issue logs, reporting packs and implementation plans.
Built for leadership visibility
Our work supports better decision-making through board-ready reports and management-level outputs.
Focused on long-term confidence
We help clients build compliance routines that can be maintained beyond a single project.
The people behind Elysian
Elysian was founded by two experienced banking executives, one being an international certified compliance practitioner, with a shared commitment to practical, structured and evidence-led advisory.
Mariska van der Veen is Co-Founder of Elysian Compliance & Risk Management, bringing more than 20 years of experience in regulatory strategy, governance, and financial crime risk management. A former Chief Compliance Officer, she has led enterprise-wide compliance across complex banking environments and worked closely with regulators including SARB, FSCA, and the FIC. She is an International Certified Compliance Professional (ICCP), a Certified Compliance Practitioner (CPracSA), and an active member of CISA, IFCA, ACFCS, and AML Intelligence, with professional certifications from the University of Cape Town, the University of Pretoria, and the Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists (Alpharetta, Georgia). She founded Elysian with a clear vision: to help regulated organisations build the compliance infrastructure needed to scale with confidence, resilience, and integrity.
Philicia Robinson is Co-Founder of Elysian Compliance & Risk Management and a banking executive with deep expertise in Alliance Banking, FinTech partnerships, digital banking innovation, and commercial strategy. With more than a decade of experience across major South African banks, including senior leadership roles at a South African Bank, she brings a strong ecosystem and growth-focused lens to the business. She holds an International SAQA accredited MBA from the University of Guglielmo Marconi, postgraduate advanced diplomas in Management, a BA (Hons) in Business Management, and executive-level qualifications in Global Business Management from the University of Stellenbosch. Philicia helps shape Elysian’s strategic direction, partner network, and market-led approach to building compliance infrastructure that is both commercially strategic and future ready.
Elysian helps financial innovators and regulated businesses move forward with stronger governance, clearer controls and practical regulatory confidence.