FinCrime Job Focus: Matthew Cox, Managing Director, Fraud, Security & Financial Crime (EMEA), Fico

What is your full job title?

Managing Director, Fraud, Security & Financial Crime, EMEA
 
How long have you worked in the industry? 

I’ve been in the industry for almost 20 years. Started out as a fraud investigator, moved into analytics and then on to fraud transformations as a leader of large complex organisations. I’ve worked in both first line and second line roles covering all products from banking and corporate to
merchant acquiring and retail.

How long have you worked in your current role?

I joined FICO four years having moved from a global leadership role at Barclays.

How did you get into your current role?

My whole career has involved fighting financial crime for individual organisations. First locally and then internationally. I decided to move to FICO because it gave me an opportunity to work with hundreds of organisations instead of just one at a time and really accelerate my knowledge of technology and Artificial Intelligence.
 
What does a typical day look like?

Each day will vary which is actually quite common in the world of fighting Financial Crime. I start my day with reading and responding to emails that have come in overnight. We’re an international organisation so like New Year, FICO never sleeps. Most days, a client will need some help so I will
meet with them to listen to their challenges and let them know how FICO and others are tackling similar problems. I write blogs, attend industry events, host workshops with our product teams and check in with my team on a regular basis.  Working at FICO has really accelerated my multitasking
skills.

What is your greatest achievement so far?

I am passionate about continuous improvements and leaving something better than where I found it. This has led me to win several awards including best fraud transformation in Germany and another in the Nordics. I am also immensely proud of how far the people that have worked for me in the past have come in their careers.
 
What is the most challenging thing about your role?

Time. One thing I have learned over the past four years is that your work is never done. I am very humble to the fact that a lot of people want my time and feel that I have finally cracked the code of 15-minute Zoom, automation and the importance of wider communications.
 
What part of your role do you enjoy the most?

Working with highly talented people, solving a problem, working on the solution and seeing the
results. I do this on a huge scale now. It really keeps me motivated.
 
How do you see your role/industry changing in the next few years?

The use of AI will continue to increase, and digital transformations will accelerate. Focus globally will shift to helping customers protect themselves from themselves. Scams will become the leading fraud type within five years and there is still so much we need to do to mitigate the risks. This is going to keep us very busy.

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

Yes! If you’re looking for variety, fast paced action, something that always has room to improve, and learning from a talent pool which is second to none, then this is the industry for you. If you like to solve complex problems and have the patience to see the results over a longer term, then this will
tick that box. A wise person once told me that this job is not a job, it’s a lifestyle and they were absolutely right.

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