Malta Chapter

Deborah Cassar is a Associate Director AML at KPMG Malta. She holds a Bachelors’ degree in Banking & Finance and Management from the University of Malta. Deborah has over ten years’ experience within the Financial Services sector and worked for over two years with the FIAU. She has worked extensively in the area of AML compliance – performing Compliance reviews, as well as assisting subject persons to establish appropriate AML/CFT internal structures. In 2014 and 2015, Deborah obtained certifications in Anti-Money Laundering, Sanction Compliance, Regulatory and Financial Crime Compliance in collaboration with the International Compliance Association. In 2017, she obtained an international golden standard specialisation with ACAMS® (of which she is an active member) as a recognised and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS®). Deborah is also a –Founding Member and Vice-Chair of the ACAMS Malta Chapter. 

At KPMG, Deborah works extensively in the areas of Anti-Money Laundering Compliance. She has managed AML projects locally and assisted entities to comply with regulatory obligations specifically on AML/CFT. These projects include assisting with the drafting and/or review of policies and procedures, training, review of processes, GAP analysis, Customer Risk Assessments and Business Risk Assessments. Deborah also participates in delivering AML/CFT presentations in KPMG’s AML Roundtables and takes part in panel discussions.

LinkedIn Profile

Andrew is an independent AML/CFT Compliance Consultant currently engaged in the Caribbean, Malta and other International Financial Centres. Previously Andrew was the Head of Financial Crime Threat Mitigation for HSBC in Malta. This role involved identifying, understanding and mitigating the financial crime risks in Malta and transnationally through Investigations, Analytics and Intelligence.

Andrew enjoyed a career in the Royal Navy where his early sea-going deployments included the Caribbean for hurricane relief and counter-narcotics operations, and global deployments to the Middle East and Far East for defence engagement and security assurance operations. He undertook a number of operational deployments in the Balkans (2003) in support of investigations into war criminal financial facilitation and support networks, Iraq (2004 and 2007) investigating Iraqi WMD sanctions evasions and terrorist networks, Afghanistan (2009), and Bahrain (2011) for maritime security operations, counter-narcotics, counter-piracy and counter-terrorism roles in the Gulf and Indian Ocean.

Andrew served in the Ministry of Defence in London and the NATO Headquarters in Naples, Italy and also spent 4 years as a liaison officer in Washington DC where his remit included geo-political analysis, counter-terrorism, technology and innovation design and acquisition, and specialising in Threat Finance (the Department of Defense term for hybrid AML/CFT warfare) in relation to homeland security threats. This involved working closely with international intelligence and law enforcement agencies, academia, think-tanks, regulators and vendors.

Andrew is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and Certified Cryptocurrency Investigator (CCI). He is Co-Chair of the ACAMS Malta Chapter and a former member of the Washington DC Chapter. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from Queen Mary, University of London and a Master’s degree with Distinction in Intelligence and International Security from King’s College, London with a dissertation focused on the use of intelligence in financial institutions for AML/CFT Compliance. Following a Master’s level module at the United Nations’ University for Peace (UPEACE), his current academic interests are the Crime-Terror Nexus in Relation to Illicit Finance, Moving from Follow the Money to Getting Ahead of the Money through Predictive Intelligence, and Financial Intelligence as a New Intelligence Discipline.

LinkedIn Profile

With over two decades of private and public sector experience, Manfred Galdes is one of Malta’s foremost compliance specialists. A lawyer by profession, former AML regulator and Head of FIU, Manfred today advises banks, financial institutions, investment firms and top-tier gaming companies on compliance, governance and risk-related issues. He spends most of his time leading diverse engagements and providing simple solutions to complex compliance issues.

He is also Partner in the law firm FFF Legal and the non-executive chairman of HSBC Malta plc.

Under his stewardship, ARQ has established itself as a leading professional service provider, known for the quality of its deliverables, an unmatched level of expertise and an unwavering commitment to taking the client to the next level. The firm’s clear mission of achieving excellence and always going the extra mile has been integral to its success.

Andrzej Gierasimiuk is a qualified due diligence specialist for anti-financial crime compliance with over a decade of hands-on experience in DD engagements within private & investment banking, corporate as well as RCBI sectors. He currently leads enhanced due diligence engagements in the field of HNWI investment migration within the Government of Malta.

Kadir Serkan Gurbuzoglu is the Money Laundering Reporting Officer at Garanti BBVA Malta Branch. He holds bachelor degree in Economics, MBA degree and he is CAMS & CAMS RM certified. He has over fifteen years` experience in banking sector.

He started his career in banking sector in Foreign Trade Department, where he developed skills in foreign trade transactions, especially on letter of credits. He was later recognized as a Documentary Credit Specialist. He moved to Malta in 2007 and continued his career in operations department, where he acquired knowledge & experience on variety of basic and sophisticated banking products, local and EU legislations. He had interest in the field of  prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing and compliance. Since then he devoted himself to increase his knowledge & experience on risk assessments, AML/CFT framework, policies & procedures. He was assigned as a designated employee, later on appointed as the MLRO. He is also a member of the Financial and Cyber Crime, & Fraud standing committee, and Prudential Policy Regulation & Supervision standing committee of the MBA-Malta Bankers Association.”

Jean Noel Azzopardi is a Head of Compliance specialising in the field of anti-money laundering within the remote gaming industry. He is a solution focused head of compliance with over 10 years’ experience overseeing daily compliance functions of remote gaming business. He is currently holding an approval of Key AML Individual in Malta issued by the Malta Gaming Authority and is an approved Personal Management Licence Holder in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission, in Sweden by the Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) and in Spain by the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (Spanish Regulator for Gambling).

