Adam Rogerson, FICA
Compliance Manager, RBC Wealth Management International, Jersey

1. How long have you worked in compliance?

I’ve worked in compliance nearly seven years.

2. How did you land your first role in compliance?

My first job in compliance, related to transaction monitoring and carrying out Anti Money Laundering (“AML”) /Anti Bribery and Corruption controls. Previously, I had spent a number of years with Barclays Bank PLC in various distribution roles (sales) leading onto a role at UBS AG, in quality management. The AML aspect of compliance seemed the next logical step and offered further learning opportunities, especially when considering that the global financial crisis was in full affect during this period.

3. What do you enjoy the most about your role?

‘Poacher turned game keeper’ – Partly I guess this is true, having worked within distribution gives you a useful insight when trying to apply compliance principles/rules along with handling the day to day advisory queries. Global financial crisis don’t occur very often, so experiencing the ebbs and flows of regulatory change coupled with facilitating business compliance, leads to an interesting and enriching vocation. Furthermore, I’ve gained experience in dealing with an event, others may never experience during their careers. All of these small steps in questions 2 and 3, have led to my current role as one of the compliance officers within the RBC network.

4. What skills do you think you need for your type of role?

Skills similar to that of an engineer. You need to understand and apply quite technical requirements, whether these be principles or rule based legislation and apply this knowledge to real world situations. This maybe in producing policies and procedures or giving advice to business colleagues. You need an ability to plan ahead, devise workable solutions and communicate in a collaborative way with colleagues. This applies equally, when trying to remediate incidents in the most efficient and cost effective way possible for our businesses.

5. Do you have any advice for those looking to move into a career in compliance?

I have two pieces of advice; the first is to take any opportunity for a secondment into a compliance team, to see how the team operates, the tasks they perform and to understand the issues that they face on a day to day basis. It’s not a job for everyone. If you have an interest, the second step is to then decide on studying a formal qualification, as this will give valuable insight into your chosen subject area. The ICA offers diplomas in compliance, financial crime and AML, depending on which area is of interest.

6. What has been your career highlight so far?

A career highlight for me was being part of the first cohort of students that graduated with the ICAs BSc in Management with Compliance, at Manchester University. This was a challenging undertaking that enabled me to network with other students, whom worked within the financial sector both in Jersey, Guernsey and the UK.