Rowena
Bethel
Rowena is a UK qualified Barrister-at-law and AML expert with 20+ years’ experience in the public and private sectors. She has worked in The Bahamas and the UAE. She has prior experience as a DFSA authorized MLRO, and now provides AML and Sanctions consulting services through Ryja Consulting, Dubai, UAE.
She is a former Senior Legal Advisor to the Bahamas Ministry of Finance with responsibility for financial services and AML regulation, cross-border tax cooperation & eGovernment. Her background includes developing the legislative framework for AML regulation, AML and Sanctions, policies at international, national and enterprise levels, operating manuals & AML training.
She previously headed the Bahamas Compliance Commission, the AML Regulator for insurance sector, credit unions, financial and corporate service providers and DNFBPs. She implemented a comprehensive on- and off-site examination programme for these sectors.
Rowena has served for many years on the ACAMS Advisory Board for the Hollywood Money Laundering Alert Conference, USA, as well as a featured conference presenter.
Rowena formerly served on the UN Committee of Experts in Public Administration which focused on addressing illicit financial flows in the context of the SDGs.