Please explain your current role and responsibilities. What first drew you to the area of anti-money laundering (AML)?
As the Head of Financial Intelligence Unit of Financial Crime Prevention at UBS AG Hong Kong, my primary responsibility is to support senior management in managing and upholding the AML investigation framework. This includes reviewing all investigations, filing Suspicious Transaction Reports, sharing AML intelligence with other locations, and participating in projects that are investigation and transaction monitoring related. My career in AML first began with a mobility opportunity at Deloitte Hong Kong, where I started my journey as an auditor and later transferred to the Deloitte forensic team to perform various AML audit and advisory projects. As there is no one-size-fits-all solution in the area of AML, I enjoy the dynamics and uniqueness that come with my engagements and investigations. Each case requires a deep and holistic assessment of regulation and all the relevant facts such as transaction and client data, to uncover the underlying risks and take appropriate actions. This complexity and challenge led me to specialize and continue my career in the AML field.
What are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of your role, and why?
The most rewarding part is the opportunity to make an impact and contribute to improving the AML framework of the bank, by identifying high-risk AML typologies and advising on control enhancements. Additionally, the bank provides me with opportunities to collaborate with colleagues in various locations through AML projects and regular intelligence sharing. These experiences allow me to strengthen my AML knowledge, stakeholder management skills, and keep me abreast of the latest global developments. While the most challenging part of the role is dealing with complex investigations and keeping track of emerging financial crime technology risks, this motivates me to continuously learn and improve my knowledge. By doing so, I can effectively manage these challenges and assist the bank in fulfilling regulatory expectations.
In what ways has your CPA training or qualification helped you in your role?
The CPA training has been instrumental in my role and throughout my career journey. Apart from the analytical skills and detail-oriented mindset that most CPAs have instilled in them, my past training consistently reminds me of the importance of continuous learning and staying updated with technology and regulatory developments. In addition, the people management skills that I have acquired through audit and advisory engagements have helped me in my current role, especially in presenting risks to different stakeholders and managing their expectations.
Where do you see yourself in the next five to 10 years in your career?
I aspire to continue my career in the AML profession in the coming five to 10 years. By leveraging my AML knowledge and with the assistance of technology, I aim to explore a more efficient and risk-based approach to perform my role and address the emerging AML risks in the future.
What are the biggest lessons you have learned so far from work experience or managers?
A well-organized routine and clear goals are essential for me to ensure work is in good shape. Through better planning, I can focus more of my time on dealing with higher-risk situations. In addition, this is critical to staying aligned with the bank’s holistic AML framework and keeping abreast with industry developments. Most importantly, from my work experiences and managers, I have learned that self-discipline is key to success. This enables me to maintain a high level of focus and efficiency in performing my roles, and also make sound judgements in managing the risks in each AML investigation and engagement.
