CAREER EXPERIENCE:

Compliance Manager                                           Maslife Ltd                                   January 2022 – Present

I am responsible for all compliance matters.

Duties:

Overseeing the anti-money laundering (AML) systems, and act as a focal point for related inquiries
Overseeing and supporting the business with compliance and regulatory monitoring
Designing relevant policies and procedures, record-keeping, filing internal and external reports, and ensuring due diligence is performed on customers and clients
Reviewing policies and procedures resulting from regulatory changes
Drafting and issuing of anti-financial crime policies and procedures
Ensure client on-boarding meets regulatory requirements, with particular focus on: AML, KYB, KYC and co-ordination amongst various teams
Creation and regular review and update of compliance and legal policies and procedures
Keeping up to date with regulatory changes in the UK, EU and other jurisdictions in which we conducts business.
Local Councillor                                  West Bletchley Council                      November 2021 – Present

I am a West Bletchley Parish Councillor for Abbeys Ward. I sit on the Full Council, Community Committee, and Finance & General Purposes Committee. I currently undertake the following activities on behalf of local residents:

Representation on local issues e.g. objections and/or support for proposed building development within the parish and beyond.
Commenting on all proposed planning applications received by Milton Keynes Council, relating to land and/or buildings within the parish.
Provision and management of allotment plots.
Provision and management of local events e.g. The West Bletchley Annual Carnival.
Provision of school holiday activities for young people.
Management and support for the local community resource centre – The Melrose Avenue Resource Centre (The MARC).
Responsible for the maintenance of Rickley Park and other open spaces.
Local Community Safety Initiatives
Provision of a large number of dog waste bins across the parish and free bags for picking up dog waste.
Free swimming- for qualifying age groups – at Bletchley Leisure Centre Grant funding support for local groups and charities
Co-Chair of Spectrum                           Financial Conduct Authority               November 2018 – February 2021

I was Co-Chair of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic network, which is open to all staff, regardless of ethnicity at the FCA. My objective was to improve the working environment and opportunities for BAME colleagues.

Duties:

Present a collective voice within the FCA by identifying and highlighting key issues affecting BAME staff to senior management stakeholders and helping develop solutions.
Raising awareness of diversity issues to facilitate their integration into plans, policies and procedures.
Maximising opportunities within the FCA for BAME staff to actively engage with the organisation, and to provide an open and transparent forum for BAME network members
Developing mentoring schemes and having the opportunity to input into training to improve the promotion and development of BAME staff.
Helping BAME staff identify and fulfil their potential through workshops and forums.
Develop strategy for the FCA’s diversity and inclusion agenda regarding ethnicity.
Present strategy to EDC.
Invite guest speakers to the FCA to discuss ethnicity.
Represent the FCA at external events such as D&I Leaders Race at Work Summit 2019
Facilitated a round table discussion with Bank of England to address common challenges surrounding ethnicity, with the view of bring about change.
Developing ways in which to build a culture of race confidence within the FCA.
Create an inclusive environment for both BAME and non-BAME staff.
Present at high profile discussion regarding the BAME agenda
Hosting event surrounding the staff wellbeing and promotion.
Facilitating discussions with other network groups to raise awareness of intersectionality.
Managing the budget of the network group.
Managing projects and running initiatives to promote the networks activities and raise its profile.
Engage with other organisations’ BAME networks and share good practice.
Nominated for EDC Diversity Recognition Awards
Exercising leadership in response to the Black Lives Matter movement
Grounded knowledge of the Public Sector Equality Duty
Working collaboratively as part of a team.
Flexible and proficient in applying existing knowledge and skills in a new environment
Working with departments to embed diversity and inclusion considerations into regulatory work
Using data to identify issues and target action.
 

Associate                                            Financial Conduct Authority                February 2018 – November 2021

As a member of the Credit and Lending Department, Authorisations Division, I ensured that only firms and individuals in key roles that are fit and proper may enter and remain in the market. Through interactions with firms, whether already authorised or new entrants, the Division helps to shape how firms operate or propose to operate in the market.

