Moody’s Talks: Risk Reframed

The rise & risk of agentic commerce

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Shaked Vax) — Wed, 8 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000

AI-powered agents have changed how commerce works and how risk is now managed across industries.

In this, our landmark 100th, episode of the podcast, the conversation turns to what agentic commerce means for trust, fraud, and decision-making at scale.

In this special, milestone edition, Shaked Vax, Head of Product Strategy and Partnerships at Pipl, a veteran of the fraud, authentication, and cyber risk industries, joins host Alex Pillow.

They discuss how agent-driven buying is reshaping consumer and business behavior while challenging long-standing approaches to identity, fraud prevention, and liability.

Listen to hear:

What agentic commerce is and why it is accelerating across B2C and B2B markets
How AI agents change the buying journey compared to human consumers
Why traditional fraud signals, like devices and behavioral biometrics, are breaking down in an AI era
The role of verified intent and emerging payment and identity protocols
How merchants, banks, and governments may need to rethink fraud, trust, and liability

Thank you to our listeners for being part of this journey to 100 episodes!

Additional resources:

To learn more about Moody’s please visit our website or get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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Innovation: All source, part 4

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Jason Lee, Megan Anderson) — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:29:24 +0000

Technologies are evolving faster than ever, reshaping how governments, intelligence teams, and national security organizations operate in a world where technological advantage increasingly defines geopolitical influence.

In this fourth and final installment of our All Source miniseries, Megan Anderson, Executive Vice President at IQT and Jason Lee, Industry Practice Lead at Moody’s, join host Alex Pillow. Together, they trace the evolution of government technology adoption, the challenges of integrating commercial innovation, and the opportunities created by AI and emerging tech across the national security landscape.

Their discussion breaks down:

Promises and challenges of agentic AI for investigations, mission support, and large‑scale data processing
Evaluating and integrating commercial innovation into complex public‑sector environments
Cross‑sector collaboration to accelerate the development and adoption of new capabilities
Global trends and international innovation ecosystems and how they influence national‑level strategy
Ethical AI considerations, including privacy boundaries, safeguards, and the importance of human oversight

Additional resources:

The Food that Built America TV show on the History Channel
IQT blogs and podcasts
All source miniseries: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3

To learn more about Moody’s please visit our website or get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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De-risking content platforms

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Alison Boden, Robert Evans) — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Content creation is expanding faster than ever, bringing new pressures on platforms to keep their spaces safe, trusted, and resilient. With technology reshaping the landscape, how can platforms protect both creators and consumers?

In this episode of Risk Reframed, host Alex Pillow is joined by Alison Boden, Executive Director at Free Speech Coalition, and Robert Evans, CEO and Co‑founder at FINTRAIL - A Cosegic Company. Together, they unpack the evolving risks facing modern content platforms from mature content to mainstream creator ecosystems. They discuss why robust onboarding, identity verification, and financial partnership models are essential for safe, scalable digital platforms.

Key topics covered:

Why identity verification and onboarding controls are foundational for creator and consumer safety
How content moderation, consent verification, and AI‑driven risks (like deepfakes) are reshaping platform responsibilities
What financial institutions need to understand about partnering with content platforms
Emerging regulatory expectations, including age verification frameworks and global compliance trends
How platforms can future‑proof themselves with risk‑based approaches and strong financial partnerships

Additional resources:

Visit freespeechcoalition.com/banks
Visit fintrail.com

To learn more about Moody’s please visit our website or get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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Sanctions in 2026

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Hera Smith, Ted Datta) — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

With sanctions enforcement tightening and evasion tactics changing, organizations everywhere are reassessing how they navigate risk, compliance, and international operations.

In this episode of Risk Reframed, host Alex Pillow is joined by Hera Smith and Ted Datta, Industry Practice Leads at Moody’s, to break down what has changed in sanctions over the past year—and what businesses should be preparing for next. Together, they explore the shifting regulatory environment, the growing expectations placed on corporations outside of financial services, and the increasingly sophisticated nature of sanctions evasion. Key highlights include:

How sanctions have expanded beyond financial flows and now target goods, supply chains, and dual‑use items
Why corporates face dramatically heightened expectations vs. previous years
The rise of both advanced AI-driven evasion tactics and simple analog workarounds
What compliance teams can do today to prepare for unpredictable regulatory changes
The growing role of AI in sanctions detection, alert review, and supply chain transparency

Additional resources:

To learn more about Moody’s please visit our website or get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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From KYC Decoded to Risk Reframed

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Samantha Hall) — Wed, 4 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

The risk landscape is evolving and so are we! By audience demand "KYC Decoded" has become "Risk Reframed".

This Moody's Talks show will deliver insights across the risk areas, as well as providing practical strategies and thought leadership for risk professionals operating in today’s complex landscape.

In this episode, host Alex Pillow is joined by Samantha Hall, Head of Commercial Strategy for Corporates at Moody’s, to discuss why reframing risk is essential for businesses navigating an era of rapid change.

Together, they unpack interconnected risk, explore why unified strategies are the future, and how Moody’s is helping organizations stay ahead of cascading threats.

Highlights include:

Top risk management themes to watch in 2026
What defines interconnected risk and its key drivers
Why this risk landscape demands unified risk management
Moody’s vision for predictive analytics, transparency, and trusted data

Thanks for tuning in—whether you’re returning or new—and get ready for a bold era of Risk Reframed!

To learn more about Moody’s please visit our website or get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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Tackling forced labor risks

podcasts@moodys.com (Amy Morgan, Alex Pillow) — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Forced labor remains a pressing challenge across global trade, often hidden deep in complex supply chains. As regulations tighten and scrutiny grows, businesses are rethinking how they achieve transparency and compliance.

In this episode, Amy Morgan, VP of Trade at Altana, joins our host, Alex Pillow, to explore how companies can tackle forced labor risks in their supply chains. Amy shares insights on regulatory shifts, operational challenges, and how technology is transforming the compliance landscape.

Highlights from their discussion include:

The challenge of detecting forced labor in modern supply chains
How laws and regulations are reshaping global trade practices
Lessons learned from real-world applications of AI in managing forced labor risk
How AI and data collaboration uncover hidden risks and support proactive compliance
What’s next for supply chain transparency and building resilience in global networks

Additional resources:

To learn more about Moody’s please visit our website or get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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Unified risk management insights

podcasts@moodys.com (Paul Nola, Alex Pillow) — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Risk is no longer confined to a single department—it’s a business-wide challenge. In this episode, we explore how organizations can move from siloed approaches to a unified risk management strategy that drives resilience and competitive advantage.

Host Alex Pillow is joined by Paul Nola, Partner at We Live Context, who shares insights from Moody’s latest study on unified risk management. This research draws on 50 in-depth interviews with senior executives across industries and regions.

Their discussion explores what unified risk management means, why it matters now, and how organizations can move from siloed compliance to integrated, strategic risk management. Key highlights include:

The five factors that most influence an organization’s risk approach
Why continuity and resilience are top priorities today
How organizations prioritize risks that are both high-impact and difficult to manage
The critical role executive leadership plays in shaping risk management strategies
The structural, cultural, and technological challenges that prevent companies from adopting unified risk management

Visit our website to read the full report.

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BIS 50% Rule: What you need to know

podcasts@moodys.com (Hera Smith, Alex Pillow) — Wed, 3 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000

BIS 50% Rule: What you need to know

The BIS 50% Rule is coming—but it’s already reshaping screening activities. By making ownership the deciding factor for the US Entity List, this rule could expose hidden connections, highlight new risks, and impel companies to rethink how they manage global trade and global due diligence.

In this episode, host Alex Pillow, is joined by Moody’s Industry Practice Lead, Hera Smith, to unpack what this rule will likely mean for businesses worldwide. Together, they explore the effects across industries and answer the questions that matter most:

What is the BIS 50% Rule and what loophole does it close?
How does it compare to OFAC’s 50% Rule?
What will the penalties be for violating this regulation?
Which industries will be most affected, and how should compliance teams adapt now?
What does effective collaboration between vendors and practitioners look like?

Since the recording, implementation has changed and will now be enforced from November 2026.

Additional resources:

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Human in the loop: Continuous monitoring

podcasts@moodys.com (Anu Mathur Boyd, Alex Pillow, Francis Marinier) — Wed, 5 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000

What if your compliance controls aren’t doing what you think they are? In a world where regulations shift overnight and data moves faster than ever, continuous monitoring is your second line of defense – testing, validating, and strengthening controls before risk becomes reality.

In this episode, host Alex Pillow sits down with Anu Mathur Boyd, Head of Continuous Monitoring at ING, and Francis Marinier, Industry Practice Lead at Moody’s to unpack the importance of continuous monitoring: what it is, why it matters, and how it’s evolving to meet the pace and complexity of today’s regulatory landscape. Their conversation covers:

Why continuous monitoring is critical for ensuring compliance controls work
The types of tests continuous monitoring teams use to identify gaps and validate controls
How compliance teams can shift from reacting to regulatory changes to building proactive, resilient systems
The value of keeping humans in the loop—especially when navigating complex data and AI-driven systems
Why teams are striving to achieve data interoperability—and how it can unlock smarter, more scalable compliance

Additional resources:

To learn more about Moody’s please visit our website or get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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Exploring AI in risk and compliance

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Paul Nola) — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we dive into the findings of Moody’s latest global study on the use of artificial intelligence in risk-related compliance — an evolution of our 2023 research. This new report explores how attitudes, adoption, and applications of AI have shifted across industries and regions.

We’re joined once again by Paul Nola, Partner at We Live Context, who returns to the show with host, Alex Pillow. Together, they explore the latest trends and insights from key benefits and drivers to barriers and concerns. Tune in as they discuss:

How organizations are adopting and integrating AI
The rise of agentic AI and its growing role in business
The critical role of human oversight in AI-driven compliance
Navigating the risks and challenges of AI adoption
Why companies want a seat at the table in shaping AI regulation
What the future of AI holds for companies and their goals

For additional information:

Download our report: From reactive to proactive: How AI is transforming risk and compliance
Watch our webinar recording: Mind the gap: AI’s big leap in risk and compliance

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Moody’s x SAP: Built on trust

podcasts@moodys.com (Marc Geal, Ben Holloway, Alex Pillow) — Wed, 8 Oct 2025 13:50:13 +0000

Moody’s and SAP are transforming how organizations approach risk, data, and trust—together. By combining Moody’s proficiency in risk data and analytics with SAP’s powerful enterprise software and cloud solutions, this partnership is paving the way for faster, smarter decision-making across industries.