Prior to joining the private sector, he has occupied various roles within the investigations and enforcement directorate at the Malta Gaming Authority. His last role was that of an enforcement officer where part of his responsibilities was liaising and acting as a point of contact with the FIAU, Malta Police Force and foreign law enforcement agencies.

His strong interpersonal skills and high attention to detail has meant that he is able to communicate status and progress, risk, and changes to plans as well as provide realistic updates clearly and transparently to directors and clients. He is highly proficient in identifying gaps and/or risk exposure in operations as well as developing and implementing strong policies and procedures to meet organisational and regulatory compliance standards.

Driven by execution, Jean Noel has significant experience in successful project management particularly in obtaining licences, applications and starting up remote gaming operations from scratch.

Piotr Lisak is a driven professional with strong AML, compliance, and legal background with experience in financial services, CSP and gaming sectors across multiple jurisdictions.

Piotr is currently entrusted with the position of the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) at Kindred Group. He holds master’s degree in law, ICA International Diploma in Anti Money Laundering as well as CAMS certification. Piotr started his career in the investment banking sector as part of Credit Suisse ISDA negotiations and Legal Due Diligence Teams where he quickly progressed to become a legal due diligence subject matter expert within a team of the outsourcing company providing services to the investment bank. Piotr moved to Malta for the first time in 2016 where he worked as Legal Officer in the corporate services and business implementation team of the Fund Administration and CSP company. He then progressed with his career and moved to Luxembourg where he worked as assistant manager, legal officer, senior fund distribution oversight office and senior compliance officer within fund administration, UCITS and Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) management companies, where he acquired knowledge and experience in the wider financial sector.

Piotr moved back to Malta in 2022 and started his journey at Kindred Group where he has been able to acquire more expertise within AML area related to the gaming industry. He takes an active role and contributes within the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), a Brussels – based trade association representing the leading online gambling operators established, licensed, and regulated within the EU as a member of the AML expert group, which amongst others created the Guidelines on fighting money laundering and terrorist financing for the European online gambling sector. Piotr has a genuine interest in emerging AML risks and researching ever expanding AML typologies.

Cheryl Grech is a seasoned banking professional with over 18 years of experience in the financial sector, including 13 years at HSBC in Malta. Her expertise lies in financial crime prevention, and she has collaborated with senior stakeholders and regulators such as FIAU, ECB, and Central Bank. In 2020, Cheryl joined Deloitte Malta's Risk Advisory team, where she leads the financial crime service offerings and go-to-market strategy. Cheryl has been instrumental in several significant financial crime engagements, including end-to-end AML/CFT transformations, transaction monitoring rule implementation and optimization, risk analytics, and customer due diligence remediation for major banks and other financial institutions. She is a proactive advocate for integrating technology and innovation in AML/CFT processes to reduce compliance costs. Cheryl holds a Management qualification from the University of Malta and is a certified CAMS Specialist (CAMS).

With over a decade of experience in the gaming industry, Chiara currently serves as Deputy MLRO and AML Team Leader, specializing in Anti-Money Laundering and financial crime compliance. Her journey began in South Africa, in Risk and Fraud Department; she moved to Malta in 2018 where she progressed in AML/CFT as an analyst and has evolved into a leadership role, and she now guides a dedicated team and contribute to shaping robust AML/CFT frameworks. Occasionally, Chiara runs AML/CFT training sessions through the dedicated iGaming Academy. 

Chiara is deeply passionate about uncovering financial crime typologies and continuously enhancing her expertise by earning multiple AML certifications along the way. In fact, Chiara holds the CAMS and Crypto Asset AFC certifications issued by ACAMS, while before that she got a bachelor’s degree in International Finance, in Milan. Chiara's career has also been enriched by international experiences, including three transformative years living in South Africa, which broadened her perspective both personally and professionally. 

Driven by curiosity and a love for new challenges, Chiara thrives in dynamic environments and believe in the power of continuous learning and growth. 

Chiara is happy to be part of the ACAMS Malta Chapter Board of Directors as a Secretary in an effort to stay closely engaged with the financial crime prevention community in Malta.

Vanessa Vella is the Head of the Anti-Financial Crime & Compliance Function at RSM Malta. She holds a Bachelor’s degree (Hons) in Banking and Finance and a Master of Arts in Financial Services both from the University of Malta.  Vanessa is a seasoned financial services professional with over 23 years of experience, primarily in anti-financial crime and regulatory compliance. Throughout her career, she has held various senior regulated positions across the industry, including roles within credit institutions, fund managers and administrators, collective investment schemes and corporate service providers. Her experience spans from the implementation of applicable regulations, including the drafting of policies and procedures, customer risk assessment and business risk assessments, training and review of controls and processes and management of relationships with the different regulatory authorities and law enforcement agencies.

Sofia Maria Cucciniello is Head of Legal & Compliance at Blockchain.com, one of the leading global players in the fintech and digital assets industry. She holds a Master’s Degree in Law from the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, an MBA in Tax Law, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. She is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).

With nearly fifteen years of international experience in Financial Crime Compliance, AML/CFT, and regulatory strategy, Sofia has worked across the fintech, financial services, and virtual asset sectors, operating between Europe and the MENA region. Before joining Blockchain.com, she held senior positions including Head of AML & MLRO, Group MLRO, and Head of Legal & Compliance within institutions regulated by the MFSA and other supervisory authorities.

Throughout her career, she has led initiatives in governance, licensing, risk management, and regulatory engagement, contributing to the development of sustainable compliance frameworks and fostering a strong culture of financial integrity. She is an Italian-qualified lawyer, a GDPR-certified Data Protection Officer, and an active member of ACAMS.