Duties:

I was responsible for handling a large and varied case load and assess applications made by firms and individuals who are applying for authorisation in relation to consumer credit.
Evaluate the viability of business models and ensure they meet the relevant regulatory requirements for consumer protection and are designed in the best interest of the customer.
Ensure the fitness and propriety of individuals by executing vetting checks to assess Approved Person/PSD Individual applications and Individual or Corporate Controller applications.
Assess systems and controls, policies and procedures and conducting conference calls with external stakeholders where appropriate.
Analyse financial accounts information to assess the financial soundness of firms and ensure firms meet their regulatory capital requirement on an on-going basis.
I make good quality and timely regulatory decisions on these applications in line with statutory and internal SLAs and make judgements as to whether to authorise an application based upon many factors, including legal considerations and the organisation’s risk tolerance and internal policies and procedures. This often includes using judgement to make decisions where I may not have all the information available to me and/or a decision is borderline. I have made decisions on a refusal case, and authorising small – medium cases
In coming to a judgement, I often must liaise with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders of varying seniority, for example I regularly liaise with Supervision when considering Variation of Permissions applications because they have intelligence that needs to be assessed
To provide an excellent service and meet FCA standards, I must interact with firms via telephone and email which I have done extremely well as my quality assurance results have always been around 100% with also many positive firm feedback
Producing accurate and timely audit trails of the assessment of and decisions on cases and interactions with firms
Leading training sessions – delivering technical knowledge and skills constructively and effectively. I have led training sessions on Limited permission applications and Change of legal status applications, furthermore I have also contributed to presentations on how we can be more effective with software’s such as INTACT
Working knowledge of SMCR and the FCA Handbook.
Knowledge on CONC, FSMA
A member of the Department’s Engagement Group – Pioneering ways of boosting and maintaining staff morale and engagement.
Working collaboratively as part of a team.
 

Casework Administrator               Office of the Independent Adjudicator           October 2015 – February 2018

The primary focus of the role was to provide casework support. This included being the point of contact for students, and required me to maintain accurate records on the progress of complaints through a review process. I also conducted the initial assessment process for complaints. I also conducted reviews of individual complaints and drafted and issued Complaint Outcomes and Final Decisions.

Duties:

Casework administration, including handling emails and telephone enquiries from complainants and educational institutions, determining whether a response is required and responding where appropriate.
Logging complaints forms and carrying out a preliminary assessment of eligibility.
Monitoring University compliance with recommendations/requests made by the OIA.
Handling a variety of incoming and outgoing calls, using good communication and questioning skills, to ensure that the appropriate information is provided.
Dealing with callers who may be distressed.
Dealing with email enquiries.
Recording accurate information on our database and spreadsheets.
Data entry and administrative tasks.
Appropriately apply the OIA’s initial assessment process to complaints.
Determine whether complaints are eligible for review under the Rules of the Scheme and communicate decisions to all parties;
Request and obtain required documentation and information from higher education providers (‘HEPs’), students and student representatives;
Promote early resolution of cases by contacting students, student representatives and HEPs with a view to negotiating the settlement of complaints.
Provide effective guidance to students, student representatives and HEPs on the OIA’s case-handling process, possible remedies and typical timeframes.
Conduct reviews of complaints, draft and issue Complaint Outcomes.
Analyse and take appropriate actions where comments are received on eligibility decisions and Complaint Outcomes in accordance with OIA policy.
Take appropriate actions to ensure compliance with good practice recommendations.
Contribute to the effective throughout of cases within the OIA’s case-handling process.
Contribute to the development of the OIA’s knowledge management system.
Represent the OIA at external events and contribute in other ways to the publicising of the Scheme and dissemination of good practice.
Contribute to effective management of the OIA’s core asset, specialist knowledge, by following internal guidance on good practice in knowledge management and acting as a knowledge coordinator in specified areas.
 

Payment & Compliance Executive           DT & T Corporation Limited                  October 2014 – October 2015

I worked in a vibrant money transfer office assisting in helping customers to transfer money worldwide. I was part of a dynamic team who are in charge of compliance checks, authorising transactions and completing transfers.

Paralegal                                       Lonsdale & Mayall Solicitors                       November 2009 – October 2014

I worked in a busy solicitors’ office and helping them with the many tasks that are needed to build a court case. I was part of a small team of assistants to the partners and associates covering a whole range of administration tasks & paralegal work.