Sheetal R Bhardwaj

Sheetal Bhardwaj is a seasoned Risk and Compliance professional with over two decades of hands-on experience managing successful Compliance Programs in the MENAT and Australasia region.

She is the Head of Virtual Assets Compliance with one of the mainland banks in Dubai and has previously worked in the digital assets space with PWC and Binance.

She was an approved Compliance Officer & MLRO by the Central Bank of the UAE and Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA). As a subject matter Expert, she has served in leadership roles covering various aspects of Regulatory Compliance and Financial Crime Risk, including regulatory audits & and thematic reviews.

She is an Executive Board Member and Communication Director of ACFCS (Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists, US), MENA Chapter, and UAE Ambassador to the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC).

She is an MBA in Finance & a mathematical science graduate in statistics from the University of Delhi. She is a Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Cryptocurrency Investigator (CCI), Chainalysis Cryptocurrency Fundamentals Certification (CFCC), and Certified Compliance Officer (CCO), along with certifications in Compliance & AML from CISI, UK & ICA Manchester Business School, Henley Business School.

Sheetal is a well-known speaker and has delivered several speaking and training assignments in various forums, including at the University of Bradford and the University of Dubai.

She has also volunteered in the Government of India initiative, “Mentor of Change,” to educate children in rural areas of India.