#BIGCOMPCONVO

5 April 2019

Meet an ICA member: Micaela Madureira

“Just because you do not work in a multinational organisation does not mean that ICA is not suitable for you. I would say it is exactly the opposite. If you belong to a smaller organisation, it is likely you frequently miss the opportunity to....More

Words by Meet an ICA Member

1 April 2019

Big data predicts identity of money launderers

By creating a metadata set, powered by pioneering AI, the team at the University has been able to analyse the most common traits of financial criminals.....More

Words by Dave Robson

13 March 2019

Understanding complex company structures – solving the puzzle

When it comes to customer due diligence (CDD) - what challenges do AML professionals in financial institutions face?....More

Words by Simone Jones

4 March 2019

How many languages does a financial crime professional need to speak?

Virtual currencies, cybercrime and Trumponomics, to name just a few, present interesting dilemmas: to what extent should we be conversant in these areas in order to fully understand the financial crime risks associated with them?....More

Words by Ruth Hutchinson

15 February 2019

5 ways to help establish a fraud-averse environment

When correctly motivated, employees remain honest and become the most effective frontline defence against the fraudster. Employees become motivated when they believe that:....More

Words by Holly Whitehead

29 January 2019

The UK’s anti money laundering regime – A time for celebration?

Mutual evaluations from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) are big news within the anti money laundering (AML) community; its peer reviews provide insight into the AML framework of a country, the key risks that it faces and how those risks are managed.....More

Words by Simone Jones

30 October 2018

How much do businesses know about competition law?

The CMA and the ICA are collaborating to ensure that together we can #StopCartels....More

Words by Jennifer Trenery

12 October 2018

Who is speaking at the Big Compliance Conversation: Singapore Conference?

Live events, done well, can be unparalleled for learning and professional growth. So who is speaking at the Big Compliance Conversation: Singapore Conference?....More

Words by Jennifer Trenery

10 October 2018

A look at the illicit financial flows from wildlife crime and illegal wildlife trade

On 11–12 October, the UK government is hosting the 2018 Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London. This conference aims to tackle illegal wildlife trade (IWT) as a serious organised crime.....More

Words by Holly Whitehead

10 October 2018

Mental Health in a Changing World

October 10 is World Mental Health Day. One of the themes this year is ‘mental health in a changing world’.....More

Words by Dave Robson

28 September 2018

The creeping legalisation of cannabis: compliance lessons from the US ”green rush”

Inconsistent laws, political tension and ambiguous banking regulation. What next?....More

Words by Eversheds Sutherland

20 August 2018

More focus required on professional money launderers

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has recently produced a report looking at the ways in which individuals and organisations, known as professional money launderers (PMLs), are charging fees or commission for providing a money laundering service to criminals.....More

Words by Jason Morris

24 July 2018

Pakistan added to FATF Grey List

The FATF’s International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) identified four key areas of concern in respect of Pakistan; can these be resolved?....More

Words by Jason Morris

13 July 2018

Are multinationals supporting terrorist financing?

French firm Lafarge, a major producer of cement, construction aggregates and concrete, is the subject of a formal investigation by French authorities over allegations of terrorist financing, violating international sanctions and committing crimes against humanity.....More

Words by Jason Morris

2 July 2018

Is the UK going cashless?

A recent Guardian article has found the cashless approach to be increasingly popular, particularly with businesses in the food and drink sector it seems. Where does that leave pounds, shilling and pence?....More

Words by Jason Morris

18 June 2018

The World Cup of Corruption: Part 2

The World Cup has got off to an explosive, entertaining start. We follow up our coverage of each team’s first fixture with Part 2 of our World Cup of Corruption, looking at each nation’s ranking on Transparency International’s 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index. Teams included in Part 2 include Sweden, Senegal, South Korea, Panama, Poland and Japan.....More

Words by Jake Plenderleith

14 June 2018

The World Cup of Corruption: Part 1

Football itself – and in particular FIFA – has been beset by corruption problems over the last decade. In light of this we thought we would consider each fixture of the tournament through the lens of corruption.....More

Words by Jake Plenderleith

8 June 2018

Bitcoin and the ongoing money laundering risk

Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, will continue to challenge the way in which we conduct financial transactions - and ultimately how we tackle the issue of money laundering risk.....More

Words by Jason Morris

1 June 2018

With the US out of the Iran deal, the EU considers ‘Blocking Regulation’

In 2015, an agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was drawn up in which Iran agreed to curtail its nuclear activities in return for the lifting of UN, US and EU sanctions.....More

Words by Jason Morris

25 May 2018

The changing face of compliance

In this article, Keeley Fitzsimmons, Training & Development Manager at Broadgate Search, provides an insightful overview of what employers are looking for from Compliance teams.....More

Words by Jennifer Trenery

22 May 2018

Is the sun setting on BOTs tax haven status?

