The ACAMS Germany Chapter has been launched and well received by anti-money laundering (AML) professionals across Germany. With networking events in Frankfurt, Berlin and Munich, a wealth of expertise was shared and contributed by speakers and panelists, as well as our members and participants who engaged in discussion.
The events covered topics ranging from an overview of high-level issues facing the industry, including upcoming regulatory challenges, digitalization, in-depth discussion around very specific challenges relating to know your customer/customer due diligence and risk assessment in relation to sanctions risks and human trafficking. The following is a summary of the chapter events:
- During our kick-off event in Frankfurt the speakers discussed AML and financial crime in general against the backdrop of an ever-changing regulatory environment and highlighted the importance of fostering a compliance culture, which is also embedded in organizations’ overall enterprise-wide risk management and overall strategy in order to shield businesses from reputational risk.
- At our summer event (also in Frankfurt) various presentations by experts on the topic of sanctions regimes and due diligence and risk assessment requirements were held. The highlights included discussions on geopolitical risk exposure in relation to Iran, amongst others, and the challenges faced as a result of nontransparent structures. The nexus to counter-terrorist financing was also noted in this context.
- Our third event this year in Frankfurt brought together experts from the banking and law enforcement sectors to talk about human trafficking, the regulatory framework and the importance of public-private partnerships in combating crime.
- At our first event in Berlin, panel experts discussed the Fourth EU AML Directive and the upcoming amendments due to be passed in early 2017. Discussions held were on beneficial ownership registry, high-risk third-party countries, politically exposed persons and enhanced due diligence requirements. The importance of the enhanced risk-based approach and putting in place a solid risk assessment framework were also highlighted.
- To wrap up the year we organized a fifth event in Munich on the increasingly important topic of digitalization and compliance and the trends in this space.
Our speakers have included the following experts from financial institutions, companies, law enforcement and consulting:
- Matthias Täubner, head of AML—KfW
- Dr. Andreas Burger—(Integritate—ABU Compliance-Beratungsgesellschaft)
- Arne Hartung, former global head of sanctions and embargoes—Deutsche Bank
- Naidira Alemova, partner—Ernst & Young
- Andrea Amatuzio, director—PwC
- Michael Nagel, manager—Global Investigations at Western Union
- Arno Menge, chief criminal inspector)
- Sascha Liedtke, police sergeant—Federal Police Inspectorate
- Oliver Hainke, global head AML—Deutsche Bank
- Barbara Friedrich, International Expert AML/CTF
- Dr. Michael Bütter, general counsel and chief compliance officer—Scout24 AG / multiple supervisory board member in German real estate sector
- Dr. habil. Carsten Giersch, senior partner—Berlin Risk/Associate Professor University Rostock
- Dr. Thomas Loesler, group chief compliance officer—Allianz SE
- Dr. Philip Matthey, group chief compliance officer—MAN SE
- Sally Trivino, partner—PwC in Germany
All of these events would not have been possible without the support and enthusiasm of our sponsors Bureau van Dijk (BvD), Berlin Risk, DGAP, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, FICO Tonbeller, Innovative Systems, Protiviti, PWC and SAS, who supported our events by providing locations, food, drinks and logistical support. We would like to thank them all for their continued support and we look forward to working together in 2017 and continuing our discussions around a breadth of topics.
For a more in-depth overview of our events and membership details, as well as information about upcoming events, please visit our chapter page at http://www.acams.org/acams-chapters/germany. If you would like to reach out to us personally, email us at germanychapter@acams.org.
