FinCrime Job Focus: Matthew Redhead, researcher and writer

What is your full job title?

As I have a portfolio of roles, it’s difficult to answer that simply. Let’s say ‘financial crime researcher and writer.’

How long have you worked in the industry? 

On the fincrime side for about a decade, but I do have several years in front office financial services in my dim and distant past. 

How long have you worked in your current role?

Two and a half years.

How did you get into your current role?

Well, I came out of a big bank and had lots of contacts and former colleagues who went to work elsewhere who wanted me to write about fincrime for them. What’s a boy to do? It was that or the stage. 

What does a typical day look like?

Bleak. Only joking. Most days I have a smattering of calls and interviews, but I spend a lot of my time alone with my research notes and my iPad. 

What is your greatest achievement so far?

I don’t think I have any achievements to my name, but I hope I have contributed to the narrative that’s shifted the focus of fincrime and AML off compliance and towards risk management. But in that effort, I am just one voice amongst many. 

What is the most challenging thing about your role?

Isolation…and existential angst about whether what I do makes a jot of difference.

What part of your role do you enjoy the most?

Learning something new or having my mind changed by a dazzling argument or an unexpected piece of evidence. 

How do you see your role/industry changing in the next few years?

I expect I will be doing this for a wee while longer – a year or so at most – and then I expect a change in career. I am close to thinking I have done my bit now. 

Would you recommend working in this role, please give your reasons?

I think being a researcher and writer on any topic requires a certain type of personality; I would suggest that if you’re not an introvert, don’t go there! As to the topic of fincrime, it touches on a great many other important issues – geopolitics, national security, economic development, environmental and societal issues, global ethics. The abuse of the international financial system is a massive problem and therefore naturally enough has a lot of potential for interest. It can also get the emotional juices flowing when you consider the scale of the abuses and what they can mean for real people (on which subject, read Oliver Bullough’s book, ‘Moneyland.’)

Do you work in a field tackling financial crime? Don’t miss the chance to feature in one of Fincrime Report’s regular job focus Q&As.

We are looking for people who work in AML/CTF, fraud detection, threat intelligence and related legal and regulatory fields across a range of industries to tell us about their everyday job.

Just fill in a short Q&A and submit a photograph to be considered for inclusion. We want to feature people of all levels of seniority.

If you want to take part, email Carl Brown at carl@grcworldforums.com