CAMS Scholarship Recipients
We are thrilled to announce the 12 winners of the Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) Scholarship, offered by ACAMS in partnership with ICIJ.
This is part of our commitment to foster career-development for investigative journalists seeking to elevate their journalism career.
To the 12 recipients, we welcome you to a global community of financial-crime prevention professionals. We wish you every success and look forward to partnering you on this journey. Click on their names below to read their short bio.
To the other applicants, we thank you for your interest and commitment, and wish you all the success in your future endeavors. We hope that our paths will cross again.
CAMS Scholarship Candidate Selection Panel
VP Global Strategic Communications & DEI, ACAMS
Lash Kaur leads Global Strategic Communications and DEI at ACAMS, the world’s largest mission-driven membership organization dedicated to ending financial crime.
In addition to her work engaging with key stakeholders on thought leadership and global positioning for ACAMS, Lash has spearheaded partnerships with the Royal United Service Institute (RUSI), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Finance Against Slavery & Trafficking (FAST) Initiative, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), United for Wildlife and more to develop free global social-impact certificate programs that train anti-financial crime (AFC) professionals on identifying suspicious activity linked to human trafficking, illegal wildlife trade, online child exploitation and financial inclusion.
She also champions the organization’s efforts in the DEI space, leveraging the convening power of ACAMS to spotlight and support the career needs of BIPOC professionals, drive LGBTQ awareness, and push for greater diversity across all ACAMS platforms and training events.
“In the ever-evolving landscape of global compliance, providing journalists with the latest knowledge is a necessity. ACAMS remains committed to illuminating the path to informed journalism, ensuring that narratives on critical issues resonate with truth and awareness. In doing so, we collectively stand as catalysts for change within the compliance community, fortifying our commitment to safeguarding global communities.”
Online Editor, ICIJ
Hamish Boland-Rudder is ICIJ’s head of digital and product. He has worked on all of ICIJ's major investigations, including the Panama Papers, Pandora Papers, FinCEN Files and, most recently, Cyprus Confidential. He previously worked at The Canberra Times in Australia, where he ran the breaking news website, which included coordinating digital coverage of elections, major sporting events, and live coverage of significant natural disasters. He also reported for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Korea Herald and various other publications.
Boland-Rudder studied at the University of Sydney, where he was awarded the Helen Newborn Bennett prize for history, and was granted an Australia-Korea Foundation fellowship.
"At ICIJ, we pride ourselves on working with the best reporters from around the world — and reading through these scholarship applications really reinforced this for me. I was reminded yet again of their deep passion for accountability journalism, and for uncovering corruption and injustices in the world, and I can't wait to see how they put this great opportunity to use in their investigative work."
Editor-in-Chief, ACAMS Today
Karla Monterrosa-Yancey is the award-winning editor-in-chief of the ACAMS Today (AT) magazine, a publication of ACAMS. Under her guidance the magazine has won over 200 awards for content, design, copywriting, interviews and much more. Monterrosa-Yancey has expanded the global reach of AT by launching two additional titles to the ACAMS Today repertoire: ACAMS Today Europe digital (published in English, French and German) and ACAMS Today Español digital. Monterrosa-Yancey also guides and manages the content and design of ACAMSToday.org, ACAMS Connection and Conexión newsletters, AT social media, ACAMS members’ career headquarters and community forums.
Monterrosa-Yancey is currently a Florida Magazine Association (FMA) board member and former president of same. She is also a board member of the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative.
Monterrosa-Yancey is extremely involved in the publishing industry and has judged for the prestigious Azbee Awards by the American Society of Business Publication Editors, the Eddie and Ozzie Folio: Awards and the EXCEL Awards. Prior to joining ACAMS, Monterrosa-Yancey worked in the accounting, education and technology industries. Monterrosa-Yancey received her Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist certification in 2008. She is fluent in Spanish and French and holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations and a master’s degree in business administration.
“What a privilege to listen to journalists who want to make a difference in combating financial crime. I was extremely impressed by the talent, passion, diversity and desire of the scholarship candidates to make a positive impact within their countries and communities. The future is bright—and I look forward to seeing the anti-financial crime stories published by these brilliant candidates.”
The CAMS Certification
Widely recognized as an international anti-money laundering (AML) credential, the CAMS certification is designed to equip AFC professionals with a broad array of skills and strategies to detect, track and report illicit financial activity. CAMS-certified professionals not only have the skillsets to help safeguard institutions from criminal exploitation and mitigate AML risks, but they also have the knowledge and training to meet evolving compliance challenges, whether driven by emerging illicit-finance schemes, geopolitical crises, advances in technology, or shifting regulatory priorities.
As part of the program, candidates will learn to:
- Implement effective AFC policies and procedures based on risk;
- Drive a top-down culture of compliance on an enterprise-wide basis;
- Shield institutions from enforcement actions and reputational harm.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the selection process?
When do I find out if I have been accepted?
What happens after I have been selected?
Can I interview ACAMS if I am accepted as a scholarship recipient?
Is the ACAMS membership included in the CAMS Scholarship?
What happens to the complimentary one-year membership, part of the scholarship, if I already have an active ACAMS membership?
What is the duration of the ACAMS CAMS Scholarship?
What is the process for getting CAMS-certified?
What happens if I need to reschedule the CAMS exam?
What if I fail the exam?
Contact Details
Disclosure for CAMS Scholarship
By applying for the CAMS Scholarship, the applicant:
1) Agrees to supply ACAMS with their photograph and grants to ACAMS the irrevocable right and permission to publish the photograph on ACAMS website, along with other scholarship recipients. To use, re-use, publish, republish, copy, modify, display and create derivative works in whole or in section, individually or in conjunction with other photograph in any medium or format whatsoever (including without limitation, in and on print publications, the internet and other digital transmission or delivery methods) and for any purpose whatsoever, including, without limitation in advertising, marketing, publications, electronic distribution, and the internet and for any other commercial purpose without further consent; and
a) To use the applicant’s name, image, likeness, voice, other personal characteristics, and professional and personal biographical information in connection therewith; and
b) To copyright the same in the name of ACAMS, or any other name that ACAMS may choose; and
2) Waives any and all rights to such photographs, film, video or other images, sound recordings, or testimonials (written or oral) and assigns all such rights in perpetuity to ACAMS and its affiliates and successors.
The applicant acknowledges and agrees that ACAMS has the right to use any materials, including images, the applicant submits for marketing purposes as determined by ACAMS. ACAMS will not be liable to the applicant for its use of such materials or images.
The applicant understands that there will be no payment or other compensation for the permitted use of any testimonial (written or oral), photographs, film, video, other images or sound recordings received or taken by ACAMS or of the applicant’s name, likeness or personal characteristics.
ACAMS shall be the exclusive owner of all rights, including copyright, in the materials. The applicant forever releases and discharges ACAMS from any and all claims and demands arising out of or in connection with the use of such photographs, film, video or other images, sound recordings, or testimonial (written or oral), including but not limited to any claims for defamation, invasion of privacy, right of publicity, emotional distress or any similar right.
The applicant undertakes and warrants that they do not have a relationship with ACAMS, or with anyone employed at ACAMS, and this includes:
a) Serving as a current employee in any capacity at ACAMS; and
b) Being related to anyone employed at ACAMS as either a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child or spouse of a child, brother, sister, or spouse of a brother or sister.
The applicant represents and warrants that any testimonial (written or oral) given is original and does not infringe upon the copyright or proprietary rights of another person or entity.
The applicant further warrants the information they submit will not contain any material which is defamatory, private, confidential, or which is unlawful in any way. Any application found to be in breach of the foregoing statement will be disqualified.