In this episode, host Alex Pillow sits down with Marc Geal, Head of Product Technology and Experience at SAP, and Ben Holloway, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships Business Development at Moody’s, to explore how the two organizations are aligning around a shared vision for integrated data and decision intelligence. Their conversation unpacks topics such as:

The strategic and natural alignment that drives the Moody’s–SAP partnership
A fresh take on master data management with the “keyring” approach
Breaking down silos to foster collaboration across departments and organizations
The role of trust as the foundation for adopting AI responsibly
Why interoperability and governance are becoming critical in a data-driven world
What initiatives lie ahead for the Moody’s–SAP partnership

To learn more about Moody’s please visit our website or get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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Supply chain in the spotlight

podcasts@moodys.com (Scott Luton, Alex Pillow) — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 05:00:00 +0000

What do 1,000+ supply chain conversations teach us about resilience, innovation, and leadership?

In this episode of KYC Decoded, Scott Luton, founder, CEO, and host of Supply Chain Now, sits down with host Alex Pillow, to share his hard-earned insights from years of frontline dialogue with industry leaders.

With global disruption reshaping how organizations think about sourcing, automation, and strategy, this conversation dives deep into the evolving role of supply chain in today’s interconnected world. Listen along as they explore topics such as:

How artificial intelligence, machine learning, and access to data are transforming supply chain operations
Why supply chain resilience is now a board-level priority and what that means for strategic planning
Growing awareness of supply chain complexity and the hidden causes behind major disruptions
Rising demand for interoperability—ensuring multiple tools and technologies work seamlessly together
The three most important traits for successful supply chain professionals today

Additional resources:

To learn more about Moody’s please visit our website or get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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Crypto, cyber & a $1.5B crime

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Geoff White) — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 05:00:00 +0000

How does one crypto transaction spiral into a $1.5 billion cybercrime? The Bybit heist.

This wasn’t just the largest crypto theft in history—it was a criminal feat of deception that exposed how even sophisticated systems can be breached when fraud, cybersecurity, and human oversight don’t align.

In this episode, we are excited to welcome returning guest Geoff White, investigative journalist and creator of The Lazarus Heist podcast, to join host, Alex Pillow, in examining one of the most audacious crypto thefts to-date.

How did hackers executed the largest crypto theft in history while making operations seem normal from the inside?
Tactics used in the heist and the broader implications of money laundering in the crypto space
The impact of remote work on verifying employee legitimacy and protecting organizational value
What the aftermath of money laundering looks like for victims—can stolen crypto ever be recovered?
How companies can map where value resides across departments—and identify weak links before attackers do

For more information, check out the resources below:

To learn more about Moody’s, please visit our website or get in touch—we would love to hear from you.

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Failure to prevent fraud episode

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Ted Datta) — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Fraud is one of the most pervasive challenges in the modern economy, accounting for enormous financial and societal harm. In response to this growing crisis, the UK has introduced a ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence—a transformation that holds organizations accountable for their role in preventing fraudulent activities.

In this episode, Moody’s Industry Practice Lead, Ted Datta, joins host Alex Pillow. Together, they dive into the implications of this new offence, exploring how it reshapes corporate responsibility, impacts global businesses, and sets the stage for compliance standards in the fight against financial crime. Key topics include:

An overview of the UK’s new ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence and how it shifts legal responsibility
Who it applies to and the criteria for being affected
The rationale for enactment and what it seeks to address
What measures organizations can consider implementing to address fraud
Potential effects on the cost of doing business in the UK, and international ramifications

For more information, check out the resources below:

To learn more about Moody’s please visit our website or get in touch we would love to hear from you.

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Data interoperability in action

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Ian Godfrey) — Wed, 2 Jul 2025 05:00:00 +0000

What if all your data and systems could work together seamlessly, breaking down silos and unlocking endless possibilities? That’s the promise of data interoperability—connecting platforms and datasets to fuel smarter collaboration, sharper insights, and transformative innovation.

In this episode, we welcome Ian Godfrey, Industry Practice Lead at Moody’s, who dives into the technologies, standards, and real-world challenges behind making data truly interoperable, and why it’s a game-changer for businesses in today’s fast-paced, interconnected world.

His conversation with host, Alex Pillow, addresses questions such as:

What exactly is data interoperability, and why is it critical for organizations managing diverse systems and formats?
How can companies overcome historical challenges, like manual data capture and quality issues, to build more effective interoperable systems?
What role does Master Data Management (MDM) play in achieving data interoperability, and is it merely a foundation or the ultimate goal?
How are advancements in AI, machine learning, and real-time APIs transforming data interoperability, and what new opportunities or risks do they bring?
How can organizations balance the need for seamless data sharing with regulatory compliance and data privacy concerns?

For further information, check out the resources below:

Moody’s data interoperability landing page

To learn more about Moody’s please visit our website or get in touch we would love to hear from you.

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Mastering identity in a digital age

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Gus Tomlinson) — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In this episode of KYC Decoded, we’re excited to highlight the newly formed partnership between Moody’s and GBG, a collaboration aimed at further streamlining business onboarding through continued development of smarter identity verification in Moody’s Maxsight™ platform.

Joining us is Gus Tomlinson, Managing Director of Identity Fraud at GBG, to discuss the importance of balancing robust verification processes with a seamless customer experience. Key topics include:

How identity verification impacts the digital economy
Why customer experience is central to successful identity verification
Critical questions businesses must address when verifying identities
The growing threat of deepfakes and their impact on fraud prevention
What’s next in the identity verification landscape

For further information, check out the resources below:

Moody's Maxsight™ landing page
Recommended novel: Eat Sleep Innovate
Gus’s blog: Tariffs: four steps to future-proof your business in a shifting economy
Press releases on Moody’s and GBG partnership

To learn more about Moody’s, please visit our website or get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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pKYC progress: Past, present, future

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Chor Teh, Marisol Lopez Mellado) — Wed, 4 Jun 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Three years after our 2022 podcast series on Perpetual KYC (pKYC), we’re rebooting the topic to explore how the practice has evolved and where the industry stands today.

The pKYC landscape has shifted, with advancements in technology, regulatory expectations, and data integration driving its adoption as a dynamic, real-time approach to customer due diligence.

In this episode, Moody’s Industry Practice Leads, Chor Teh and Marisol Lopez Mellado join us for a discussion on questions like:

How has pKYC evolved, and what are the key areas driving adoption?
Are sectors from insurance to asset management to professional services experiencing similar pKYC trends as financial institutions?
What are the main challenges in achieving pKYC?
How can organizations empower financial crime analysts to overcome the learning curve associated with implementing pKYC?
How do shareholders and stakeholders benefit from organizations using pKYC practices?
How can AI revolutionize pKYC systems to deliver sharper insights, greater efficiency, and stronger operational outcomes?

Additional resources:

Moody’s pKYC website
Moody’s pKYC blogs
2022 pKYC miniseries: Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3
European Banking Association

To learn more about Moody’s, please visit our website or get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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Counterterrorism: All source part 3

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Jason Lee, Russ Travers) — Wed, 14 May 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Terrorism is not a static threat—it’s evolving in complexity and reach, demanding new ways of thinking and acting to counter it. Staying ahead means knowing what to look for and equipping the intelligence and security community with the insights needed to act decisively in an unpredictable world.

In this third installment of the All-Source miniseries, we’re bringing together two leading voices on counterterrorism: Russ Travers, Retired Senior Intelligence Executive and National Security Official, and Jason Lee, Industry Practice Lead at Moody’s. Together, they’ll help us dig into some of the most pressing questions shaping today’s global security environment:

How has terrorism evolved over the decades, and what does this reveal about the future of global security?
What distinguishes foreign terrorism from domestic terrorism, and how do these differences shape the way we approach prevention and response?
Should drug trafficking organizations be classified as terrorist groups?
Where do terrorist groups operate in less obvious spaces, and what can uncovering these hidden networks teach us about their strategies and vulnerabilities?
In an age of overwhelming data, how can intelligence agencies separate actionable insights from noise to stay one step ahead of emerging threats?
What advanced tools and capabilities should counterintelligence teams possess to effectively dismantle complex, adaptive networks of terrorism?

For further information, check out the resources below:

To learn more about Moody’s please visit our website or get in touch we would love to hear from you.

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Intelligence: All source part 2

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Jason Lee, Guy Swan) — Fri, 2 May 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In a world increasingly defined by rapid information flow, interconnected risks, and complex decision-making, intelligence analysis has never been more critical—or challenging. In this second installment of our All Source miniseries, we are joined by Lieutenant General Guy Swan, U.S. Army (Retired) and President of Swan and Associates, LLC and Jason Lee, Industry Practice Lead at Moody’s who explore how the skills and insights gained from leveraging intelligence in military decision making can be applied to private sector initiatives. Their discussion answers questions like:

How can leaders prioritize decisions and address bias when dealing with overwhelming amounts data?
What can the military and private sector teach each other about decision-making?
How can Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) be leveraged in military and financial contexts?
What strategies help organizations manage exponential and interconnected risks to ensure their plans are resilient to real-world challenges?
How can AI and technology improve intelligence analysis while maintaining human judgment?
Why do cultural differences and diversity of thought matter in intelligence analysis?

For further information, check out the resources below:

To learn more about Moody’s please visit our website or get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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Espionage: All source part 1

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Jason Lee, Michael Orlando) — Wed, 9 Apr 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Could your company be the next target for corporate espionage, where trade secrets and competitive advantages hang in the balance? As corporate spies evolve their methods to outpace defenses, the risks have never been greater.

In this gripping first episode of our All Source series, we’re joined by Michael Orlando, Senior Director of Global Security at Micron Technology, and Jason Lee, Industry Practice Lead at Moody’s, for an eye-opening exploration of the covert world of corporate espionage. Together, they peel back the layers of this hidden threats, diving into critical questions like:

Why is corporate espionage a growing risk in today’s interconnected world?
What signals might indicate your organization is being targeted?
What drives bad actors to exploit companies, and how are their methods becoming more sophisticated?
How are tools like OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) being used to investigate and combat espionage?
How are governments and regulators tackling this issue?
How will emerging technologies like AI reshape the future of corporate intelligence and defense?

If you’re interested in learning more, check out the resources below:

To learn more about Moody’s please visit our website or get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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Fraud strategy: A growth engine?

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Chen Zamir) — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Would you rather spend money recovering from a fraud-related attack or building an anti-fraud strategy? Organizations who become victims of fraud often find themselves paying enormous sums of money, managing severe reputational damage, and navigating uncertainties on how to better prepare for the future.

