Dasha Avery
Chelmsford,Essex
Summary
Experienced professional with focus on management and team leadership. Capable of driving projects to successful completion through strategic planning and strong interpersonal skills. Known for fostering collaborative environments and delivering consistent results. Accomplished professional with expertise in client onboarding strategies for Trusts, SPVs, Funds, Corporates, and PEPs. Demonstrates proficiency in financial crime risk assessment implementation and transaction monitoring. Skilled in stakeholder engagement and designing quality assurance protocols. Adept at developing AML training for staff and optimising KYC processes, including enhanced due diligence and customer due diligence procedures. Experienced in PEP risk assessment enhancement and conducting source of wealth and source of funds analysis. Knowledgeable about JMSLG, FCA Handbook, and AML regulations. Proven track record in staff recruitment, KPI tracking, sanctions screening procedures, mentorship, team leadership, adverse media analysis using World Check, Sanction screening tools. Proficient in Orbis, Dow Jones platforms as well as MS Office applications such as Excel, Outlook, and Word.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work history
Financial Crime Manager – AML
Kuwait Finance House
London
10.2023 - 11.2025
- Act as direct line manager for a team of on boarding and periodic review analysts who conducted EDD and KYC for Residential lending clients, PEP profile write up, risk analysis, sanctions screening
- Provide Quality checking and Supervisors approval for all Low, Medium and High new business clients - commercial real estate files, Ultra High Net worth Private Banking clients, Trusts, SPVs and PEPs
- Directly reporting to DMLRO and being responsible for updating existing Periodic Review and On Boarding of New Accounts policies and procedures to be in line with current financial crime regulatory framework, FCA Guidance and JMLSG
- Created procedures with regards to sanctions & adverse media screening, PEP guidance and source of wealth, source of funds guidance
- Responsible for training 1st line relationship managers and mentoring the team members
- Provide SME guidance with regards to AML, Sanctions, Anti-Bribery and Corruption
- Trained and mentored team members on the latest AML regulations and best practices in financial crime detection.
- Reviewed and improved internal policies to align with evolving AML legislation and industry standards.
- Engaged with senior management to report on AML risks and provided strategic recommendations.
- Conducted thorough investigations into large financial transactions to identify potential money laundering activities.
- Developed training programmes for staff to enhance understanding of KYC procedures and best practices.
EDD Manager
Deloitte Consultant – Barclays Investment Bank
06.2022 - 06.2023
- Conducting Enhanced Due Diligence file remediation of SPVs, Hedge Fund, Investment Funds, Alternative Investment Vehicles clients such as hedge funds, investment funds, asset managers
- Preparing financial crime client assessment risk memos for periodic reviews of clients, sanctions and aml screening review, assessing tax status for FATCA, CRS
- Preparing source of wealth/funds memos on clients, assessing financial crime risks
- Conducting PEP reviews and risk assessing clients files
- Stakeholder communication with clients and front office
Corresponding Banking Compliance Officer
Bank of Ghana
London
10.2021 - 02.2022
- Conducting Quality Assurance on Suspicious Activity Reports, using SWIFT trade data
- Compliance monitoring and testing of trade finance transactions on a monthly basis
- Assisting MLRO with projects, report writing, submitting SARs to National Crime Agency, checking FCA guidance and assisting in policy frameworks review of Corresponding banks
- Conducted risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities in correspondent banking operations and recommend mitigation strategies.
- Monitored transactions for suspicious activity and escalated concerns to senior management for further investigation.
- Prepared detailed reports on compliance activities and findings to support regulatory submissions and internal reviews.
