June’s AFC Professional of the Month was awarded to Talal Shoukat for his resourcefulness and expertise in the anti-money laundering/counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) field. Shoukat is a compliance manager/money laundering reporting officer for Gulf Exchange, where he helps his team members and customers ensure financial compliance and stop money laundering. He provides training on implementing best practices to detect and prevent all financial crimes and turns small opportunities for learning into big chances for growth.
Shoukat is also interested in data analytics and considers these models as helpful tools for financial crime professionals to monitor transactions effectively. He believes AML officers and business lines must work jointly to optimize the businesses, as well as to ensure transparency. This framework should work like a zero-sum game, where no partner can exploit or control the other. The system should maintain a balance where profits do not overshadow proper controls and generators of a firm’s revenue value compliance input and insights.
Shoukat assists financial institutions by focusing on financial crime and AML/CTF advisory. His expertise also includes compliance reviews and investigations, threat/risk assessments, training, mentorship and data analytics. Shoukat is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), certified compliance manager and an accredited trainer by the Global Compliance Institute, in addition to other financial crime-related certificates. Shoukat believes that in order to stop financial crimes in society, the world should prepare the next generation financial workforce. His vision is to ensure the compliance of regulations by using advanced data analytics methods for safe, transparent and reliable financial transactions around the globe.
Do you have a mentor who has actively influenced your AFC career path in a positive way? Does someone in your network exemplify excellence in AFC? Recognize their commitment: Nominate them for ACAMS AFC Professional of the Month.
