If you are interested in this candidate, please contact Charlie Watson via email cwatson@cerfinancial.co.uk or call on 0207 626 6065.

00134555

PROFILE:

I am a well-motivated self-starter with skills in Investment remediation, AML/KYC analysis, effective complaint handling skills, Payment Protection Insurance (PPI), process management, sales and business development with impeccable interpersonal and customer service skills. I have an excellent ability to work successfully as part of a large team, as well as work on my own initiatives.

EDUCATION:

University

• MSc Financial Economic (Merit)
• MSc Dissertation: The Impact of Corporate Financing Structure on performance, where performance is measured by Share price.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE:

• Awarded distinction for MSc dissertation research on The Impact of Financing Structure on Corporate performance, where performance is determined by Share price. (Critical analysis of over 120 FTSE listed companies)

Skills Developed

• Evaluation of business performance, Financial Statement Analysis; Regulatory Compliance and risk analysis; Investment Management

CAREER HISTORY:

October 2024 – January 2025

Banking

Financial Crime Manager (Business Analyst, Process & Policy Review)

• Gather and document business requirements
• Define future operating models and develop project artefacts and stakeholder communication plans
• Supporting the production and enhancement of FCC policies and procedures for remediation projects
• Deliver necessary and appropriate changes in policy framework to align with regulatory standards.
• Assess and identify systems impact and process efficiencies.
• Review and identify gaps within existing bank Compliance and Governance policy framework.
• Support and contribute to the development of a risk-based approach process that aligns with regulation.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Ensure project governance and escalate risks and issues as necessary
• Support the remediation team to correct areas of lapse identity within the bank's compliance and policy framework.
• Support the implementation and adherence to the bank’s sanctions policy provisions by working with the advisory team to ensure strict compliance of the policy.
• Ensure general compliance with the Bank’s Anti-Money Laundry policy Standard.
• Providing AML/CFT financial crime training guidance across the business.
• Ensuring deficiencies or gaps in policy standards are raised, tracked and reported for management oversight.

March 2022 - October 2024

Banking

Financial Crime Manager (Policy/Process Change Manager)

• Supporting the production and enhancement of FCC policies and procedures for remediation projects
• Review existing bank Compliance and Governance policy framework.
• Review and manage the Bank’s Anti-Money Laundry policy Standard.
• Identify gaps in the policy framework and propose enhance guidance in line with regulation.
• Delivering AML/CFT financial crime training across the business.
• Providing financial crime risks standard reports for the various stakeholders’ oversight risk committees.
• Ensuring deficiencies or gaps in policy standards are raised, tracked and reported for management oversight.
• Establish and maintain excellent working relationships with stakeholders at all levels, both internal and external client.
• Performing quarterly validation assurance on previously closed risk issues.
• Monitoring and track the effectiveness of the banks FCC within the remediation framework.
• Undertaking gap analysis of regulatory changes, financial crime trends and findings from regulatory supervisors and across the industry.
• Providing second-line advisory to the bank, driving required strategic and tactical development to maintain an effective and efficient financial crimes compliance (FCC) environment.

June 2021 - March 2022

Banking

Financial Crime Advisory (Quality Control – Regulatory Oversight)

• Investigate the reliability and integrity of data, the validity of conclusions and the appropriateness of decisions made to either onboard or exit customers.
• Engage with client QA & other approval functions, to agree on required standards of case completion
• Ensuring that policies and processes are embedded into and across the operational teams
• Establish and maintain excellent working relationships with stakeholders at all levels, both internal and client.
• Responsible for contributing to the Project strategy for anti-financial crime with a specific focus on PEPs and PEP entities.
• Working with both internal and external stakeholders in designing and overseeing a programme of continuous improvement to the businesses' processes and controls.
• Providing subject matter expertise to members of the business and front offices, particularly on complex structures or transactions
• Leading on the development of compliance policies and procedures for AML, CTF and other financial crime areas especially as it relates to complex remediation cases.
• Provide coaching/feedback to the analysts on both individual cases and wider process challenges
• Provide bespoke training guide and development as identified
• Provide feedback on process, procedure, policy and performance improvements
• Act as a primary decision maker in documentation review and Quality Control for new/updated client reviews
• Provide inputs to discussions on root cause analysis for common fails

March 2021 - June 2021

Banking

Financial Crime Manager (Quality Control -Subject Matter Expert)

• Ensuring that policies and processes are embedded into and across the operational teams
• Responsible for contributing to the Project strategy for anti-financial crime with a specific focus on PEPs and PEP entities.
• Designing and overseeing a programme of continuous improvement to the businesses' processes and controls.
• Providing subject matter expertise to members of the business and front office daily, particularly on complex structures or transactions
• Leading on the development of compliance policies and procedures for AML, CTF and other financial crime areas
• Experience quality checking (6-eye checking or 4-eye checking) in a remediation, periodic review or live on-boarding files
• Provide coaching/feedback to the analysts on both individual cases and wider process challenges
• Provide bespoke training and development as identified
• Provide feedback on process, procedure, policy and performance improvements
• Act as a primary decision maker in documentation review and Quality Control for new/updated client reviews
• Provide inputs to discussions on root cause analysis for common fails
• Establish and maintain excellent working relationships with stakeholders at all levels, both internal and client
• Engage with client QA & other approval functions, to agree on required standards of case completion