In this episode of KYC Decoded we welcome Chen Zamir, fraud strategy advisor and founder of the consultancy Native[risk]. Chen shares his deep expertise on the topic of fraud with host Alex Pillow, covering ideas like:

Transforming fraud strategy towards an organization's growth engine
How to discuss anti-fraud return on investment
Anti-fraud performance indicators
How senior executives can better engage with their fraud teams
What anti-fraud vendors should consider

To learn more from Chen, subscribe to his weekly newsletter, The Saturday Fraud Strategist.

Find out how you can transform risk management across your organization with Moody’s Maxsight™ unified risk platform and feel free to get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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Tranche 2: The future of AML & CTF

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Jeremy Moller, Qing Liu) — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 02:05:55 +0000

Australia recently passed an amended anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) bill that will soon include Tranche 2 entities in its regulatory regime.

The result? Approximately 100,000 new entities under its scope.

Regulating non-financial entities is not a new undertaking, as we’ve seen in countries like the UK, Singapore, and United Arab Emirates. Crucial to the success of the regime and overall client experience will be how Australian firms adopt the best practices shown by firms in other parts of the world, while ensuring they account for the nuances of their domestic market.

In this episode of KYC Decoded, risk advisory lawyer, Jeremy Moller, from Norton Rose Fulbright and Qing Liu, Moody's Senior Director of Compliance & Third Party Risk in Australia, sit down with host Alex Pillow to discuss what the anticipated changes mean for Tranche 2 obliged entities and the future of compliance in Australia.

Key topics:

Introduction of the Tranche 2 regulations
Challenges and opportunities for firms implementing the reforms
International comparisons of similar regimes, and opportunities for harmonizing regulations

Additional resources:

Register for Moody’s in-person Sydney event on April 3 – the event features a blend of plenary and breakout sessions led by industry peers and Moody’s financial crime practice lead.
Law Council of Australia: AML/CTF Guidance and Vulnerabilities Analysis
Law Society of New South Wales AML/CTF Hub
Information on AUSTRAC’s AML/CTF Reform
Norton Rose Fulbright’s Tranche 2 and AML/CTF Reforms Hub

Visit our website and get in touch to learn more – we would love to hear from you.

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Sanctions 2025: Compliance trends

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Hera Smith) — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 06:00:00 +0000

We find ourselves 3 years out from the Russia/Ukraine war, and the sanctions climate continues to evolve. From changing global politicians to sanctions regulations and enforcements to evasion tactics, it is imperative compliance professionals stay alive to risks, and the consequences of not doing so.

In this episode of KYC Decoded, we are pleased to welcome Moody’s Industry Practice Lead, Hera Smith, an expert on sanctions and AML. In this brief, informative conversation with host, Alex Pillow, Hera walks us through how sanctions have changed in the past year, the current sanctions ecosystem, and what to look for in 2025. They explore:

Why sanctions are such a commonly used geopolitical tactic
How changing political leaders globally can impact sanctions across jurisdictions
The financial risks of not adhering to sanctions compliance
Automated understanding of current export controls
How corporations and banks have adjusted staffing to keep up with the regulations
Where organizations should start when beefing up their sanctions risk teams

If you would like to find out more, please check out the following resources:

We also welcome you to visit our website or get in touch to discuss sanctions; we would love to hear from you.

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OSINT 101: Data to intelligence

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Stuart Clarke) — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 06:00:00 +0000

An exponential growth in data has coincided with the era of exponential risk - what does this mean for anti-financial crime and risk professionals? With ever increasing amounts of unstructured data and information at their fingertips, how can professional investigators implement sophisticated open-source intelligence (OSINT) investigations to make informed decisions?

In this episode of KYC Decoded, we welcome the CEO of Blackdot Solutions and former forensic investigator, Stuart Clarke. Stuart breaks down what is needed for high-functioning OSINT investigations in an enlightening conversation with host, Alex Pillow. Together they explore questions like:

How do we extract real insights from unstructured data?
What is the methodology for running an investigation?
How can leaders deploy the right balance of data, technology, and human investigators, when conducting OSINT investigations?
What makes OSINT investigations difficult for practitioners in the private sector vs public sector?
What is the impact of advanced OSINT?
How much of an OSINT investigation can (and should) be automated?
What are the legal and ethical guardrails around the use of open source data?

If you are keen to learn more, check out the resources below:

Blackdot Solutions, The OSINT handbook
Moody’s Maxsight™ Investigations

Please also visit our website and get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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GenAI unlocked: A new future for traditional risk departments?

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Nick Reed) — Wed, 5 Feb 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Imagine a world where the bulk of your workday is dedicated to gaining a deep understanding of financial criminal behavior and forecasting future transgressions - rather than being spent on monotonous research hunting for risk signals down rabbit holes. Could generative AI help make this vision a reality?

In this episode of KYC Decoded, Moody’s own Chief Product Officer, Nick Reed, sits down with host, Alex Pillow, to candidly discuss the possibility of addressing integrated risk at scale leveraging AI. Highlights of their conversation include:

Democratizing data access and team interaction
How AI agents can help transform traditional workflows
The foundational need for Master Data Management
The potential opportunities for practitioners who embrace a new way of thinking

If this episode leaves you eager to discover more about new unified risk management possibilities, register for our upcoming webinar "How unified risk management is decoding risk and unlocking opportunity," which will also be available on-demand. We encourage you to visit Moody’s Maxsight™ and please get in touch. We would love to hear from you.

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Preventing, detecting, and disrupting human trafficking with information systems

podcasts@moodys.com (Moody's Analytics) — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Human trafficking is one of the most terrible crimes imaginable. And, yet, the magnitude of it is so overwhelming that it can feel nearly impossible to tackle. But, what if there was a way to flip this problem on its head? Could we learn from technologists who use feedback loops to build information systems and apply this same way of thinking to a new challenge?

In this KYC Decoded episode, we are honored to give the mic to Researcher and Assistant Professor of Information Systems at University of North Texas, Laurie Giddens. Partnering with Jodie Brinkerhoff, VP of Innovation at the third busiest airport in the world, the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Laurie was able to gather valuable, firsthand data and insights to better understand the existing challenges when combating human trafficking. Her enlightening conversation with host, Alex Pillow, explores probing questions like:

How do data and technology change the possibilities for how we tackle human trafficking?
Within the prevention, detection, and disruption paradigm, where should innovation focus first?
What data points should we look at when building new technologies and what kinds of unstructured data should be considered?
What stakeholders should be included to collect data and work through possible solutions?
Similarities between the data challenges of AML and transaction monitoring with this part of the risk ecosystem, and how they could learn from each other
How could feedback loops help fight human trafficking more effectively?

If you would like to continue this learning, please check out the resources below:

National Academies, Developing an Airport Program to Address Human Trafficking: A Guide
Laurie’s Google Scholar page
Information Systems Journal, Information technology as a resource to counter domestic sex trafficking in the United States
Moody’s The Infinite Game docuseries

To learn how you can better equip your organization to fight human trafficking, please visit our website and get in touch. We would love to hear from you.

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Deepfakes 101: Outsmarting the fraudsters

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, David Thomas, Paul Warren-Tape) — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 06:00:00 +0000

The cat and mouse game of criminals vs. regulators and compliance teams can feel intense, and the stakes are high. With advanced AI and deep learning technologies like deepfake, fraudulent activity is easier, cheaper, and more sophisticated than ever before. However, the same advancement in tools and technologies is exactly what’s needed to fight back, and even get ahead.

In this episode of KYC Decoded, we are happy to share the mic with deepfake experts David Thomas, Head of Product - Global Documents & Biometrics at GBG, and Paul Warren-Tape, Head of Risk and Compliance at IDVerse. Their gripping conversation with host Alex Pillow explores questions like:

What are deepfakes and how are they created?
What are the far-reaching consequences of using deepfake technologies for nefarious activity, and who are the victims?
How do we know what to trust when we can’t rely on our eyes and ears alone?
What controls and technologies are needed in the identification space?
Who is leading the way in getting ahead of fraudsters?
How can we use powerful technology ethically and responsibly?

Please listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts, and if you are curious to learn more, check out the recommended resources below:

If you would like to chat with Moody's about mitigating financial crime risk in your organization, please visit our website and get in touch. We would love to hear from you.

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Exploitation exposed: Modern slavery matters

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Justine Carter) — Wed, 8 Jan 2025 06:00:00 +0000

This episode includes accounts of physical, mental, and sexual abuse, stemming from modern slavery and human trafficking. These topics may be distressing for some individuals. Listener discretion is advised.

In the making of "The Infinite Game," Moody's docuseries, a wealth of expert interviews were conducted, however due to the time constraints and narrative of the piece some interviews were regrettably cut during the final edit. Justine Carter’s illuminating interview on combating human trafficking and modern slavery was one of these, but we're delighted to now bring it the KYC Decoded audience as a special episode where listeners can learn from Justine's solo narrative that offers a deep dive into the entwined realities of human trafficking, financial crime, and their impacts. Key topics she discusses include:

The current state and scope of modern slavery laws and regulations
An overview of the various forms of human exploitation
The significance of supply chain oversight and ethical business practices
Sharing the harrowing experiences faced by victims of modern slavery
The need for unified efforts across industries to effectively address this issue
The role of technological innovations in combating modern slavery

Check out these additional resources:

Visit Unseen UK’s website
Watch The Infinite Game Docuseries

To discover how Moody’s can assist your organization in understanding and monitoring risks linked to modern slavery, forced labor, and human trafficking, visit our website or get in touch. We would love to hear from you.

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The deep, dark woods: Navigating the illegal timber trade

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Kate Klikis) — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 06:00:00 +0000

You may be familiar with yacht owners being sanctioned, but what of the potential risks tied to the yachts themselves? Burmese teak wood, commonly found in marine vessels, is known for its exceptional quality, natural water resistance, and premium price tag. Unfortunately, that price tag is not nearly as steep as the potential consequences of supporting the illegal timber trade.

In this episode of KYC Decoded, we're honored to welcome Kate Klikis, forest campaigner and Myanmar timber expert from the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). In an enlightening conversation with host, Alex Pillow, Kate educates us on the illegal timber trade and its greater implications. Key topics include:

The differences between legal and illegal timber trading
The illegal timber trade in Myanmar
Global regulations to combat the illegal timber trade
Industries most vulnerable to risks associated with illegal timber trading
The integrated risks involved with illegal deforestation, sanctions, money laundering, bribery and corruption, counterfeiting, and more

If you would like to learn more, check out the recommended resources shared during this episode below:

To take the next step in your risk and compliance program, please visit our website and get in touch. We would love to hear from you.