Associate- Client Due Diligence
British Arab Commercial Bank
London
05.2018 - 10.2021
- Conducting on Boarding and Periodic Review high risk KYC client reviews on Financial Institutions, SPVs, Trusts, Funds, Corresponding Banks, Corporate Commodity Finance clients
- Providing Financial Crime guidance and support to the front office on new clients
- Screening clients using World Check One, RDC and Google for sanctions, adverse media and PEPs and full risk assessments on KYC files
- Doing Quality Assurance on KYC files, training new staff members
- Written Source of Wealth and Funds procedure for the KYC team approved by MLRO
- Reporting to MLRO and DMLRO regarding sanctions escalations and financial crime
Financial Crime Consultant
FCA – Financial Conduct Authority
London
02.2018 - 05.2018
- Working on a dual track criminal/civil AML related Investigation regarding a Bank, presenting findings at meetings with senior barristers and lawyers, conducting 2017 AML directives regulatory assessments on KYC files
KYC Remediation Analyst
Santander Bank
London
06.2017 - 12.2017
- Performing AML checks when on-boarding of high risk clients, banks, companies and PEP profiles, subsequent updates of KYC/CDD/EDD/SOW profiles and supporting due diligence checks, sanctions screening, delving into Source of Wealth, Source of Funds, interaction with senior management, traders, Relationship Managers, writing adverse media commentary and doing risk assessments on ownership chains, sourcing documents, adhering to FATCA, CRS, MIFID
AML Control Manager (Quality Assurance)
Bank of Nordea
London
02.2017 - 06.2017
- Managing the Quality Assurance of all new accounts and periodic reviews, including complex entities, Shipping Groups, SPVs and complex structures in multiple jurisdictions, including bearer shares, conducting in-depth reviews and challenging back to the KYC analysts to ensure adherence to policy, procedures, process maps and checklists
- Performing AML checks, transaction monitoring and risk analysis on clients' internal accounts and documents. Responsible for continually updating and managing PEP alerts and sanction screening
On-Boarding KYC Analyst
Commerzbank
London
12.2015 - 09.2016
- KYC of syndicated lending/borrowing, funds, foundations, Trusts and Corporates
- Quality Checking KYC files for SDD types, Private Corporates, Funds with & without Regulated Investment Managers, Hedge Funds, SPV's, Foundations, Trusts, Banks Performing Quality Control on Russian KYC case files and reporting back to senior management
- Working on high risk files, EDD casework in financial crime - PEP screening, adverse news assessments; Client base included SPV's, Corporates, Banks, and Investment Funds
- Corresponding with front office, compliance, gathering documents and reviewing the evidence. Adhering to tax regulations including FATCA, CRS, MIFID for all client types
KYC Analyst-Client On-Boarding
Unicredit (Investment) Bank
London
08.2014 - 07.2015
- Responsible for KYC on-boarding and remediation of client files including working on Investment Banks, SPV's Syndicated loans, Hedge Funds, Corporate companies and low, medium, high risk clients
- Undertaking client due diligence, sanctions screening, PEP and negative news and financial crime/sanctions screening for refresh purposes on individuals and communicating with compliance on all on-going cases, conducting EDD on high risk clients
Education
Bsc - Politics & Economics
Brunel University London
Uxbridge 09.2001 - 07.2003
Master of Science - Business Studies
Leeds University
Leeds 10.2004 - 12.2006
Skills
- Client onboarding strategies of Trust, SPV, Funds, Corporates, PEPs
- Financial crime risk assessment implementation
- Transaction Monitoring
- Stakeholder engagement
- Designing of Quality assurance protocols
- AML training development of staff
- KYC process optimisation Enhanced due diligence, Customer Due Diligence procedures
- PEP risk assessment and enhancement
- Source of wealth, Source of Funds analysis
- Knowledge of JMSLG, FCA Handbook, AML Regulations
- Staff recruitment, KPI tracking
- Sanctions screening procedures
- Mentorship and team leadership
- Adverse media analysis, World check-PEP/Adverse media
- Orbis, Dow Jones, MS Office Excel, Outlook, WORD
Certification
- International Compliance Association Certificate in Sanctions Risk Certificate - 2020
- ICA Specialist Certificate in Money Laundering Risk in Private Banking-2019
- ICA Certificate in Financial Crime Prevention Risk management-2019
Timeline
Financial Crime Manager – AML
Kuwait Finance House
10.2023 - 11.2025
EDD Manager
Deloitte Consultant – Barclays Investment Bank
06.2022 - 06.2023
Corresponding Banking Compliance Officer
Bank of Ghana
10.2021 - 02.2022
Associate- Client Due Diligence
British Arab Commercial Bank
05.2018 - 10.2021
Financial Crime Consultant
FCA – Financial Conduct Authority
02.2018 - 05.2018
KYC Remediation Analyst
Santander Bank
06.2017 - 12.2017
AML Control Manager (Quality Assurance)
Bank of Nordea
02.2017 - 06.2017
On-Boarding KYC Analyst
Commerzbank
12.2015 - 09.2016
KYC Analyst-Client On-Boarding
Unicredit (Investment) Bank
08.2014 - 07.2015
Master of Science - Business Studies
Leeds University
10.2004 - 12.2006
Bsc - Politics & Economics
Brunel University London
09.2001 - 07.2003