Global Compliance Solutions has presented the speakers for the 8th Annual Anti-Money Laundering, Compliance and Financial Crime Conference which will be held at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort on 11-12 October.
The conference theme, “Navigating the Minefield of Responsibility”, highlights the ever-increasing obligations placed upon the financial services industry, the organisers said. The conference, which attracts international delegates from the Caribbean and beyond, will be chaired by Karen O’Brien, the managing director of Global Compliance Solutions and Declan Hill, investigative journalist and documentary maker, will return as moderator.
“Every year, the conference continues to showcase the determination and fortitude of the region to achieve the highest regulatory standards,” Ms O’Brien said. “We always strive to give our delegates the opportunity to not only become aware of what’s new in the compliance and AML world, but we provide them with access to speakers who are experts in their fields and who share their knowledge though practical experiences. Our keynote speaker this year will do precisely that, and I am very confident that our delegates will be enthralled with the true story of this former FBI agent who worked undercover for six years infiltrating the Bonanno crime family in New York. The movie ‘Donnie Brasco’ starring Johnny Depp and Al Pacino is based on his experiences,” she added.
Other conference speakers include Ben Tonner from Samson & McGrath in Grand Cayman, Andrew De La Rosa, International Chancery and Trust Chambers, Declan Magennis from KRyS Global and David Thomas, the former head of the United Kingdom Fraud Investigation Unit, who will speak about the behaviour of money launderers.
Tim Keck from Performance Insights, the best-selling author of “Nothing but Net”, will build on last year’s presentation by giving five keys to building a bulletproof career.
Vincent Cookinghamm, a court recognised international expert in anti-money laundering and white-collar crime, will, in his presentation, take a look at unique money laundering typologies and “The Bribery Connection”.
A conference panel will focus on the United States Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act and its implications and requirements for practitioners. Panellists include Melinda Schmidt, a director in KPMG’s Tax Information Reporting and Withholding practice in New York. She has been a part of the US withholding and reporting evolution, which includes the QI programme and FATCA withholding regime. Joining her on the FATCA panel with be Jim Mastracchio, a practice team leader for Baker Hostetler’s National Tax Controversy Practice and the local Tax Group Coordinator for the firm’s Washington, DC office, and David Conen, tax director of KPMG Cayman Islands and leader of KPMG Cayman Islands’ FATCA service. The organisers also expect a representative from the Cayman Islands Ministry of Finance FATCA Task Force to participate in the panel.
The conference further offers a local panel entitled “Building relationships” which aims to give delegates insight into the reporting and investigational process. The panel will build on a discussion between the FIU, the regulator and the police and feature Adam Roberts from Financial Reporting Authority, Detective Superintendent Brian Donley, a member of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service’s Financial Crimes Unit and RJ Berry, the head of compliance at the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority.
“Governments, the regulators, finance industry leaders and the broader community expect the industry to be diligent in meeting their AML/CTF obligations,” Ms O’Brien said. “We aim to assist AML/CTF and Compliance professionals in keeping abreast of new and emerging issues, ongoing trends and good practice, which is an important ingredient to the effective management of regulatory risk.”
Ms. O’Brien said she is proud that the conference, year after year, has been recognised as the premier AML, Compliance and Financial Crimes Conference in the region. “We constantly deliver a high calibre of presentations to our delegates and we strive to do better every year,” she says.
In conjunction with the conference, compliance personnel will once again have the opportunity to obtain their AMLCA designation from the Florida International Bankers Association two days before the conference. The course is being held on Tuesday and Wednesday, 9-10 October. Registrants to this course will gain practical and “hands-on” knowledge of the risk-based approach to comply with BSA/AML/OFAC regulatory requirements.
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