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Fraud in focus: Understanding the complexity of modern scams

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Stephen Dalton) — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Let's get into the evolving world of fraud on KYC Decoded, where the complexity and sophistication of fraud now poses new and daunting challenges for professionals and organizations alike. This episode draws on invaluable insights from the Cifas Fraudscape report, brought to life by guest, Stephen Dalton, Director of Intelligence at Cifas. Together with our host, Alex Pillow, they analyze the most concerning fraud trends, uncover the advanced tactics of fraudsters, and emphasize the importance of data in defending against threats.

Key topics in this episode include:

The factors leading to the rise in reported fraud cases and strategies to combat this upward trend
The sophistication of modern scams and the impact on targeted industries
Fraudulent activities committed by lone individuals versus organized crime groups
How AI is leveraged by both fraudsters and compliance professionals
The essential measures to detecting and disrupting fraud

To learn how Moody’s compliance and third-party risk management can help your organization with fraud prevention, please visit our website or get in touch; we’d love to hear from you.

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Is the future of financial crime prevention beyond traditional KYC?

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Hanjo Seibert) — Fri, 8 Nov 2024 06:00:00 +0000

The positioning of “traditional” KYC against new and emerging methodologies creates opportunities to assess the most effective processes and technologies used to prevent financial crime. It raises the question: What transformative actions and AI implementations are needed to revolutionize a KYC framework, ensuring the industry is prepared for future advancement?

In this episode of KYC Decoded, Hanjo Seibert, managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group, and global lead for Compliance and Anti-Financial Crime (AFC) Technology Transformation joins our host Alex Pillow. Their insightful dialogue provides fresh viewpoints on questions such as:

Are traditional KYC/AML methods sufficient to address the challenges professionals face today?
How can rules-based and data-driven approaches combine to increase efficiency?
How should professionals approach problem-solving: by prioritizing data first or by putting compliance considerations first?
How can financial institutions ensure personnel are trained to effectively use new technologies against fraudsters who are also innovating rapidly?
Will we continue to see multiple vendors providing diverse solutions, or is there a trend towards consolidating services into one-stop shops?

To find out more about the topics discussed in this episode - check out these resources:

Watch Hanjo’s Ted Talk: What you can do to stop economic crime
Listen to the BCG on Compliance podcast: Apple, Spotify, Amazon
Read Moody’s blog post: 8 best financial crime books

And if you would like to see how Moody’s compliance and third-party risk management can help with your approach to KYC, please visit our website or get in touch; we’d love to hear from you.

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Unpacking Article 5r of EU Reg. 833 | Financial surveillance

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Nicola Passariello) — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Disclaimer: Please note in the introduction to this episode it is mentioned that Russia further invaded Ukraine in 2020 rather than the correct year of 2022.

In this episode of KYC Decoded, we dive into Article 5r which mandates European banks report any money transfers exceeding 100,000 euros leaving the EU, targeting entities with more than 40% Russian ownership.

Join Moody’s Industry Practice Lead, Nicola Passariello, and host Alex Pillow as they unravel the complexities of financial surveillance under Article 5r of EU Reg. 833. Learn more about the implications this directive has for the financial sector and navigating complex ownership structures to meet new deadlines.

Highlights include:

An introduction and explanation of Article 5r of EU Reg. 833
Reporting requirements for financial institutions
Challenges in identifying direct and indirect ownership
Importance of having a full KYC program
Common pitfalls and guidance for practitioners

For additional resources mentioned in this episode, visit:

For more information visit our website and get in touch with one of our experts – we'd love to hear from you.

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Unmasking the threat: The dark reality of synthetic identities

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Jason Wagner, Dan Mathews) — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 05:00:00 +0000

From social media account information to password creation to IP addresses, the digital footprint we create grows larger every time we go online – and it is virtually impossible to avoid. At the same time, sophisticated criminals can capture this wealth of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and create synthetic identities to commit crimes like fraud, money laundering, illegal weapons dealing, and more.

Although scary, the first thing we can do to combat this criminal behavior is learn about it. So, we are excited to share the mic with Constella's experts, Jason Wagner, Vice President of Identity & Digital Intelligence, and Dan Mathews, Director of Worldwide Sales Engineering.

You do not want to miss this incredibly engaging and knowledgeable conversation with host, Alex Pillow, asking hard-hitting questions like:

What is a synthetic identity?
What threats do synthetic identities pose to the financial sector at large?
How are criminals stealing data?
What populations and kinds of businesses are most vulnerable to the risks associated with synthetic identities?
What are “ghosts” in the context of synthetic identities, and how can they attack businesses?
How is AI changing the landscape of creating synthetic identities?
How can the risks created by synthetic identity fraud be mitigated?

To learn more about topics discussed on this episode, check out the resources mentioned below:

If you want to be at the forefront of combatting financial crime in your organization, visit our website to see how we can help, and feel free to get in touch – we would love to hear from you.

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Understanding and mitigating modern cyber risk

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Derek Vadala) — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 05:00:00 +0000

In this episode, KYC Decoded welcomes Derek Vadala, Chief Risk Officer at BitSight, who shares his insights on the intricacies of cyber risk, technology risk, and digital risk with host Alex Pillow. They explore the evolving nature of cyber threats, from financially motivated attacks to nation-state espionage, and discuss best practices for mitigating these risks through in depth defense strategies and ongoing monitoring. Derek emphasizes the criticality of a risk-based approach to supply chain due diligence and the importance of integrating cyber risk management into broader compliance frameworks.

Key takeaways:

Cyber risk encompasses adversarial activities, technology issues, and digital transformation challenges, each requiring distinct mitigation strategies
Financially motivated cyber criminals and nation-state actors use different tactics but can blur lines, necessitating vigilant, multifaceted defenses
Effective cyber defense relies on automation and layered security measures, beyond just user education
Integrating cyber risk management with overall compliance and due diligence processes enhances organizational resilience

To learn more about cyber related risk, please check out the resources below:

To learn how you can mitigate cyber-related risk in your organization, visit our website and feel free to get in touch - we would love to hear from you.

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Exploring the Data and Technology for Compliance (DT4C) Alliance

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Gem Conn, Ted Datta) — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 13:56:30 +0000

This episode introduces the Data and Technology for Compliance (DT4C) Alliance, an industry group comprising leading data and technology companies focused on enhancing financial crime prevention in the EU. Host Alex Pillow, along with Ted Datta from Moody's, and Gem Conn from Dow Jones Risk and Compliance, discuss the Alliance's goals, key initiatives, and the impact they have had so far, including the inclusion of high-quality data standards in AML regulations.

They explore how the alliance works in practice, the balance between data privacy and AML effectiveness, and the broader implications for risk and compliance professionals. For more information or to get involved, listeners are encouraged to visit the DT4C website www.dt4calliance.eu, email the secretariat@dt4calliance.eu or reach out to the contributors on LinkedIn.

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VASP vigilance: Leading the charge in crypto compliance

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Liat Shetret, Karmjeet Singh) — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 05:00:00 +0000

As digital assets continue to evolve and enrich investment portfolios, they simultaneously demand innovative anti-money laundering (AML) and compliance strategies to counteract potential exploitation by bad actors. There is a critical need for financial service firms to adapt to these changes, understanding the money laundering risks tied to crypto.

In this episode of KYC Decoded, we are joined by Liat Shetret, Director of Global Policy and Regulation at Elliptic, and Karmjeet Singh, Product Strategist at Moody’s, who together unravel the pivotal role of Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP) in navigating and addressing these emerging challenges in the digital economy. Key topics of their conversation include:

The rapid evolution and developments of the VASP and cryptocurrency ecosystem in recent years
The sophistication and complexities of criminal activity in the digital world
Strategies to effectively manage the challenges posed by VASP
How compliance officers balance dual roles of safeguarding against risk while facilitating organizational growth
Predictions on future crypto market trends and their implications for risk and compliance professionals

For additional resources:

Read Elliptic’s blog
Sign up for Elliptic’s newsletter
Listen to KYC Decoded’s Crypto Miniseries: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

To learn more about our VASP screening for your organization, please feel free to reach out – we would love to hear from you!

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Bridging the gap: Public-private partnerships in AML and financial crime

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Linda Hamilton, Kevin Newe) — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Some of the most crucial actors in the world of regulatory compliance exist within the public sector. But, with so many private sector players gathering data and making risk-based decisions, how can the two groups bridge any divides to overcome increasingly sophisticated criminals?

In this episode of KYC Decoded, host Alex Pillow is joined by public sector colleagues Linda Hamilton, Deputy Director of Organised Crime in Fraud Investigations Service at the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), and Kevin Newe, Illicit Finances Threat Lead from HMRC. Their engaging conversation provides unique perspectives on questions like:

Why is there a need to invest more in preventing economic crime and money laundering?
How can we strike a balance between a public-private sector feedback loop and preserving confidentiality?
What do good public-private partnerships look like and are there opportunities for improvement?
When combatting financial crime, where should the public sector take the lead and where the private sector?
How should data and technology vendors be involved with their private sector partners and the public sector?
What makes a good SAR and what can be said about software that automates writing them?

To learn more about what was discussed in this episode, be sure to check out these additional resources:

And, if you’d like to see how Moody’s Compliance and third-party risk management can help you with AML, please visit our website or get in touch; we’d love to hear from you.

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KYC origin stories, chapter 6 – Entity Verification API (EVA)

podcasts@moodys.com (Moody's Analytics) — Fri, 2 Aug 2024 05:00:00 +0000

As regulatory stakes grow higher, so does the need for reliable, comprehensive data when evaluating risk. Enter: the Moody’s Entity Verification API. In a single source, this powerful tool layers curated data on over 525 million global companies along with real-time entity information from primary sources. Here to share more on the making of this tool and its value in a compliance program are Johanna Konrad, Moody’s Compliance & third-party risk Managing Director of Product Management, and Jon Hanmer, Moody’s Sales Senior Director. Joining host, Alex Pillow, they discussed:

How direct customer feedback shaped what the Entity Verification API delivers
How the solution benefits stakeholders in different sectors
Why strong entity verification lays the groundwork for a “golden record,” and why that matters
Enablement of practitioners to monitor entities in a perpetual KYC (pKYC) program

For more information about the Moody’s Entity Verification API, visit our website. If you’d like to book a demo or learn more, please get in touch; we would love to hear from you!

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Who are you doing business with? A simple question with a complex answer

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Paul Nola) — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 05:00:00 +0000

The term “Entity Verification” can mean different things to different people. Perhaps it brings to mind beneficial ownership, identity checks, or third-party risk management. Regardless, Entity Verification is the bedrock for understanding who you are doing business with.

