Julia Rusu
London,United Kingdom (available to relocate)
Summary
Skilled Trade Finance and Financial Crime professional with over 10 years of experience bridging front line business delivery and second line financial crime compliance experience across retail and wholesale banking. Known for a rare blend of expertise in Trade Finance & Working Capital, Correspondent Banking and Financial Crime Compliance, I bring a 360 degreed of understanding of how to drive business growth without compromising regulatory integrity.
Currently leading as Business Manager within the Trade Finance & Working Capital team, I specialise in managing end-to-end new product and shaping process development, driving operational effectiveness, risk management to drive business growth and manage governance frameworks by working closely with internal stakeholders such as credit risk, operational risk, finance teams, legal and operations teams.
I am a high-performing and positive individual, and I am looking for a new experience in a company that will leverage my unique blend of skills to unlock business value whilst ensuring a deep understanding of the complex regulatory environment.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
5
5
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Business Manager, Trade Finance & Working Capital
Crown Agents Bank
09.2024 - 04.2025
- Acted as a bridge and key contact between Trade Finance Operations and Sales teams, facilitating smooth trade bookings, issue resolution, and an enhanced client experience.
- Led end-to-end management of new products and process from concept to implementation by aligning governance processes and coordinating across teams.
- Managed cross-functionally collaboration with Compliance, Credit Risk, Legal, and Operations teams to ensure smooth approval and execution of new trade finance products and initiatives.
- Spearheaded risk assessments and implemented key process improvements.
- Managed the end-to-end onboarding processes of Development Financial Institutions liquidity and guarantee programs.
- Delivered end to end implementation of credit risk insurance processes across internal business units and external partners.
- Implemented the process for booking overdrafts by aligning all internal systems and stakeholders.
- Engaged with legal teams for drafting trade finance and working capital contracts.
- Produced detailed MI analysis and reporting to senior management.
- Conducted trade finance data analysis, identify process improvements, and streamline operations.
- Built content and run senior management trade finance strategy and business update presentations and training.
- Built Trade Finance & Working Capital marketing materials for sales teams and company website.
Financial Crime Compliance, Vice President
Crown Agents Bank
London
10.2023 - 04.2025
- Reporting to the MLRO this role covers two main areas: geographic risk framework management (including sanctions and horizon scanning) and development of a second line risk management framework for assessing the International Development Organisations client segment.
- Geographic risk: Developed the end-to-end geographic risk framework and provided second-line oversight and guidance to senior stakeholders in managing the financial crime geographic risk management program.
- Stayed abreast with regulatory and geopolitical developments, assess potential impact on the business and provide specialist guidance on risk mitigating measures.
- Assessed the risks posed by countries and make recommendations based on the risks identified to inform risk mitigation measures. This includes transaction monitoring measures, limiting client activity or client exit.
- Developed and managed the sanctions framework and serve as sanctions SME. Provide advice to first line and second line on asset freezes and sanctions regulatory reporting.
- International Development Organisations: Developed the framework for assessing the risks associated with International Development Organisations including offering financial crime advice to the International Development Organizations front office team, clients, industry working groups and training across the bank.
- Conducted onsite visits at clients’ offices to assess their compliance programs against regulatory requirements and design plans to make enhancements.
- The role also involves strong collaboration with Senior Managers, Relationship Managers, and the wider Risk & Compliance Team, as well as leading significant projects within the Financial Crime Compliance Team.
- Participated in High-Risk Customer Meetings, FCRC Committee sessions, and Executive Risk Committee meetings.
Financial Crime Compliance, Assistant Vice President
Crown Agents Bank
London
11.2019 - 10.2023
- Reviewed and evaluated the financial crime controls of all prospective and existing correspondent banking clients in keeping with Crown Agents Bank’s critical thresholds. Assessments span across banks and non-bank financial institutions predominantly based in OECD regions and broader frontier and emerging markets.
