Episodes
The ACAMS Hollywood 2023 conference was another success bringing industry professionals and practitioners together to discuss AML regulatory trends, emerging technologies, and more. In this episode, host Alex Pillow provides on-the-ground coverage capturing engaging conversations with Kieran Beer, Director of Editorial Content, Chief Analyst at ACAMS; Lukayn Hunsicker, Moody's Analytics KYC Head of New Product Innovation; Richard Graham, Moody's Analytics KYC Industry Practice Lead; Colleen...
Published 06/02/23
The steadfast enforcement of anti-financial crime regulations in the US often leads to severe financial consequences for offenders. Jill DeWitt, Moody’s KYC Industry Practice Lead for Financial Crime and Due Diligence in the Americas, profiled some US companies that were fined in 2022. While fines ranged from thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars, a few key themes emerged across the board. In this episode, Jill guides us through some observations, including: business growth vs....
Published 05/03/23
The supplier risk landscape for corporates today is shaped by sanctions, ESG commitments, and potential for reputational harm - which is just the start. But amid all this, there is competitive advantage to be found through optimized third-party risk management. No stranger to the topic is Vincent Scales, Director of Third-party Risk Management at Verizon and Chairman of the Board for the Third-party Risk Association. After participating in a primary research study conducted by Moody’s...
Published 04/20/23
Former international sales executive, Richard Bistrong, served time in a federal prison camp after being targeted in a US Department of Justice investigation of a UN supply contract. After fully cooperating, he now dedicates his life to raising awareness and educating companies on the risks of corruption. In this episode of KYC decoded, Richard and Bill Hauserman, Moody’s Analytics KYC head of the Financial Crime Compliance Practice for the Americas, talk about: how expertise, data, and...
Published 04/05/23
The US Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) is coming. It aims to create a national registry of beneficial ownership information. But what exactly does this mean? How will it change the fight against financial crime in the US and beyond? What hurdles need to be overcome? What questions are still unanswered? How can the public voice concerns? In this episode of KYC Decoded, Alex Pillow is joined by lawyer, AML practitioner, thought leader, and current founder and principal of RegTech Consulting,...
Published 03/23/23
If you could look into a crystal ball, what do you think the future would hold for KYC and AML professionals? In this episode, Luke Raven, Senior AML Compliance Manager at Cabital, shares how he hopes this industry will continue to evolve into the next generation, including: changes to the compliance profession seen so far; the skillsets – and more importantly, attitudes – needed for success; and the role technology will increasingly play in effectiveness and efficiency.
Published 03/08/23
One year on from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, so much has changed – particularly around sanctions. In this episode, host Alex Pillow is joined by Hera Smith, former Global Sanctions Compliance Officer, sanctions expert and Moody’s Analytics KYC Industry Practice Lead.
Published 02/23/23
AML effectiveness. AML efficiency. What do these words really mean and what difference do they really make in the fight against financial crime? In this episode of KYC Decoded, host Alex Pillow is joined by Natasha Vernier, co-founder and CEO of the regtech firm, Cable.
Published 01/12/23
In the final installment of our investigative journalism miniseries, host Alex Pillow is joined by The Sentry’s Michelle Kendler-Kretsch, Investigative Coordinator and Data Specialist, and Debra LaPrevotte, Senior Investigator and former FBI supervisory special agent. Their engaging, dynamic conversation drives home how investigative journalism plays a critical role in the anti-financial crime ecosystem.
Published 12/14/22
Greed. Scandal. Fraud. Our investigative journalism miniseries continues with an epic true story of one of the biggest, most harrowing heists in history. This hair-raising episode welcomes Bradley Hope, one of the co-authors of Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World.
Published 12/07/22
Multi-billion-dollar fraud. Fake bank accounts. Hackers. Spies. Whistleblowers. In this episode, Dan McCrum, Financial Times investigative reporter, brings to life his book Money Men: A Hot Startup, A Billion Dollar Fraud, A Fight for the Truth. This entry into our investigative journalism miniseries dissects the too-good-to-be-true German tech startup, Wirecard, and the role Dan played in exposing its darkest secrets.
Published 11/30/22
Since our sanctions mini-series earlier this year, further packages of sanctions have been released. And most recently, the EU issued a set of FAQs on account openings and deposits. In this bonus episode of KYC Decoded, sanctions expert and Moody's Analytics industry practice lead, Ted Datta, makes a return appearance to shed light on what exactly is in those FAQs and what firms need to do next...
Published 11/23/22
The tables have turned. In this episode of KYC Decoded, our usual host Alex Pillow sits down as a guest with Jody Houton, UK Content Marketing Manager at IDnow, an identity proofing and fraud prevention platform.
Published 11/16/22
In this episode of KYC Decoded, Alex Pillow is joined by founder at Arctic Intelligence, Anthony Quinn. Their discussion sheds light on the current state of risk assessment frameworks and practices that aren't necessarily keeping up with the rapidly accelerating rate of stricter regulations and heightened criminal activity.