We are pleased to welcome back guest, Paul Nola, Partner at Context Consulting, for this episode of Moody’s Talks: KYC Decoded. Paul walks us through the findings of Moody’s latest study on Entity Verification. In addition to sharing how the study was conducted and some of the results of the report, Paul and host, Alex Pillow, discuss common themes that emerged, such as:

Why the time is now to be ramping up Entity Verification programs
Challenges that can make Entity Verification difficult to implement
The downstream benefits of a strong Entity Verification foundation
The need for proper and robust data governance
How AI is being used to make Entity Verification scale in a quick, reliable way
The elusive ‘golden record’ - a single view of a data entity

You can find more information about Entity Verification on our website, or check out the resource below:

Who are you doing business with? A Moody’s study into Entity Verification

If you would like to learn more about Moody’s Entity Verification data offerings, please get in touch – we would love to hear from you.

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The infinite game: director's commentary

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Mark Rundle) — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 05:00:00 +0000

You may recognize him as Moody’s Talks: KYC Decoded editor and producer, but, Mark Rundle, has a passion for storytelling that extends beyond podcasting. Mark is also a brilliant documentary filmmaker, and we are excited to have him join us behind the microphone in this week’s episode, discussing his recent three-part documentary series, The Infinite Game. These 10-minute episodes provide a searing view into the world of corruption, money laundering, and, most importantly, the people who are affected by these crimes.

Follow along for a behind-the-scenes look at:

The inspiration for making this series
The creative process for structuring a compelling narrative
What he hopes viewers will take away from The Infinite Game

Be sure to watch the series, or watch again if you have already seen it on our website or YouTube. And, to take another step forward, learn how Moody’s can better equip you and your organization to combat financial crime. Get in touch – we would love to hear from you.

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Intelligent screening: How machine learning is changing the game

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Mike Xu, Victor Cotillon) — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 05:00:00 +0000

The art and science of screening in the KYC and AML world has certainly come a long way from the days of manually checking for names and organizations against a short list. Risk factors have evolved exponentially, increasing regulations have influenced risk appetites, and powerful technologies like Machine Learning (ML) and Generative AI (GenAI) have caught on like wildfire.

In this episode of KYC Decoded, in-house experts Mike Xu, Data Strategy Director, and Victor Cotillon, Risk & Screening Product Strategist, provide valuable insights into the role of Machine Learning when screening. Highlights of their conversation with host, Alex Pillow, include:

What screening means and why it is performed by KYC and AML practitioners
The concept of ‘fuzzy matching’
How technologies help weed out false positives when name matching
Pros and cons of integrating ML into an intelligent screening process
Keep human’s in the loop when using more sophisticated ML

Interested in learning more? Check out the resources below mentioned in this episode:

If you want to learn more about intelligent risk and compliance screening for your organization, please visit our website and feel free to reach out – we would love to hear from you!

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A compliance evolution: Empowering business expansion

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Erika Postel) — Thu, 6 Jun 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Anti-financial crime (AFC) departments can get labeled as the team that says “no” - seen as preventing innovation from reaching customers. But, this line of thinking overlooks the immense value AFC teams can bring in the product development process. How can AML and compliance professionals break through the stereotype to become more influential partners in business growth?

In this episode of KYC Decoded, AML professional Erika Postel, passionately shares her expertise when it comes to thriving at the intersection of business expansion, compliance, and customer experience. Her conversation with host, Alex Pillow, addresses questions such as:

When should AML and compliance teams brought into a project?
How to juggle multiple jurisdictions and/or multiple product launches simultaneously?
How can teams proactively work with regulatory bodies?
How can AML departments best support business expansion with ever increasing digitization?

For more information, please check out the resources that were mentioned in the episode below:

To take the next step in transforming the compliance culture in your organization, visit our website and get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.

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Luxuries and larceny: ‘Following the goods’ for AML prevention

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Jessica Cath) — Fri, 24 May 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Fancy cars. Diamond-covered watches. Luxury vacations at 5-star resorts. These are some of the many high-ticket purchases money launderers might illegally make to disguise the origins of their wealth.

So, what actions can be taken to fight this nefarious activity? How can businesses and consumers avoid complicity and prevent financial crime in the luxury goods' space?

We are thrilled to welcome back esteemed guest and expert, Jessica Cath, Head of Financial Crime at Thistle Initiatives. Her dynamic and engaging conversation with host, Alex Pillow, dives into questions like:

What constitutes a luxury good?
What are the three stages of money laundering?
What role do secondary markets play in luxury goods' money laundering?
What risk-based measures can businesses take to protect their reputations and meet regulatory obligations?
How can individual consumers make more responsible purchasing decisions to avoid unintentionally abetting financial criminal?

If you are keen to learn more about luxury goods and AML, we encourage you to check out these additional resources:

And, if you can’t get enough of Jessica, listen to the last KYC Decoded episode she joined us for - pKYC Miniseries: Part 3.

To take your anti-money laundering practices a step further, please feel free to get in touch with the Moody's team – we’d love to hear from you.

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Open banking: A revolution or evolution for KYC?

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Alessio Balduini, Francis Marinier) — Fri, 10 May 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Open finance, API banking, Payment Services Directive (PSD2)...the concept of open banking can be called many things. But how exactly is this technology changing the world for risk and compliance professionals today and what potential does it have to mold the profession going forward?

Join us for another episode of KYC Decoded as we welcome Alessio Balduini, CEO and founder of Credit Data Research, and Francis Marinier, former banking compliance officer and now Moody’s KYC Industry Practice Lead, who together unpack the topic of open banking and its implications for the financial industry. Key questions explored include:

What is open banking and how long has it been around?
What opportunities does open banking provide for risk and compliance professionals?
What does adoption of open banking look like?
Are there any potential risks associated with open banking?
How might bad actors respond to the rise of open banking?

If you would like more information on open banking, be sure to check out these resources:

Open Banking Impact Report
Open Banking Limited (OBL)
Credit Data Research
"Evolution of Open Finance: A Focus on the European and Italian Landscapes", International Banker
"Open Finance ecosystem could end money laundering in sports betting in Brazil", Games Magazine Brazil

Visit our website to learn how you can take your compliance program to the next level. Please feel free to reach out – we would love to hear from you.

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Decrypting Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs)

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Michael Hughes) — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What if your anti-financial crime program could build investigation models using sensitive data you may not have direct access to – in a totally compliant way? In this episode, we learn from Privacy Enhancing Technology (PET) expert, Michael Hughes, Chief Business Offer at Duality Technologies, about the potential PETs have to change the game of KYC.

Follow along as Michael and host, Alex Pillow, discuss all things PETs, exploring topics like:

The value PETs could bring to the world of AFC
Privacy rights of an individual vs. useful data for institutions
Various PET use cases
How regulatory bodies feel about the rise of PETs
Industry sectors that have become early adopters of PETs (the answer may surprise you)

For additional resources mentioned in this episode, check out the links below on Duality’s website:

Visit our website to learn how Moody’s Compliance and third-party risk management can take AFC in your organization to the next level, and please feel free to get in touch – we’d love to hear from you!

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For good or for evil: Tech’s role in the world of financial crime

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Geoff White) — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 05:00:00 +0000

It is safe to say technology has done wonders when it comes to AML professionals tackling financial crime, but, on the flip side, it is important to understand how technology is being used by those committing the crimes.

From video game online marketplaces to virtual currency mixers, how can we follow the money when tech is used to cover its tracks?

In this episode of KYC Decoded, we welcome back esteemed guest, Geoff White, investigative journalist and author of the upcoming book, Rinsed: From Cartels to Crypto: How the Tech Industry Washes Money for the World’s Deadliest Crooks.

Get an inside look at some of the crimes that are featured in Rinsed, and listen as Geoff and host, Alex Pillow, explore questions like:

How has the digitization of currency impacted the way criminals launder money?
Is there a future where crypto can be crime-free?
What role does social media play for bad actors?
Should technology companies be held accountable for how money launderers use them?

Rinsed is available for preorder and will be published on June 13, 2024. To take the AML and compliance programs in your organization to the next level, be sure to check out our website and get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.

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What will disrupt KYC?

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Simon Taylor) — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Change is essential to survive and thrive in any enterprise. As we narrow in on the world of AML and KYC, the adaptation of sophisticated criminals is evident, so the question arises: what disruptions are needed to outsmart these bad actors? In this episode of KYC Decoded, Head of Strategy & Content at Sardine, Simon Taylor, lends us his astute and perceptive expertise as we explore this questions further.

You won’t want to miss this energetic and educational conversation with host, Alex Pillow. Their wide-ranging discussion covers topics like:

The different areas of KYC and AML that have the greatest opportunities for disruption
The role of advancing technologies and how they might be used in particular use cases
How change could impact industry professionals

If you enjoyed listening to this episode, be sure to check out the recommended resources mentioned in the show:

If you are a change-maker looking to disrupt the KYC and AML processes in your organization, be sure to visit our website and get in touch – we would love to hear from you.

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Today's global sanctions environment: What's new in Russian sanctions?

podcasts@moodys.com (Andrea Viski, Alex Pillow) — Thu, 22 Feb 2024 23:00:00 +0000

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 set off a series of global sanctions enforcement actions. The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has meted out sanctions to curb Russia’s defense procurement, energy weaponization, and international trade activity. To date, the EU has also imposed 12 sanctions packages on restrictive measures – with the 13th to be formally approved in February.

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Andrea Viski, founder and director of the Strategic Trade Research Institute and editor-in-chief of the Strategic Trade Review, on how the global sanctions environment has changed since the invasion, and where the biggest risks in sanctions-related financial crime lie.

This conversation covers topics including:

The impact of sanctions packages on Russia’s economy – where the sanctions have been effective in disconnecting Russia from global trade and economic activity
How the global sanctions environment has changed since the invasion
New challenges KYC and AML professionals now face, and how they can mitigate sanctions-related risks
The latest sanctions evasion trends and red flags

For additional resources mentioned in this episode, visit:

If you want to better detect sanctions-related risk in your organization, visit our website, read our latest whitepaper on sanctions, and get in touch with one of our experts – we’d love to hear from you.

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Pros, cons, and predictions: Which European city will be the new home for the AMLA?

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Francis Marinier) — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

The creation of the AMLA, the authority on money laundering in the European Union, is imminently upon us. And the critical question compliance professionals are wondering is: where will it live? Choosing an EU city to be the representative of 26 different cultures most certainly has needed careful thought and planning. The official location choice is set to be announced February 22, 2024, in the meantime we check in with Francis Marinier, Moody’s Analytics Financial Crime and Compliance Industry Practice Lead, to discuss his predictions.

