Rachel Ho
St Albans,Hertfordshire
Summary
Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) with 5+ years’ experience in AML/CFT, KYC/CDD, and sanctions compliance within international banking. Proven expertise in name screening, sanctions/PEP/adverse media investigations, and onboarding reviews . Skilled in compliance system migrations, UAT testing, and risk analysis, with a strong ability to enhance detection accuracy and strengthen financial crime compliance frameworks. Background in shipping and global trade provides a unique perspective on supply chain risks, sanctions exposure, and trade finance documentation reviews. Recognised for analytical investigations, AML risk assessments, and leadership in developing and training screening teams. I am eager to further develop my career in AML and sanctions compliance, leveraging my expertise to strengthen financial crime prevention, regulatory compliance, and a risk-aware culture in Finance industry .
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work history
Career Break
(Relocation from Hong Kong to UK)
08.2023 - Current
- Relocated to UK and focused on settling into new cultural and professional environment.
- Dedicated this period to professional growth, including preparing for and successfully passing Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMLS) exam.
Manager, Central Name Screening,Compliance
OCBC Bank (Hong Kong) Ltd.
04.2022 - 07.2023
- Conducted Dow Jones sample checks against global sanctions lists such as UN, OFAC, EU to ensure data alignment with regulatory updates, maintaining 100% screening accuracy and mitigating sanctions exposure.
- Maintained and updated internal blacklist records, reinforcing operational compliance and control.
- Mentored junior staff members to foster professional development , improved overall team performance in name screening and ensured BAU alerts were cleared within deadlines.
- Reviewed and validated team members' name screening work to maintain quality and accuracy.
- Performed UAT for system algorithm updates, resolving pre-deployment issues to minimise false positives.
- Prepared and presented management information (MI) reports to support oversight, decision-making, and regulatory compliance.
Senior Officer, Compliance
OCBC Bank (Hong Kong) Ltd.
09.2019 - 03.2022
- Conducted system migration and internal watchlist clean-up, improving screening accuracy and reducing false positives by 20%.
- Conducted periodic name screening alerts to identify PEPs, sanction parties, fraudsters, and potential money launderers, escalating true hits within deadlines.
- Performed corporate registration and ownership checks to identify UBOs, verifying client legitimacy and maintaining up-to-date KYC records.
- Proactively gathered intelligence from media reports and open sources to update internal watchlists and identify clients potentially involved in illicit activities.
- Supervised contractors in clearing high-volume backlogs, setting performance targets, monitoring output, and completing tasks according to schedule.
Senior Officer, AML Compliance
China CITIC Bank International Ltd.
03.2018 - 09.2019
- Conducted periodic name screening reviews to identify PEPs, sanctioned entities, fraudsters, and potential money launderers, escalating true hits within deadlines.
- Performed corporate registration and ownership checks to identify UBOs verifying client legitimacy and maintaining up-to-date KYC records.
- Supervised contractors in clearing screening backlogs, setting targets and monitoring performance.
- Acted as sanctions adviser for remittance transactions flagged with positive sanctions hits, providing recommendations within 2-day SLAs to reduce potential sanctions exposure.
- Provided timely guidance to business units on true hits identified during name screening, including at account opening stage, enhancing stakeholder confidence and improving decision-making speed.
- Screened Unusual Activity Reports (UARs) raised by business units and created investigative cases for further review.
Customer Service & Operations
Up Swing Agency Ltd./Dyna Int'l Shipping Ltd.
06.2006 - 02.2018
- Delivered end-to-end customer service and operations support, including collating Letters of Credit and preparing Bills of Lading, across shipping, logistics, and branch accounting functions.
- Coordinated international shipments, managed supplier/customer communications, and resolved operational issues such as delays and mis-routing.
- Developed and implemented standard operating procedures (SOPs), driving process improvements and efficiency gains.
- Builted and maintained strategic relationships with overseas agents and customers, enhancing service delivery and business growth.
- Conducted sales performance reporting and data analysis, providing actionable insights for management decision-making.
- Handled financial operations, including invoice processing, supplier payments, bank reconciliations, and annual audit support.
- Supported credit control activities, following up on overdue payments and ensuring financial compliance.
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration -
The Open University of Hong Kong
Hong KongHigher Diploma in International Transport Logistic -
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong Skills
- Name and Sanctions Screening
- Customer Due Diligence (CDD) & Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD)
- Risk Assessment & Escalation
- Investigations
- Adapting to regulatory changes
- System Migration & User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
- Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
Languages
English
Fluent
Chinese (Mandarin)
Native
Chinese (Cantonese)
Native
Key Achievements
- Contributed to a successful name-screening system migration, enhancing data accuracy, boosting operational efficiency, and reducing false positives .
- Enhanced compliance frameworks by maintaining accurate watchlists and performing complex sanctions, PEP, and adverse media screening using tools such as World-Check , Dow Jones and Actimize .
- Processed high volumes of periodic name-screening alerts within regulatory timeframes, ensuring ongoing AML and sanctions compliance.
- Designed and delivered targeted training programmes, strengthening team capability and improving onboarding efficiency for new compliance staff.
CERTIFICATIONS
ACAMS - Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMLS) 08/2025
LCCI International Qualifications - Level III Certificate in Accounting 12/2006
Timeline
Career Break
(Relocation from Hong Kong to UK)
08.2023 - Current
Manager, Central Name Screening,Compliance
OCBC Bank (Hong Kong) Ltd.
04.2022 - 07.2023
Senior Officer, Compliance
OCBC Bank (Hong Kong) Ltd.
09.2019 - 03.2022
Senior Officer, AML Compliance
China CITIC Bank International Ltd.
03.2018 - 09.2019
Customer Service & Operations
Up Swing Agency Ltd./Dyna Int'l Shipping Ltd.
06.2006 - 02.2018
Bachelor of Business Administration -
The Open University of Hong Kong
Higher Diploma in International Transport Logistic -
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University