Ewelina Brzyszko
South Queensferry
Summary
Analytical financial crime and compliance professional with expertise in strengthening governance frameworks and embedding effective risk controls. Recognized for rapidly mastering complex banking environments and adapting to new regulations while ensuring disciplined decision-making across diverse products and teams. Awarded the international ACE Award for innovation.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Financial Crime (LOB – Line of Business) Escalations Team Leader
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
03.2024 - Current
- Lead oversight of the Financial Crime LOB Escalations process, ensuring escalated cases are reviewed and closed in a timely manner to the required standard.
- Own intake triage and prioritisation; manage the pipeline of incoming cases, allocate work, remove blockers, and drive timely resolution across multiple workstreams.
- Identified recurring themes and led initiatives for continuous improvement, partnering with stakeholders across operations and technology to reduce rework and strengthen controls.
- Coach and support analysts (new hires and experienced), setting clear expectations and providing day-to-day guidance on investigation quality and decisioning; contribute to ongoing upskilling.
- Developed and maintained onboarding and training materials (job aids, guidance notes) to enhance consistency and control awareness through knowledge-sharing.
- Coordinated new-joiner onboarding readiness by requesting system access and ensuring tools and permissions were in place.
- Reviewed and updated procedures; created and revised process maps to standardise execution, enhance controls, and ensure audit-ready documentation.
Demographics & Sanctions Payments Team Leader
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
11.2022 - Current
- Led daily operations for customer-risk checks and sanctions payments screening (demographics, Politically Exposed Person, adverse/negative media), ensuring adherence to internal policy and regulatory expectations.
- Monitored daily workloads to ensure accurate completion; addressed exceptions and escalations to uphold service delivery standards.
- Updated procedures and training materials; delivered training and coaching to enhance process understanding and control awareness across the organisation.
- Documented end-to-end workflows and maintained process maps to clarify handoffs, reduce errors, and support control effectiveness.
- Documented workflows and maintained process maps to clarify handoffs and reduce errors, supporting overall control effectiveness.
Anti Money Laundering and Know Your Customer Analyst
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
08.2021 - 10.2022
- Performed Know Your Customer/Anti Money Laundering reviews and risk profiling using independent research sources and investigative techniques to assess customer and transactional risk.
- Partnered with clients, Front Office, Operations, and Technology to resolve documentation gaps, streamlining end-to-end onboarding and review process.
- Partnered with clients, Front Office, Operations, and Technology to resolve documentation gaps and progress cases efficiently through end-to-end onboarding/review.
- Captured operational feedback and clarified steps/controls during procedure updates, enhancing consistency and auditability.
- Maintained up-to-date understanding of regulatory obligations, supporting defensible decisioning and effective escalation.
- Handled sanctions-screening related stakeholder queries, fostering strong internal and external relationships throughout review lifecycle.
Fraud Specialist
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
04.2021 - 08.2021
- Conducted detailed investigations into suspected fraudulent activity to determine root cause and recommend actions and controls.
- Managed dynamic caseload of high-risk cases, prioritising effectively to meet deadlines through structured documentation and evidence-based decision-making.
- Reviewed onboarding applications for fraud potential, escalating concerns according to policy to ensure compliance and risk management.
- Supported onboarding exception handling, ensuring accurate records and clear outcomes for stakeholders.
Anti Money Laundering Analyst – Fixed Term Contract (FTC)
Lloyds Banking Group
05.2018 - 10.2020
- Reviewed high-net-worth customer accounts in line with CDD/SDD requirements, completing risk-based assessments and identifying red flags.
- Prepared Know Your Customer and Ongoing Know Your Customer recommendations for Relationship Managers, aligning risk appetite with customer experience and business objectives.
- Facilitated regulatory compliance by preparing documentation for regulatory filings and SAR submissions, ensuring accuracy and timely submission.
- Collaborated with Relationship Managers to resolve due diligence gaps and identify compliant business opportunities.
Subject Access Request Administrator (FTC)
Royal Bank of Scotland
12.2017 - 03.2018
- Processed customer Subject Access Requests in line with Data Protection legislation, ensuring completeness, accuracy, and on-time delivery.
- Maintained accurate records, trackers, and Data Registers, ensuring audit readiness and adherence to regulatory compliance.
- Supported procedure adherence by maintaining clear work instructions and updating trackers/templates to reflect process changes.
- Produced administrative reports for Records Management and Data Protection teams, escalating issues and risks.
Card Fraud Investigator (FTC)
Lloyds Banking Group
08.2016 - 10.2017
- Investigated card fraud cases using risk-based techniques, analyzing customer and transactional data to identify and mitigate suspicious patterns.
- Recommended actions for complex cases, guiding next steps in alignment with policy and regulatory requirements.
- Processed customer complaints per procedures and relevant regulations, ensuring effective communication and resolution of issues.
Customer Service Associate (FTC)
HSBC
06.2016 - 07.2016
- Delivered high-quality customer service, identifying customer needs and providing clear, accurate guidance on products and services.