Follow along to hear more about:

What the AMLA is and why it was formed
Why cities would want to be home to the AMLA
What the European Parliament must consider when selecting a location
Pros and cons of potential host cities such as Frankfurt, Madrid, Paris, and Dublin

For more information, visit the AML Intelligence website, where you can also check back in on February 22 for the final decision. To find out how Moody’s Analytics AML solutions can help your organization, please visit our website and get in touch.

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Revisiting the US Corporate Transparency Act: Where are we now?

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Jim Richards) — Fri, 9 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Much has changed since we last visited the US Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) in March of 2023 on KYC Decoded. Now that FinCEN has officially rolled out its beneficial ownership database, what is the lay of the land for risk and compliance professionals? In this episode, we welcome back Jim Richards, former BSA officer, author, speaker, and CEO of RegTech Consulting to share his thoughts on where we are now, where there is room for improvement, and just how useful this database will be when combatting financial crime.

Key highlights of this educational discussion include:

Jim’s time testifying before US congress in June of 2023
The current limitations around access to the database
The types of organizations that are exempt from the database
The level of threat the database poses – or doesn’t pose – to financial criminals in both the short term and longer term
Suggestions on how FinCEN should move forward

If you would like to find out more about the work Jim Richards does or the CTA, please check out our recommended resources:

If you are looking for deeper insight into who you are doing business with, learn more on our website and feel free to get in touch.

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Risky business? The indicators of shell company risk

podcasts@moodys.com (Moody's Analytics) — Fri, 2 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

There are plenty of shell companies formed for legitimate reasons. However, as recently uncovered in a major case in Singapore where 3 billion SGD of assets were frozen, shell companies can also be used for more nefarious purposes. This risk is not always easy to spot, especially when relying on manual, time-invasive processes.

In this episode KYC Decoded, host Alex Pillow welcomes Moody’s Analytics Product Manager, Kate Weymouth, and Head of the Financial Crime Practice Group for APAC and the Middle East, Choon Hong Chua.

Their dynamic and educational conversation around shell companies and their risks includes:

Legitimate reasons for shell companies vs. illegitimate reasons
The seven primary indicators of shell company risk
A deeper look into the recent Singapore shell company scam
How Moody’s Shell Company Indicator automates traditionally manual and time consuming processes with powerful data

For additional resources mentioned in this conversation, be sure to check out:

FATF paper ‘Best Practices on Beneficial Ownership for Legal Persons’
FATF paper, ‘Concealment of Beneficial Ownership’
Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), ‘Effective Practices to Detect and Mitigate the Risk from Misuse of Legal Persons’
‘Risky business? The seven indicators of shell company risk’ data visualization
Seven indicators of shell company risk blog

If you would like to know more about how Shell Company Indicator can better identify shell company risk in your organization, please visit our website and feel free to get in touch. We would love to hear from you.

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Human trafficking: A call to arms for anti-financial crime and risk professionals

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 12:54:59 +0000

Every year, on January 11, the US recognizes National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Human trafficking – currently a $150 billion industry – continues to be a pervasive threat around the globe, with criminals profiting from the enslavement of other people. This brings us to the obvious question: what can anti-financial crime and risk professionals do to make this world a safer place and help put an end to this abhorrent practice?

In this episode, we delve into this pressing issue with experts: Christopher Kemp, Director of Enterprise Operations at the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative; Chris Bagnall, Solutions Director at Quantexa; and Karim Rajwani, Head of Product at Sigma360. Their conversation sheds an important light on dealing with this crime, focusing on:

The primary forms of human trafficking
The staggering scale of the problem
Strategies and solutions to stop it
The role of data and technology in empowering professionals to dismantle trafficking networks
Immediate, actionable steps we can implement to make a difference

To learn more about this important topic, we encourage you to explore these additional resources:

Find other ways your organization can help combat human trafficking - visit our website - and please feel free to get in touch; we would love to hear from you.

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Thinking outside the (check)box: The role of the BSA Officer/MLRO

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Vic Maculaitis) — Fri, 5 Jan 2024 07:00:00 +0000

"Fighting financial crime" has long been a rallying cry within the AML profession, but could this way of thinking actually be doing us all a disservice? While an admirable goal for any compliance risk management program, it may actually be too limiting and overlook how the BSA Officer/MLRO role can also drive business strategy and growth.

In this episode of KYC Decoded, host Alex Pillow welcomes Vic Maculaitis, 3-time board-appointed BSA officer and founder of i3strategies, a consultancy that works to modernize the financial crime risk and compliance ecosystem. This provocative and candid conversation explores:

The primary responsibility of a BSA officer
Outcomes over checkboxes
Compensation for compliance officers
How generative AI plays into the future of the industry

For resources discussed during this episode, be sure to check out:

The LinkedIn post that inspired this conversation
Perspective, by i3strategies

If you’d like to level up your compliance program, visit our website and reach out for more information. We’d love to hear from you.

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KYC origins stories, chapter 5 – KYC unit: The making of a compliance giant

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Keith Berry) — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Our KYC origin series has traced the journeys of our diverse acquisitions, each of which has grown into a vital part of our KYC ecosystem.

But how have these distinct entities been integrated to operate as one?

In the grand finale of our KYC origin series, host Alex Pillow engages with Keith Berry, the KYC General Manager at Moody’s Analytics. They explore the expansion of the KYC unit, examining its evolution to become an industry-leading solution provider that has transformed risk and compliance.

They cover:

The rationale for KYC and its inception
The challenge of aligning to one mission and vision
The ‘secret sauce’ of Moody’s Analytics KYC
Transformational changes advancing the business
The role of AI and machine learning in our product suite
The future for KYC

Visit our website for more information on KYC and compliance!

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KYC origin stories, chapter 4 – Orbis: The powerhouse of global business intelligence

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Jon Hammer, Ted Datta) — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 09:25:44 +0000

With information on more than 472+ million entities worldwide, Orbis has become the most powerful comparable data resource on private companies. But the question isn't what happened, it's HOW?

In this episode of our KYC origin series, host Alex Pillow is joined by Bureau van Dijk and and Orbis veterans, Jon Hanmer and Ted Datta who discuss the evolution of this industry-defining database and how it became an indispensable tool for understanding the global corporate landscape.

Highlights from this episode include:

The journey and growth of Bureau van Dijk the business
Answering the "so what?" through the integration of data and insight
Drivers stimulating the huge growth in Orbis for KYC and compliance use cases
The importance of UBO to Orbis customers
Infusing Orbis into the Moody’s Analytics family
The future of Orbis for KYC within Moody and it's impact on tools such as Shell Company Indicator and Entity Verification API

Listen along and learn more about how Orbis can help you effectively manage risks and make better KYC decisions on our website.

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Reflecting on the ECJ’s ruling on access to beneficial ownership information - one year on

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Maíra Martini, Andres Knobel) — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:00:00 +0000

In November 2022, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) sparked a seismic shift in the regulatory landscape with its ruling that the public should not have access to beneficial ownership registries.

Join us as we delve into the ripple effects of this ruling with our guests, Maíra Martini, research and policy expert on corrupt money flows at Transparency International, and Andres Knobel, lawyer and senior researcher at the Tax Justice Network, along with host, Alex Pillow.

This conversation sheds light on:

Why the ruling may have came about
The impacts the decision had on financial crime fighters and the bad actors they pursue
How companies and KYC professionals can navigate through this new reality

For recommended resources that accompany this episode, check out:

Visit out our website for more information on UBOs, and do not hesitate to get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.

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Removing bias from KYC: The AI advantage

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Anna Nicolis) — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 11:00:00 +0000

We’ve all heard rumblings about the potential bias-related risks AI can bring when models aren't properly trained or governed with plentiful, high-quality data. But, how many of us have paused to consider flipping this paradigm? Could our own bias on the subject of AI cause us to overlook how consciously-infused AI technologies could remove dangerous biases from our KYC and AML processes?

In this thought-provoking conversation, host Alex Pillow discusses the topic with AI and ethics expert, Anna Nicolis, senior manager at Braithwate, who specializes in helping global institutions with risk and compliance challenges.

Highlights of this episode include:

A look at what the word “bias” really means
The root causes of bias in society and within AI technologies
Where AI has potential to help eliminate bias in the compliance lifecycle
The role humans and data play in governing AI models

For a deeper dive into what was discussed, check out some of these recommended resources:

Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) report, Artificial Intelligence: Challenges and Opportunities for Compliance
Information on the upcoming EU AI Act
Future of Life Institute
Research conducted by Moody’s Analytics on the attitudes, adoption, and use cases for AI in the world of risk management and compliance

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Navigating the AI landscape: insights from compliance and risk management leaders

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Paul Nola) — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 10:00:00 +0000

The rapid evolution and adoption of AI technologies raises questions about how it's perceived and used by professionals working in compliance and risk management.

In this episode, we explore the findings from a fascinating original global study, conducted by Moody’s Analytics, that uncovers how compliance and risk management professionals see the role of AI in all its forms.

Listen along as host, Alex Pillow, and Paul Nola, Partner at Context Consulting, dissect the findings and discuss the implications of those navigating the AI landscape in the world of risk and compliance.

Highlights from the episode include:

The origins of the study
The importance of AI for compliance professional
Significant and surprising findings
The advantages and risks of using AI in compliance
The challenges of AI regulation.

For additional information, register for our webinar: Navigating the AI landscape: insights from compliance and risk management leaders.

If you're interested in building an AI-led compliance program, contact us to learn more about our intelligent screening solution.

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Tapping into AML in the legal sector

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Marie-Claire Le Houerou, Alex Young) — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 10:00:00 +0000

In a world of tight deadlines, diverse client needs, and ever-changing regulations across jurisdictions, law firms everywhere face countless challenges to stay compliant. That's why we are thrilled to be joined by Maire-Claire Le Houerou, Client Experience Director for Risk and Compliance at the software company Intapp, and Alex Young, Senior Principal Consultant at Intapp in this episode of KYC Decoded. Their deep expertise and vibrant energy on this topic make for a compelling conversation.

Here's of what was explored in this episode:

How are AML checks conducted when onboarding legal clients?
Does generative AI have a role now and in the future to shape compliance programs in the legal industry?
What qualities and best practices in a law firm’s culture drive AML forward?
What are some of the benefits of high-quality data management software?

For additional resources discussed in this episode, be sure to check out:

Bressler Risk Blog
The Law Society AML resources
The Panama Papers: Breaking the Story of How the Rich and Powerful Hide Their Money by Frederik Obermaier and Bastian Obermayer

To find out about Moody’s Analytics' AML solutions for the legal sector, please go to our website.