- Served as a Sanctions Compliance SME; chairing working groups for first-line operational teams, fielding all financial crime escalations and complex monitoring cases. Provide wider specialist advisory on matters pertinent to: Trade Finance, CDD, Adverse Media, and Transaction Monitoring, among others.
- Delivered and oversaw both horizon scanning and gap analysis exercises, maintaining a pulse on regulatory developments, financial censures, and industry best practice. Noteworthy feats include the Introduction of weekly bank-wide spotlights covering all financial crime-related events.
- Built and presented the bank’s second-line financial crime management information decks for senior management forums, including the Board, Executive Risk and Financial Crime Risk committees.
- Drafted and improved second-line procedures, such as Adverse Media, Trade Finance, PEP and Client Risk Assessment practices and conduct the annual review of the Financial Crime compliance Policy. Execute and supervise assurance reviews, procedural version controls, internal unusual activity reports and subsequent reporting to the National Crime Agency.
- Created and delivered specialist regulatory training when required.
- Managed and run the Working Groups between first line of defence and second line of defence.
AML Risk Advisory, Regulatory Training Specialist
National Westminster Bank
London
05.2015 - 11.2019
- Administered routine financial crime advisory services for the bank’s Private, Corporate and Commercial sales functions. Opine on high-risk approvals, policy exemptions and relationship offboards.
- Oversaw and verified high-risk cases onboarding cases, encompassing high-risk trading activity, complex ownership structures, unclear source of wealth and potential deferments and waivers.
- Collaborated with second line compliance teams to problematise and enhance bank controls as part of RBS’ firm-wide risk assessment. Departments include Reputation Risk, Special Interest Clients, Exit, as well as Design and Appetite teams.
- Conducted Quality Control on the onboarding files of retail and corporate customers, ensuring client due diligence documentation meets house policy and industry standards. Utilising available systems (i.e., World check) to validate whether client or client-involved parties are clear of adverse references.
- Prepared regulatory training packs and delivered regulatory training for all new joiners within the CDD Centre as well as Senior Management when required.
Education
MA - Risk management within International Financial Institutions
Academy of Economics
01.2011 - 01.2013
BA - Business Administration
Academy of Economics
01.2008 - 01.2011
ICA Advanced Certificate - Managing Correspondent Banking Risks
The Landmark Forum - undefined
ICA Workshop - Managing Trade Based Money Laundering Risks
ICA Advanced Certificate - Managing Sanctions Risk
ICA International Diploma - Financial Crime Prevention
ICA Advanced Certificate - Practical Customer Due Diligence
Professional Banker Certificate - undefined
Chartered Banker Institute
Skills
- Trade Finance
- Working Capital
- Correspondent Banking
- Wholesale Banking
- Geographic Risk
- Financial Crime Controls
- Assurance & Monitoring
- Advisory & Consultancy
- Report writing and presentation skills
- Emerging Markets
- Stakeholders’ management
- Process building
Languages
English
Romanian
French
Spanish
Custom
- Teaching
- Public speaking
- Mentoring
- Personal development
- Running and Yoga
Timeline
Business Manager, Trade Finance & Working Capital
Crown Agents Bank
09.2024 - 04.2025
Financial Crime Compliance, Vice President
Crown Agents Bank
10.2023 - 04.2025
Financial Crime Compliance, Assistant Vice President
Crown Agents Bank
11.2019 - 10.2023
AML Risk Advisory, Regulatory Training Specialist
National Westminster Bank
05.2015 - 11.2019
MA - Risk management within International Financial Institutions
Academy of Economics
01.2011 - 01.2013
BA - Business Administration
Academy of Economics
01.2008 - 01.2011
ICA Advanced Certificate - Managing Correspondent Banking Risks
The Landmark Forum - undefined
ICA Workshop - Managing Trade Based Money Laundering Risks
ICA Advanced Certificate - Managing Sanctions Risk
ICA International Diploma - Financial Crime Prevention
ICA Advanced Certificate - Practical Customer Due Diligence
Professional Banker Certificate - undefined
Chartered Banker Institute
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