Published 11/02/22
Alex Pillow, host of the KYC Decoded podcast, caught up with Head of Financial Crime at Featurespace, Annegret Funke, and journalist from Compliance Week, Aaron Nicodemus, to get their standout moments from ACAMS Vegas. Here are their thoughts on the things you need to know. • US Beneficial ownership: the registry is coming, what do you need to understand and how do you prepare? • Crypto exposure: every institution has exposure through their customers, so where is yours? • Encouraging...
Published 10/27/22
This episode welcomes Jean-Paul Eaton, Global Community Director of FINTRAIL’s Fintech Fincrime Exchange (FFE), who takes listeners through the story of how FFE originated. What started as a small roundtable, FFE has now matured into a global community that shares information on how to detect and deal with financial crime. Listen along to learn more about FFE and FFECON, its annual conference for FinTechs and financial crime professionals to understand and share developments in the industry.
Published 10/12/22
In our pKYC series we have explored the concept of pKYC and the technologies behind it, but what is it like operationally to practice this modern process and yield positive outcomes? In this final installment of the pKYC series, Jessica Cath, Head of Financial Crime Project Delivery at FINTRAIL, discusses her unique experiences and perspectives as an active practitioner in compliance to answer this question.
Published 09/14/22
A large difference between traditional KYC and Perpetual KYC is the technological advancements that enhance the process to make it more efficient. In the second part of our pKYC series, Alex Pillow speaks with Delphine Masquelier, KYC Solution Manager at Quantexa, Alex Richter, Head of Customer Lifecycle Management at PassFort, and Henry Irish, Manager of Technology Strategy at Moody’s Analytics. Their discussion takes a closer look at the technologies needed for a successful Perpetual KYC...
Published 09/07/22
Are the traditional methods of periodic review things of the past? A new approach called Perpetual KYC (pKYC), offers solutions to optimize the conventional process and make it more time efficient and less expensive, providing real-time risk mitigation. In the first part of our Perpetual KYC series, host Alex Pillow is joined by Chor Teh, Moody’s Analytics Financial Crime Compliance Industry Practice Lead, to explore the definition, understanding, and implementation of Perpetual KYC.
Published 08/31/22
It is noble and important work when compliance professionals spend their days behind an office desk using sophisticated tools and processes to prevent financial crime. However, there’s another compelling story to be told about the difference one can make away from the office, deep within the trenches. This episode welcomes undercover agent and author, Robert Mazur, who has worked side-by-side with some of the world’s most notorious money launderers and drug traffickers. Be sure to grab your...
Published 08/24/22
Crypto may provide bad actors with yet another channel to launder funds, but could it also provide a unique set of opportunities for KYC and AML professionals to revolutionize their practices and manage risks in new ways? The third and final installment of our Crypto Series welcomes Niels Pedersen, Senior Lecturer of FinTech at The Manchester Metropolitan University, and Laurence Twelvetrees, a multiple time MLRO at crypto-focused businesses.
Published 08/17/22
Outsmarting criminals preying in the crypto space - no one said it was easy. How can KYC and AML systems work with law enforcement to tackle these opponents? Our crypto series continues with part two taking a deep dive into risk mitigation and law enforcement focused on crypto. In this episode, host Alex Pillow is joined by Craig Gleeson, Senior Office for the Crypto assets Money Laundering, Bribery & Corruption Threat Team for the UK’s National Economic Crime Centre in the NCA, and Tom...
Published 08/17/22
Like it or not, some of your global customers are likely to be engaging with cryptocurrency. Flashy media headlines highlighting the scandals related to the crypto space often create feelings of fear, anxiety, and confusion, which can muddle our understanding of the real risks associated with crypto. In the first episode of our 3-part cryptocurrency series, special guests Yana Afanasieva, Founder & CEO of Competitive Compliance and host of the podcast Compliance that Makes Sense, and...
Published 08/17/22
How do Financial Institutions determine the right RegTech vendors for them? And how do RegTech providers establish a reputation that is built on trust? The RegTech industry poses unique challenges for buyers and sellers alike. In this special bonus episode, host Alex Pillow and guest Matt Neill, Managing Director and Co-founder of Beyond, take a closer look at Beyond’s recently published guide, Leveraging RegTech in Financial Crime Compliance Programmes.
Published 07/27/22
In a world where computer hacking has become increasingly more sophisticated, how does an organization ensure it does not find itself the next victim of a financial cybercrime attack? In this episode of Moody’s Talks: KYC Decoded, leading investigative journalist and author of the recently published book The Lazarus Heist, Geoff White, breaks down the events of the 2016 Bangladesh bank heist, commonly attributed to North Korea’s cyber unit, the Lazarus Group. Listen along for a riveting...
Published 06/23/22