Meet the expert: Julie Fawcett to speak at #RISK Amsterdam

Taking place at RAI Amsterdam on September 27 and 28, #RISK Amsterdam examines the trends and best practices organisations are employing to navigate today’s rapidly evolving risk landscape.

Julie Fawcett is Lead for AML Integrity at Flow Traders. She leverages a decade’s expertise in Risk & Compliance management, policy development and strategic planning. 

Julie will be at #RISK Amsterdam to discuss the increasing threat of financial crime on a global scale, and what organisations need to do to protect both themselves and customers.

We caught up with Julie to hear more about her career to date, and for insight into the key themes of her #RISK Amsterdam session.

Could you outline your professional journey so far?

I’ve been involved with leading Risk and Compliance solutions with over 15 years’ experience in the financial sector and over a decade of expertise in risk and compliance management, policy development and strategic planning. I first obtained my public accounting license and later specialised in forensic overviews factoring in the psychology of a white-collar criminal.

I’ve worked in multiple countries with a variety of firms ranging from small to the Big Four gaining experience in both the public realm with a mix of industry portfolios to a space in Fintech expanding my knowledge in the digital asset space. Over the years I’ve worked closely with regulatory bodies, executives and business leaders combining legal, compliance and risk considerations and am looking forward to contributing to the ever-changing global enhancements. 

What are the current themes dominating the discussion on fighting financial crime on a global level?

Current themes include company compliance structures – really understanding and having a proper first and second line of defence. 

This involves ensuring that the tone at the top supports relevant changes (and understands why these are necessary) required for transparency. It also means ensuring the mass amount of influx data being received (either internally or externally) can provide valid outputs for teams looking to hone in on the biggest risks. 

In addition to these, it’s about ensuring that you have the proper teams with the right expertise to create, implement and monitor controls.

What are the primary challenges that financial services’ organisations face as they seek to avoid falling victim to financially-motivated criminals online?

The challenges lie in finding the perfect balance between costs and benefits. You must also make sure that the structure of set-ups within firms aid against financial crime, and that the set-up is done properly without rushing into new systems that will simply cause future headaches. 

In other words, it’s about really making sure that your firm is being built on a rock rather than sinking sand and being prepared for any storm that may come.