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Feel the burn: Why compliance professionals are struggling with burnout

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Lisa Beth Lentini Walker, Jill DeWitt) — Fri, 6 Oct 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Feeling stressed in the workplace is a shared experience for employees in many industries. And while it's normal for jobs to involve stress, concerns about employee burnout occur when stress is persistent and begins to affect the individual at a professional, personal, physical, and/or emotional level.

In this episode of KYC Decoded, we focus on the factors that lead to burnout in the compliance profession.

What is burnout?
What leads to compliance employee burnout?
What can leaders do to address the issue?

Host Alex Pillow is joined by Lisa Beth Lentini Walker, former compliance officer and current assistant general counsel of Marqeta and CEO and founder of Lumen Worldwide Endeavors, and Jill DeWitt, current Industry Practice Lead at Moody’s Analytics KYC. Their conversation raises awareness of this often overlooked problem in the compliance world.

For additional resources, check out:

Lisa Beth Lentini Walker’s book, Raise Your Game, Not Your Voice
Lisa Beth Lentini Walker’s articles on wellbeing and stress relief in the workplace

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KYC origin stories, chapter 3 - Passfort: From startup to global compliance solution

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Henry Irish, Alex Richter) — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Every business has a unique story to share about its life-journey. In this third installment of our KYC Origin series, host Alex Pillow is joined by Henry Irish, co-founder of Passfort; and Alex Richter, Head of Passfort. Their discussion explores the SaaS RegTech solution that changed the way anti-financial crime and compliance processes were automated.

Listen to find out about:

The inception of Passfort
Adaptation of sophisticated, complex customer onboarding
How the service adds value
Why Passfort's acquisition came about
Achievements and opportunities for Passfort since acquisition
The future of the platform

Visit the Moody’s Analytics KYC website for more information on how Passfort can help your business with customer onboarding and perpetual KYC.

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KYC origin story chapter two: Real-time entity verification with Kompany

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Johanna Konrad, Peter Bainbridge-Clayton) — Fri, 8 Sep 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Curious how the Moody’s Analytics KYC solution originated? Don't miss the incorporation of Kompany into the Moody’s family. The strategic acquisition of Kompany has proven a win-win opportunity. From a business concept sketched on a tennis ball (yes, a tennis ball) to real-time entity verification from government registers across the globe merged with powerful datasets.

In this episode, host Alex Pillow is joined by Johanna Konrad, former COO of Kompany, now heading this line at Moody’s Analytics KYC as Managing Director; and Peter Bainbridge-Clayton, co-founder and former CTO of Kompany, who is now Senior Director for software engineering in Moody’s Analytics KYC. This important chapter in the Moody’s Analytics journey highlights:

The challenges of creating a data solution when aggregating information from vastly differing jurisdictions
The not-so-simple task of entity verification
Building a skilled team to tackle specialized needs
The added benefit of real-time data to keep up with rapidly evolving legislation
Digitalizing onboarding processes
How the powerful integration of Kompany can continue to propel Moody’s Analytics KYC solutions going forward

Follow along, and be sure to learn more about how Kompany can help you solve the challenges of anti-money laundering compliance and KYB on our website.

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A KYC origin story - Chapter one: Grid

podcasts@moodys.com (Rupert de Ruig, Alex Pillow) — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 10:00:00 +0000

The story of how Moody’s Analytics developed its KYC solution is one written by different authors. In our KYC Origins series, host Alex Pillow introduces different characters from strategic acquisitions to tell the tales of how their anti-financial crime and risk management businesses were founded, grew, and then joined the Moody's family.

Chapter one: Grid. Rupert de Ruig, senior director at Moody’s Analytics KYC, narrates the events that led to formation of an industry consortium, which evolved into a solution that changed the way risk screening is implemented globally.

Settle in for a tale involving:

The evolution of SaaS
Learning what works (and crucially what doesn’t)
How adverse media screening can reduce the cost of fraud
The mission to reduce false positives
The development of AI in screening
Finding a home at Moody’s

Listen in to this episode and look out for others in the KYC Origins series.

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Let's talk about PEPs

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Colleen Dychdala, Eric Almbladh) — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Perhaps it goes without saying that customers of financial institutions who are politically exposed persons (PEPs) come with varying degrees of risk. In addition to their elevated political status, which can make them attractive targets for bribery and corruption, there’s also the subsequent institutional risk of reputational damage and fines from getting your dealings with PEPs wrong. Sometimes you might hear someone refer to needing some "PEP screening" as it if it's a simple process, but even the definition of what constitutes a PEP and the regulation surrounding it is far from one-size-fits-all.

In this episode, we are very pleased to welcome PEP experts Colleen Dychdala, Head of PEP data and premium content for Moody’s Analytics KYC, along with Eric Almbladh, who built the preeminent PEP database for the Nordic region - Bogard, which was acquired by Moody’s in 2021. Their conversation with host, Alex Pillow, tackles the complexities of PEP risk management programs, including:

The many nuances of what constitutes a PEP and its associated level of risk
The distinction between domestic and international PEPs
How the PEP landscape has evolved
Where PEP risk mitigation programs go wrong
How PEP screening can scale beyond initial customer onboarding

Looking for more information on PEPs? Check out these resources to further your knowledge:

Ready to take your organization’s PEP risk management program to the next level? Learn how our Grid database can help and get in touch; we’d love to help.

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How to spot a fraudster

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Greg Richardson, Kyle Caldwell) — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Reflecting on a time you were deceived, did you ever pause first to ask yourself the most rudimentary question: does this make sense? Overlooking this question can lead to bad outcomes for consumers, businesses, and society alike.

The art of deception is nothing new, and neither are the subsequent feelings of humiliation and fear victims are left with.

Fighting financial crime takes on different forms across various departments, but in this episode of KYC Decoded, we focus on fraud prevention. Joining host Alex Pillow are fraud experts, Greg Richardson, Senior Director of Global Sales at NeuroID, and Kyle Caldwell, Senior Vice President of Fraud Product Management at M&T Bank. Their conversation covers:

The many different guises of fraud
How fraudsters steal information
The impact fraud has on institutions, law enforcement, and practitioners
The critical relationship between highly intelligent fraud specialists, quality data, and advanced technology when fighting sophisticated criminal networks

If this episode left you hungry for more information on fraud, here are some additional resources:

KYC Decoded episode, Book club: The Lazarus heist
Luke Raven’s LinkedIn post comparing fraud and anti-money laundering
Tech coalition website
Frank on Fraud website
Infamous Ghost Money YouTube channel
Our blog, NRRP anti-fraud measures intensify across the EU

And, if you are ready to take your fight against fraud another step further, please visit our website and get in touch. We would love to hear from you.

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Building networks to fight financial crime: The role of data sharing

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Taavi Tamkivi, Sverker Tornhagen) — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 10:00:00 +0000

As the desire to build an anti-financial crime network grows, the question arises: how can we get our hands on the most comprehensive and accurate data? When it comes to collaborative financial crime fighting and fraud prevention, the concept of data sharing may seem obvious on the surface. However, delicately balancing regulatory complexities and privacy concerns, can require shifting an entire compliance culture paradigm.

In this episode of KYC Decoded, we are joined by experts Taavi Tamkivi, founder and CEO of regtech firm, Salv, and Sverker Tornhagen, Moody’s Analytics KYC Financial Crimes Industry Practice Lead. Listen along to a thought-provoking conversation highlighting topics including:

Risks vs. benefits of data sharing
The technology and infrastructure needed to support effective data sharing
How teams benefit from successful data sharing

If you want to take a more active approach to fighting financial crime in your organization, here are some helpful resources mentioned in the episode to help you get started:

KYC Decoded episode, KYC Officer of the future
KYC Decoded episode, What’s wrong with AML?
Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumphby Ryan Holiday
Financial Action Task Force ‘Partnering in the Fight Against Financial Crime: Data Protection, Technology and Private Sector Information Sharing’ report
RUSI Future of Financial Intelligence Sharing ‘Lessons in Private-Financial Information Sharing to Detect and Disrupt Crime’ paper
Basel Institute on Governance
SALV blog
Transactie Monitoring Nederland (TMNL)
Monetary Authority of Singapore’s COSMIC digital platform
Cifas

Lastly, be sure to check out our website and get in touch to learn more.

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What’s wrong with AML?

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Carl Kemmerer) — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 10:00:00 +0000

The recipe for a successful anti-money laundering program is seemingly simple on paper. But, in practice, getting the right ingredients is not so easy. Without efficiency, modern tools and technology, and a compliance-friendly culture, the final dish is likely to disappoint.

In this episode, host Alex Pillow welcomes Carl Kemmerer, Senior Product Manager at NICE Actimize. Carl brings a wealth of experience, having spent twenty years as an AML practitioner in international banking. This dynamic and comprehensive conversation includes Carl’s takes on how AML is going wrong today, including:

Inconsistent methods of measuring risk across different banks
The gap between AML expertise and AI expertise
The lack of holding bad actors accountable and bringing real incentives for those going above and beyond
Business cultures not prioritizing compliance across all departments

To learn more, visit the NICE Actimize website.

Curious about how to make AML changes in your organization? Check out our website, and feel free to get in touch – we’re happy to help.

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Key insights from ACAMS Hollywood 2023

Fri, 2 Jun 2023 10:00:00 +0000

The ACAMS Hollywood 2023 conference was another success bringing industry professionals and practitioners together to discuss AML regulatory trends, emerging technologies, and more. In this episode, host Alex Pillow provides on-the-ground coverage capturing engaging conversations with Kieran Beer, Director of Editorial Content, Chief Analyst at ACAMS; Lukayn Hunsicker, Moody's Analytics KYC Head of New Product Innovation; Richard Graham, Moody's Analytics KYC Industry Practice Lead; Colleen Dychdala, Moody's Analytics KYC Head of Premium Content at Grid; and Modesto Rivero, Moody's Analytics KYC Senior Product Analyst. And, for the first time, Alex takes his turn in the hot seat as he shares his insights with host Jill DeWitt.

Listen along for the inside scoop on conference topics, including:

The growing role of sanctions in global affairs
Upcoming regulations like the Corporate Transparency Act
The increasing importance of public-private partnerships in combatting financial crime
The friction between data privacy and AML goals
Challenges compliance departments face today

To learn how Moody's Analytics KYC can help take your AML and compliance programs to the next level, visit our website.

