Abena S. Agard is a dedicated compliance and financial professional with an extensive regulatory background.
Agard joined Barbados’ Financial Services Commission (FSC) in 2012 where she began by supervising and overseeing a portfolio of financial institutions (FIs) in the securities industry. She is currently a senior officer on the FSC’s anti-money laundering/counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) team. Her expertise includes supervising FIs with respect to AML/CTF compliance, managing and leading risk assessments, desk-based reviews, on-site inspections, drafting guidelines and policies, among other areas.
She has contributed significantly on AML/CTF national task forces and international assessments of Barbados’ financial sector. In addition, Agard has designed and delivered tailored training on regulatory compliance for insurance companies, securities companies and credit unions. Prior to joining the FSC, she gained extensive expertise within the financial services industry having worked at reputable institutions within both the private and public sectors.
Agard is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and serves as the communications director of the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) Barbados Chapter. She obtained her Bachelor of Science (Hons) from the University of the West Indies in economics and accounting and an associate degree in French, Italian and German for business and tourism from the Barbados Community College.