March 2020 - March 2021

Banking

AML/KYC Specialist Consultant (Quality Control -Subject Matter Expert)

• Experience quality checking (6-eye checking or 4-eye checking) in remediation, periodic review or live onboarding files
• Developing relationships with business partners and managing stakeholders with the ability to communicate and explain complex KYC /AML-based issues
• Provide coaching/feedback to the analysts on both individual cases and wider process challenges
• Provide KYC Subject Matter Expertise guidance to analysts
• Oversee and direct daily Quality team huddles
• Provide bespoke training and development as identified
• Provide feedback on process, procedure, policy and performance improvements
• Act as a primary decision maker in documentation review and Quality Control for new/updated client reviews
• Provide inputs to discussions on root cause analysis for common fails
• Establish and maintain excellent working relationships with stakeholders at all levels, both internal and client
• Engage with client QA & other approval functions, to agree on required standards of case completion.

January 2018 - March 2020

Banking

AML/KYC Specialist Consultant (Quality Control - SME LEAD)

• Perform Quality Assurance on onboarded CDD and EDD files completed by the 1st Line of Defence team.
• Participate in team discussions on the calibration of findings and build consensus prior to finalising records.
• Question and investigate the reliability and integrity of data, the validity of conclusions and the appropriateness of decisions made to either onboard or exist customers.
• Perform root cause analysis and make recommendations for addressing identified deficiencies, within the policy framework.
• Ensure consistency with the Global QA framework and governance approach.
• Work to predefined deadlines in a target driven environment.
• Meet quality expectations through ongoing competency assessments
• Review screening AML/KYC (adverse media, sanctions & PEP) and risk assessment.
• Experience reviewing different entity types including Wholesale, Mid Corp, Private Banking and Mass Retail.
• Proactively interact with relationship management teams, compliance and internal teams to update system with information through the AML on boarding lifecycle (CDD and EDD as applicable) through to approval of KYC/AML record
• Perform due diligence on customer and account documentation and information through internal and external sources (Regulatory websites, Company website, Fame, Experian, Equifax, Factiva, Dow Jones etc.)
• Review and validate the information within the system to ensure completeness and accuracy
• Responsible for ensuring KYC/AML record is completed in compliance with corporate AML policies, business unit standard operating procedures and industry best practice to meet UK regulatory requirements

March 2017 - January 2018

Banking

KYC/AML Investment Remediation – Quality Assurer

• Conducting Enhanced Due Diligence on high-risk customers to identify potential legal, regulatory or reputational risk.
• Checking the case Checked by Quality Checker
• Having Regular meetings with the management in order to improve the overall Quality score
• Providing guidance to the client remediation teams and/or the business on anti-money laundering related matters
• Identifies business risks and operational challenges and takes steps to mitigate risk and enhance operating systems and processes.
• Conducting Adverse Media check, PEP and Sanctions screening using Dow Jones and Factiva
• Reviewing activities and transactions as required to support assessments of whether that business is being conducted in an ethical and legal manner
• Engage with internal stakeholders to ensure timely completion of records
• Assist with remediation project initiatives and report on progress as required
• Responsible for filing SARs where suspicious activity has been identified
• Conducting AML /KYC formality reports and event driven reviews on questionable accounts and transactions.
• Maintain customer and account KYC/AML record; perform periodic review, event driven reviews, EDD monitoring and PEP analysis as required
• Performed background checks on high-risk corporate clients, handled massive amount of entity data such as legal names and address during routine checks

January 2016 - February 2017

Banking

AML/KYC Quality Checker

• Dividing time effectively between case management support and performing KYC due diligence checks on completed cases
• Case management and administrative support to analysts
• Assist in organizing meetings with stakeholders, including Front Office and Compliance
• Provide Front Office stakeholders with necessary KYC documentation for completion
• Keep minutes and establish/manage action logs
• Problem-solving and general liaising with the KYC Case lead
• Liaise with other KYC Due Diligence teams
• Performing due diligence check on client KYC profiles
• Research using public and internal resources
• Ensure no discrepancies exist on client record
• Adhering to KYC/AML policies and procedures
• Investigating AML red flags and escalating as necessary
• Taking responsibility for personal continuing AML/KYC education and learning
• Meeting quality and throughput targets

June 2015 to December 2015

Banking

Investment Remediation Analyst

• Review of regulated Investment and Protection products both current and historical
• Coordinate multi-issue, multi-business complaints on behalf of the clients following historic mis-sale of investment and protection products.
• Ensure that every complaint has been fully investigated, documented, resolved and explain the rationale behind the decision and outcome.
• Gathering documentation evidencing the mis-sale of Investment and Protection Policies (ISA, OEIC, Personal Investment Plan, Guaranteed Investment Bond, Lifetime cover, Critical Illness cover, etc)
• Following the relevant process and procedure, ensuring that all relevant information has been considered with respect to the Investment/Protections Policies.
• Analyse information and identify suitable solution within prescribed time frame; contacting customers to resolve more complex policy issues.
• Preparing correspondence to be sent to customers (and) or third party representing the customers, while making sure that all areas of concerns are addressed.

INTERESTS:

• Playing and watching football, Reading, Cinemas, and TV, hanging out with friends, dancing, travelling

References Available Upon Request

If you are interested in this candidate, please contact Charlie Watson via email cwatson@cerfinancial.co.uk or call on 0207 626 6065.

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