On October 1, the ACAMS Greater Buffalo Chapter hosted a memorable in-person outdoor event at Larkin Square: “The BSA Officer Roundtable.” The evening brought together a vibrant community of anti-financial crime (AFC) professionals from a wide range of financial institutions―large, small, local and global―for an engaging exchange of ideas, practical insights and meaningful networking.

The event began with opening remarks from host and moderator Jeffrey Kasarjian, senior vice president, financial crime lead of Global Payment Solutions at HSBC U.S.

Kasarjian reflected on the milestone of the chapter’s one-year anniversary and emphasized the growing complexity of the financial crime landscape, underscoring the importance of collaborative events like this.

One of the evening’s highlights was the presentation of the chapter’s inaugural AFC Professional of the Year Awards, honoring Nicole Sobol and Riccardo Zuppelli for their outstanding dedication, leadership and professionalism in the field.

Following the awards, the roundtable discussion featured a distinguished panel of experts:

• Matthew Haslinger, Esq., CAMS―executive vice president, chief Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering (BSA/AML) and sanctions compliance officer, M&T Bank
• Terrell McNeil―U.S. head of FC-CIB, IWPB and Functions/AMLCO (HCSU), HSBC U.S. N.A.
• Chris Nowak, CAMS, CBP―founder and CEO, Augmenta Prime
• Kelly Sheffield, CAMS, CAFS―SVP, BSA officer, CNB Bank

Kasarjian noted Buffalo’s unique financial ecosystem, which includes global institutions like Citi and HSBC, regional banks such as M&T and KeyBank and community banks like CNB.

The panel was intentionally diverse to reflect this range and to provide a broad perspective on current trends and challenges in the financial crime space.

The panel delivered a compelling discussion on emerging risks, evolving regulatory expectations and strategic leadership in BSA/AML programs. Their insights were not only timely but actionable, equipping attendees with valuable takeaways to apply in their own institutions.

An evening highlight was the audience’s enthusiastic participation. When the floor was opened for questions, attendees engaged with thoughtful inquiries that sparked dynamic dialogue―so much that the moderator eventually had to wrap up the Q&A to stay on schedule. The roundtable concluded with a forward-looking discussion, asking panelists to share their perspectives on where financial crime risks are headed over the next 12 to 18 months. The consensus: Fraud risk is expected to rise, particularly due to rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and related technologies.

Jeffrey Kasarjian, senior vice president, FCI Global Payment Solutions, Transactional Banking, HSBC US N.A., Buffalo, NY, USA, Jeffrey.d.kasarjian@us.hsbc.com,