ACAMS Launches Baltics Chapter

The Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) is pleased to announce the launch of its Baltics Chapter. ACAMS announced its investment in supporting the professional anti-money laundering (AML) and financial crime prevention sector in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania by establishing a chapter co-located across all three Baltic countries.

The official launch of ACAMS’ Baltics Chapter will take place on Wednesday, November 8, 2017 at the Riga Latvian Society with an evening of networking for members of the AML and combating-the-financing-of-terrorism (CTF) community. Minister of Finance for Latvia, Mrs. Dana Reizniece-Ozola, will provide the keynote speech and underline the importance of robust AML/CTF and sanctions compliance programs in the fight against global financial crime, and recognize the importance of advancing compliance education in today’s ever-changing financial regulatory and technological landscape.

A panel discussion addressing the challenges of complying with the 4th European Union AML Directive will also be held, the speakers to include: Deputy State Secretary on Legal Policy of the Ministry of Justice, Ms. Laila Medin; Mr. Rick McDonell, ACAMS executive director, and former executive secretary financial action task force (FATF) and chief of the global program against money laundering (GPML), UNODC; ACAMS’ Nordics Chapter Co-Chair Ms. Marie Lundberg, Acronym Consulting; and ACAMS’ Baltics Chapter board directors representing all three Baltic countries.

“AML, CTF and financial crime identification and prevention are global issues,” said Angela Salter, ACAMS head of Europe. “We are very appreciative of the level of commitment and support we have received from all sectors of the anti-financial crime community across the Baltics and in the number of professionals who have already registered their interest in ACAMS’ Baltics Chapter. This is a clear indication that the anti-financial crime professional community is committed both to furthering banking transparency and to implementing all the corporate governance requirements introduced within the 4th EU Directive.”

ACAMS’ Baltics Chapter is led by a volunteer board comprising ACAMS members in good standing from across the Baltics, including:

                 
Name   Job Title   Organisation   CAMS®   Country
Mait Kaselo   Head of Security Department and AML Compliance Officer   Coop Pank   CAMS®   Estonia
Anneli Puusepp   Fraud Investigation and Dispute Services Department   Ernst & Young   CAMS®   Estonia
Priit Vuks   Head of Compliance   Luminor   CAMS®   Estonia
Kaspars Dreimanis*   Head of the Compliance Division   ABLV Bank   CAMS®   Latvia
Dmitrijs Kacanovs   Board Member   Dukascopy Payments   CAMS®   Latvia
Janis Kaulins   Assistant Director, AML, Sanctions & Financial Crime Leader   Deloitte Central and Eastern Europe   CAMS®   Latvia
Jānis Brazovskis   Board Member   Association of Latvian Commercial Banks   CAMS®   Latvia
Andris Nikitins   Deputy Head of the Financial Stability Department   Latvijas Banka   CAMS®   Latvia
Sandijs Vectevs  

Head of AML

  SEB Bank   CAMS®   Latvia
Vjaceslavs Budjakovs   Head of AML projects group   JSC Rietumu Bank   CAMS®   Latvia
Vytautas Danta   Head of Compliance   Swedbank   CAMS®   Lithuania
Alexandre Pinot*   Head of Anti-Money Laundering and MLRO   Simplex   CAMS®   Lithuania
Rusne Valaikiene   Director, AML Compliance Global AML Investigations & SAR Reporting   Western Union   CAMS®   Lithuania
       

*ACAMS’ Baltics Chapter Co-Chairs are Mr. Kaspars Dreimanis and Mr. Alexandre Pinot.

“I am excited by the launch of our own, local ACAMS chapter,” said Mr. Kaspars Dreimanis, CAMS®, head of the compliance division ABLV Bank AS and newly appointed Co-Chair of ACAMS’ Baltics Chapter. “I also look forward to the opportunity to work with peers from across the Baltics to contribute to the development and implementation of global AML/CTF standards and best practices, provide a platform for continuous development and professional networking for its members, and cultivate the culture of compliance and high standards.”

“ACAMS’ Baltics Chapter will organize meetings and events for members to have professional discussions, exchange ideas, share professional experience from both public and private sectors, and to collaborate in combating money laundering, terrorist financing and financial crime, including international corruption,” said Mr. Alexandre Pinot, CAMS®, head of anti-money laundering and MLRO at Simplex, and newly appointed co-chair of ACAMS’ Baltics Chapter. “We will become an effective and relevant resource for all the organizations and institutions exposed to AML/CTF risk, and provide a Baltic perspective on regional and international standards and practices in detecting and preventing money laundering, terrorist financing and sanction-related risks.”

Baltics Chapter Launch Networking Event

ACAMS’ Gala Evening of AML/CTF Networking, VIP presentation and expert panel discussion will take place on Wednesday November 8, 2017 at the Riga Latvian Society, Merķeļa Street 13, Riga, LV-1050.

Attendance is by invitation only and all attendees must have registered in advance.

For further information about joining ACAMS Baltics Chapter please contact: balticschapter@acams.org

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About the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists® (ACAMS®)

ACAMS is a member of Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE), a global education provider headquartered in the United States. The organization's purpose is to empower students to achieve their goals, find success and make inspiring contributions to our global community. ACAMS is the largest international membership organization dedicated to enhancing the knowledge and skills of anti-money laundering (AML) and financial crime professionals from a wide range of industries, with extensive resources designed to develop and sharpen the skills required for superior job performance and career advancement. Its CAMS® certification is the most widely recognized AML certification among compliance professionals worldwide. Visit acams.org for more information.