- Executed day-to-day banking activities, including account opening, bill payments, and lost/stolen card processes, ensuring data accuracy and confidentiality.
- Cultivated strong client relationships through professional communication and timely issue resolution.
Education
ICA International Diploma - Governance, Risk and Compliance
Alliance Manchester Business School
UKCertificate - IELTS Preparation - Academic English
Edinburgh College
UKDiploma - Landscape Technician
Zespół Szkół Ponadgimnazjalnych
PolandSkills
Regulatory Compliance & Financial Crime
AML/KYC & CDD/EDD:
Conducted Customer Due Diligence and Enhanced Due Diligence on high-risk clients, ensuring full FCA and global AML compliance while maintaining onboarding SLAs during sustained high volumes
Sanctions, PEP & Adverse Media Screening:
Managed real-time payments and customer screening alerts, investigating and escalating true matches to prevent regulatory breaches and financial crime exposure
Risk Assessment & Case Decisioning: Applied strong controls mindset to make defensible risk-based decisions on complex cases, aligning outcomes with regulatory risk appetite and commercial policy
Fraud Investigations & Escalations Management:
Led end-to-end fraud and financial crime investigations, owning escalations through to SAR/STR submission and regulatory reporting
Operational Excellence & Quality
Quality Assurance & Process Improvement:
Delivered QA reviews and drove process improvements that increased team accuracy and efficiency by 20% while managing consistently high case volumes
SOP Maintenance & Process Mapping: Developed and maintained SOPs and end-to-end process maps, standardizing workflows and reducing new joiner training time
MI & Reporting:
Produced Management Information and KPI dashboards to track SLA adherence, quality scores, and risk trends for senior leadership during high-volume periods
Documentation & Reporting:
Maintained audit-ready case documentation and decision rationale that supported clean internal audit and regulatory review outcomes
Team Leadership & People Management
Team Leadership & Daily Oversight:
Led a team of 10 analysts, overseeing daily activities, workflow management, and prioritization to consistently meet SLAs despite sustained high volumes
Coaching, Mentoring & Performance Management:
Delivered structured coaching, constructive feedback, and performance evaluations using SMART goals, improving overall team productivity by 20%
Training & Onboarding:
Designed and delivered onboarding and upskilling programs on AML/KYC, sanctions, and case handling, reducing time-to-competency for new hires
Employee Development & Capability Building:
Drove capability building through regular team check-ins, skill gap analysis, and targeted staff education to strengthen bench strength
Team Motivation & Conflict Resolution: Maintained high team morale and retention in a high-pressure environment through clear communication, recognition, and early conflict resolution
Work Planning & Overtime Management: Planned resources and managed overtime to balance operational demands with employee wellbeing during continuous high-volume peaks
Strategic & Stakeholder Management
Stakeholder Management & Expectation Setting:
Partnered with Compliance, Operations, and Business stakeholders to align on risk appetite, negotiate realistic SLAs, and manage escalations
Strategic Planning & Account Management:
Translated regulatory change into operational plans for the team of 10, ensuring controls remained effective as volumes and complexity grew
Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking: Resolved complex, ambiguous cases with no precedent, protecting the firm from risk while enabling legitimate customer activity
Leading Team Meetings & Communication: Chaired daily huddles and performance meetings to drive clarity, remove blockers, and communicate priorities across the team
Professional Attributes
- Clear and confident communicator with ability to simplify complex regulatory and financial crime matters
- Strong leadership under pressure, providing structure, direction, and stability in fast-paced environments
- High attention to detail with strong focus on control integrity, accuracy, and risk awareness
- Proven ability to work independently, taking ownership of complex workloads and escalations
- Effective team collaborator across cross-functional and stakeholder-heavy environments
- Calm, structured decision-maker in high-pressure and time-sensitive situations
- Strong work ethic with consistent accountability and delivery focus
Languages
Polish
First Language
English
Proficient
C2
Timeline
Financial Crime (LOB – Line of Business) Escalations Team Leader
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
03.2024 - Current
Demographics & Sanctions Payments Team Leader
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
11.2022 - Current
Anti Money Laundering and Know Your Customer Analyst
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
08.2021 - 10.2022
Fraud Specialist
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
04.2021 - 08.2021
Anti Money Laundering Analyst – Fixed Term Contract (FTC)
Lloyds Banking Group
05.2018 - 10.2020
Subject Access Request Administrator (FTC)
Royal Bank of Scotland
12.2017 - 03.2018
Card Fraud Investigator (FTC)
Lloyds Banking Group
08.2016 - 10.2017
Customer Service Associate (FTC)
HSBC
06.2016 - 07.2016
ICA International Diploma - Governance, Risk and Compliance
Alliance Manchester Business School
Certificate - IELTS Preparation - Academic English
Edinburgh College
Diploma - Landscape Technician
Zespół Szkół Ponadgimnazjalnych