Crypto AFC Programs for FIs and NBFIs: What Good Looks Like

Shilpa is the Chief Product Officer at ACAMS. She is responsible for the performance, content and strategy of anti-financial crime training solutions and their implementation across all channels and client segments.

Shilpa represents ACAMS by speaking at select major industry events and conferences, participating in think tanks and engaging proactively with industry leaders across the globe.

Previously, Shilpa was the Head of Financial Crime Prevention for the Retail and Business Bank in Santander UK. She was accountable for all areas of financial crime prevention including KYC/CDD, customer screening, payment screening, transaction monitoring, customer risk assessment and assurance. She led the bank through the implementation of AML/CTF and ABC policies, advisory on high-risk onboarding, training and communication, and risk assessments. She also held leadership roles at Barclays in financial crime prevention, governance, and controls, and led large transformation programs.

Ameesha leads a team within U.S. Financial Crime Analysis team as part of HSBC’s Compliance function. The team is dedicated to proactive identification of risk across a variety of financial crime topics including bribery and corruption, international money laundering, sanctions evasion, emerging financial technologies, and fraud, among others. She oversees subject matter experts on the team who analyze developments across the globe that impact the bank’s risk profile and develop typologies to proactively identify latent risk through proprietary data analysis. Prior to joining HSBC in 2018, Ameesha spent most of her career in intelligence, most recently as an Intelligence Specialist at the New York Police Department where she focused on terrorism investigations and emerging cryptocurrency typologies. Ameesha earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Northwestern University in 2005 and a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Fletcher School at Tufts University in 2011.

Mat Seneviratne BM is Global Anti-Financial Crime Partner for Digital Assets & Virtual Currencies at Deutsche Bank, where he is responsible for advising and overseeing DB's advancements into digital assets. Prior to that, Mat was MLRO at Revolut, a global fintech.

Mat has 18 years of diverse experience in financial crime risk management, including Federal Agent at the Australian Federal Police, Policy Analyst at the Financial Action Task Force and Risk Advisory at Deloitte.

Mat sits on the National Crime Agency Public-Private Operational Board, overseeing UK operational partnership capability including the UK Joint Money Laundering Intelligence Taskforce (JMLIT).

He is a sessional lecturer at Charles Sturt University teaching various financial crime topics.

Mathew holds a Master of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, Bachelor of International Business, Bachelor of Arts and is a recipient of the Bravery Medal (BM).

Brian Walsh is the Deputy BSA and Sanctions Officer for BitGo where he assists in the day-to-day development and implementation of the AML and OFAC compliance activities. Prior to joining BitGo, Brian was an Executive Director and Chief Anti-Money Laundering Officer for UBS Asset Management (Americas) where he was responsible for managing, coordinating and monitoring the operations of the BSA/AML program for UBS’s US and Canada Asset Management businesses; providing BSA/AML subject matter expertise to first and second LoD; liaising with Regulatory Exam and Internal Audit teams; and providing transparency for key stakeholders.  Brian was the Chief Compliance Officer and MLRO for Pershing Securities Canada Limited, a Pershing LLC affiliate, and had oversight of Pershing’s enterprise-wide KYC Department.  In his role, Brian was responsible for Pershing Canada's compliance with governing rules and regulations and internal policies and procedures, including: regulatory inquiries and examinations; rule interpretation and policy making; regulatory interface and reporting; and anti-money laundering; among other items.  Prior to joining Pershing, he was the Director of Compliance Investigations at the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation in which he directed the day-to-day operations, including coordinating investigations with member firms, regulators, and law enforcement. Brian began his career with Merrill Lynch & Co. where he was the Global SAR Officer and coordinated money laundering and financial fraud investigations amongst various business units and affiliates.  Brian received a B.A. in Political Science/Criminal Justice from Kean University and holds Series 7, Series 24, and Series 27 registrations in the U.S. and qualified as a Partner, Director, & Senior Officer and as a Chief Compliance Officer in Canada.