An amendment to the Sanctions and Anti Money Laundering Bill was approved by the British government in May. The headline news from the amendment was that from 2020 British Overseas Territories (BOT) will be obliged to publish the beneficial owner(s) of all registered companies.....More

Words by Jake Plenderleith

7 May 2018

EU fifth anti money laundering directive (5MLD)

Here’s an insight into some of the changes put forward in this fifth and latest update.....More

Words by Jason Morris

30 April 2018

How high risk is trade finance?

What is trade finance and is it really as high-risk as it is often perceived?....More

Words by Simone Jones

24 April 2018

What does being a member of ICA do for you as a compliance professional?

....More

Words by Jennifer Trenery

11 April 2018

The Financial Conduct Authority publishes 2018/19 business plan

The FCA’s business plan for this year has had to strike a careful balance between the considerable amount of work that is going to be taking place on Brexit, which is already well underway, and their other strategic priorities.....More

Words by Holly Whitehead

22 March 2018

The RegTech and FinTech Revolution

RegTech is now one of the most talked about innovations in the financial services sector. The added influx of FinTech that has caused the incumbent population of the financial services industry to sit up and take notice. Disruption is a clear and present threat to this community. The revolution is here.....More

Words by Jason Morris

21 March 2018

5 reasons to recertify your ICA Diploma

For the first time, we are delighted to offer our Diploma graduates the opportunity to recertify their qualification in either AML, governance risk and compliance or financial crime prevention.....More

Words by Jennifer Trenery

20 March 2018

Why is it important to know your customer?

Do you ever truly know your customer? And, if you don't does it really matter?....More

Words by Simone Jones

6 March 2018

Will an ICA qualification get me a job?

One of the most frequently asked questions is ‘will an ICA qualification get me a job?’. This hardly comes as a surprise.....More

Words by Jennifer Trenery

23 February 2018

The #MeToo Movement: What lessons can we learn in the compliance community?

Over the past months, the world has witnessed a rise of an unprecedented global movement against sexual harassment and assault. It's time to rethink what constitutes a harassment-free workplace environment and revisit your anti-harassment policies, fostering a cultural shift in attitudes to this issue.....More

Words by Vera Cherepanova

13 February 2018

2018: elections, cybercrime, Bitcoin and bribery

Unpredictability is the new normal. What does 2018 hold for our industry?....More

Words by Jake Plenderleith

6 February 2018

The rise of the unregulated online gambling industry

Should the anti-money laundering (AML) community be concerned at the prevalence of such Bitcoin services, and their open lack of regard to customer due diligence (CDD) controls?....More

Words by Kane Pepi

30 January 2018

The importance of tone from the top and why it should not be underestimated

As firms continue to navigate the labyrinthine minefield of legislation and regulation and claw their way up the evolutionary ladder of compliance with standards that appear to have moving goal posts, ‘tone from the top’ has never been more important.....More

Words by Dawn Fisher

22 January 2018

Five things you need to know about Bitcoin

Bitcoin has taken the world by storm; Simone Jones shares what she has learnt about cryptocurrency over the course of the last year.....More

Words by Simone Jones

16 January 2018

Everything you need to know about mobile financial services

Over the last decade, mobile financial services (MFS) have been instrumental in increasing financial inclusion in developing markets. What impact does this have on financial services and the telecommunications industry?....More

Words by Jake Plenderleith

15 January 2018

Why policy makers should shoulder responsibility for UK failings

In November 2017, Transparency International (TI) published the report Hiding in Plain Sight which further highlighted the attractiveness of UK Plc to those that wish to launder the proceeds of corruption or value of other criminal origin.....More

Words by Dawn Fisher

2 January 2018

Blurring the lines: how technology is shaping illicit finance typologies

As technological innovation sweeps the financial sector, the compliance professional faces developments of huge consequence.....More

Words by David Carlisle

27 November 2017

The Department of Mysteries (or What is the Compliance Department actually doing?)

It struck me that the compliance department has certain parallels with the Ministry of Magic from J.K. Rowling´s Harry Potter series. Both are often misunderstood, mysterious, ‘secretly’ structured but at the same time necessary and important.....More

Words by Lucie Schweizer

23 November 2017

Happy Thanksgiving Day: top 5 US blogs of 2017

Thanksgiving Day is upon us, and in celebration of the annual harvest, we have collated our top five blogs with US origins. Let’s take a retrospective look at our favourite blogs from the last year, with a keen focus on the United States.....More

Words by Jennifer Trenery

21 November 2017

A turning tide? Terrorism and the Caribbean

How many of us, if we were then asked to think of terrorism and the Caribbean, would think back to the bygone era of piracy; of Calico Jack and mutiny on the seas? This era ended around the 1830s so surely terrorism is something that now happens outside of the Caribbean, doesn’t it?....More

Words by Sarah Reynolds

6 November 2017

Meet an ICA Member with Jerry Walters

Jerry Walters has a Distinction in the International Compliance Association Diploma Course in Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter Terrorist Financing (CTF). As well as being a member of the ICA, Jerry is a former Detective Constable and has worked on high profile cases including Operation Trilby. He is still involved in all aspects of tackling financial crime through the running of his own business. Here, Jerry discusses what ICA and compliance means to him.....More

Words by Jennifer Trenery