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AFC enforcement in the USA: 2022 retrospective

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Jill DeWitt) — Wed, 3 May 2023 10:00:00 +0000

The steadfast enforcement of anti-financial crime regulations in the US often leads to severe financial consequences for offenders. Jill DeWitt, Moody’s KYC Industry Practice Lead for Financial Crime and Due Diligence in the Americas, profiled some US companies that were fined in 2022. While fines ranged from thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars, a few key themes emerged across the board. In this episode, Jill guides us through some observations, including:

Business growth vs. Compliance growth
Staffing and training complications
Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) filings and backlogs in CDD
Screening issues
General program failures

For additional information, check out the resources below that were highlighted in this episode:

If you are looking to take your due diligence program to the next level, please get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.

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Third-party risk management: control, culture, and competitive advantage

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Vincent Scales, Enrico Aresu) — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 10:00:00 +0000

The supplier risk landscape for corporates today is shaped by sanctions, ESG commitments, and potential for reputational harm - which is just the start. But amid all this, there is competitive advantage to be found through optimized third-party risk management.

No stranger to the topic is Vincent Scales, Director of Third-party Risk Management at Verizon and Chairman of the Board for the Third-party Risk Association. After participating in a primary research study conducted by Moody’s Analytics, Vincent joins this episode of KYC Decoded, bringing the findings of the research to life.

Also joining is Enrico Aresu, Moody’s Analytics Compliance and Financial Crime Practice Lead for the DACH region and central eastern Europe.

Highlights of this engaging conversation include:

Context for increased commitment to TPRM
Controllable vs. uncontrollable risk in supply chains
The difference a compliance culture can make
Gaining advantage with Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC) platforms

For additional resources, check out:

The rising tide of third-party risk management report from Moody’s Analytics, in partnership with Context Consulting
Moody’s Analytics third-party risk management insights
Third Party Risk Association (TPRA) website and LinkedIn profile
Shared Assessments website and its Standardized Information Gathering (SIG) Questionnaire

To find out how Moody’s Analytics can help elevate third-party risk management and supplier due diligence in your organization, visit our website and get in touch any time.

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Third-party risk management: knowing the right thing ≠ doing the right thing

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Richard Bistrong, Bill Hauserman) — Wed, 5 Apr 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Former international sales executive, Richard Bistrong, served time in a federal prison camp after being targeted in a US Department of Justice investigation of a UN supply contract. After fully cooperating, he now dedicates his life to raising awareness and educating companies on the risks of corruption.

In this episode of KYC decoded, Richard and Bill Hauserman, Moody’s Analytics KYC head of the Financial Crime Compliance Practice for the Americas, talk about:

How expertise, data, and technology should work together to push due diligence forward.
The impact culture has when it comes to compliance strategies and mitigating risk.
The qualities required of professionals to maintain their integrity and deal with illicit actors.

For more information, check out the resources mentioned in this episode:

Visit Richard's website at Richardbistrong.com, or email him at Richard@richardbistrong.com
Front-Line Anti-Bribery LLC
Richard’s compilation of book reviews
The FCPA blog
ACAMS website
ACFCS website
KYC Decoded episode, ‘Modern slavery and how to fight it’

If you would like to find out how Moody’s Analytics can help automate your third-party risk management, please get in touch. We would love to hear from you.

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The ABCs of CTA

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Jim Richards, Jill DeWitt) — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 10:00:00 +0000

The US Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) is coming. It aims to create a national registry of beneficial ownership information. But what exactly does this mean? How will it change the fight against financial crime in the US and beyond? What hurdles need to be overcome? What questions are still unanswered? How can the public voice concerns?

In this episode of KYC Decoded, Alex Pillow is joined by lawyer, AML practitioner, thought leader, and current founder and principal of RegTech Consulting, LLC, Jim Richards, and former practitioner and current Moody’s KYC Industry Practice Lead Jill DeWitt. Their conversation explores these questions, and more.

After listening to this episode, be sure to check out the recommended resources discussed for further learning:

And make sure to visit the Moody's KYC website, where you can find even more information about beneficial ownership and customer due diligence.

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KYC Officer of the future

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Luke Raven) — Wed, 8 Mar 2023 11:00:00 +0000

If you could look into a crystal ball, what do you think the future would hold for KYC and AML professionals? In this episode, Luke Raven, Senior AML Compliance Manager at Cabital, shares how he hopes this industry will continue to evolve into the next generation, including:

Changes to the compliance profession seen so far
The skillsets – and more importantly, attitudes – needed for success
The role technology will increasingly play in effectiveness and efficiency

For more resources, check out:

ACAMS
The Global Coalition to Fight Financial Crime website and LinkedIn account
Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC)
TRM Labs
Financial Action Task Force
The Australian Federal Police
UK National Crime Agency (NCA)
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)

If you like what you heard, please check out our website to learn more.

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One year on: Ukraine, Russia and a radically evolved sanctions ecosystem

podcasts@moodys.com (Moody's Analytics) — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 11:00:00 +0000

One year on from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, so much has changed – particularly around sanctions. In this episode, host Alex Pillow is joined by Hera Smith, former Global Sanctions Compliance Officer, sanctions expert and Moody’s Analytics KYC Industry Practice Lead.

Topics addressed in this conversation include:

The growth of sanctioned entities over the last year
Difficulties KYC and AML sanctions professionals face navigating ownership and control data in this pressurized environment
Lessons learned for both regulators and practitioners
Tools and methods compliance teams can use to address new sanctions packages efficiently and effectively
The heightened enforcement actions being taken, with a couple of recent examples

Visit the links below for additional sanctions resources:

Go beyond the lists and visit our website to find out how Moody’s Analytics can enhance your organization's sanctions compliance program.

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Effectiveness > Efficiency

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Natasha Vernier) — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 11:00:00 +0000

AML effectiveness. AML efficiency.

What do these words really mean and what difference do they really make in the fight against financial crime?

In this episode of KYC Decoded, host Alex Pillow is joined by Natasha Vernier, co-founder and CEO of the regtech firm, Cable. Their lively and informative discussion covers:

How to interpret the loose definition of AML effectiveness
Why AML effectiveness matters
Top reasons organizations are fined and how that continues to evolve
The role technology plays in creating efficiency & automated workflows

For additional resources on AML effectiveness, check out:

Learn more about Cable's automated assurance tool here and increasing regulatory expectations on partner banks here.

To get a demo of Moody’s Analytics AML solutions, visit our website.

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Investigative Journalism Miniseries Part 3: Fueling Actionable Intelligence

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Michelle Kendler-Kretsch, Debra LaPrevotte) — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 11:00:00 +0000

In the final installment of our investigative journalism miniseries, host Alex Pillow is joined by The Sentry’s Michelle Kendler-Kretsch, Investigative Coordinator and Data Specialist, and Debra LaPrevotte, Senior Investigator and former FBI supervisory special agent. Their engaging, dynamic conversation drives home how investigative journalism plays a critical role in the anti-financial crime ecosystem.

A few of the many highlights include:

How deeply concentrated insight from investigative journalists strengthen due diligence processes in the private sector
What signs to look for when assessing shell companies
Why data transparency is paramount for an AFC network to defeat bad actors

Visit The Sentry’s website to learn about the work it is doing to defeat predatory networks. You will find all their reports, including the recent report Michelle mentions, Constructing Corruption: Identifying the Enablers Helping Build Violent Kleptocracies.

Additional resources about investigative journalism include the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

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Investigative Journalism Miniseries Part 2: Crazy Rich Whale

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Bradley Hope) — Wed, 7 Dec 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Greed. Scandal. Fraud. Our investigative journalism miniseries continues with an epic true story of one of the biggest, most harrowing heists in history.

This hair-raising episode welcomes Bradley Hope, one of the co-authors of Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World.

This amazing book is available in all good stores, and if you still can’t get enough financial crime literature, we’ve identified our top picks here.

To learn more about the projects Bradley is developing, visit the Project Brazen website.

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Investigative Journalism Miniseries Part 1: House of Cards

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Dan McCrum) — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Multi-billion-dollar fraud. Fake bank accounts. Hackers. Spies. Whistleblowers. In this episode, Dan McCrum, Financial Times investigative reporter, brings to life his book Money Men: A Hot Startup, A Billion Dollar Fraud, A Fight for the Truth. This entry into our investigative journalism miniseries dissects the too-good-to-be-true German tech startup, Wirecard, and the role Dan played in exposing its darkest secrets.

Be sure to purchase your copy of his book and check out the Netflix documentary film, Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard. For further reading, we’ve curated a list of our favorite financial crime books.

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Sanctions update - bonus episode

podcasts@moodys.com (Moody's Analytics) — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 16:00:00 +0000

Since our sanctions mini-series earlier this year, further packages of sanctions have been released. And most recently, the EU issued a set of FAQs on account openings and deposits. In this bonus episode of KYC Decoded, sanctions expert and Moody's Analytics industry practice lead, Ted Datta, makes a return appearance to shed light on what exactly is in those FAQs and what firms need to do next...

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Know Your Tech. Know Your Experts. Know Your Potential.

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Jody Houton) — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 11:00:00 +0000

The tables have turned. In this episode of KYC Decoded, our usual host Alex Pillow sits down as a guest with Jody Houton, UK Content Marketing Manager at IDnow, an identity proofing and fraud prevention platform.Topics unpacked include:

The importance of a holistic KYC approach utilizing the right experts
Risk-based vs. ‘one-size’ AML strategies
Compliance best practices and technology that scale with regulatory changes

Get the full interview notes by visiting IDnow’s website. And, find out how Moody’s Analytics can transform your risk and compliance program with a comprehensive solution - check out the website.

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Assessing Risk Assessment

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Anthony Quinn) — Wed, 2 Nov 2022 10:00:00 +0000

In this episode of KYC Decoded, Alex Pillow is joined by founder at Arctic Intelligence, Anthony Quinn. Their discussion sheds light on the current state of risk assessment frameworks and practices that aren't necessarily keeping up with the rapidly accelerating rate of stricter regulations and heightened criminal activity.

Visit the Arctic Intelligence website to discover more about their innovative RegTech solutions, and download a free copy of their 2022 AML Industry Benchmarking report.

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Bonus Episode: ACAMS Vegas 2022, in less than 22 minutes

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Annegret Funke, Aaron Nicodemus) — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 12:25:00 +0000

Alex Pillow, host of the KYC Decoded podcast, caught up with Head of Financial Crime at Featurespace, Annegret Funke, and journalist from Compliance Week, Aaron Nicodemus, to get their standout moments from ACAMS Vegas. Here are their thoughts on the things you need to know.

US Beneficial ownership: the registry is coming, what do you need to understand and how do you prepare?
Crypto exposure: every institution has exposure through their customers, so where is yours?
Encouraging innovation: regulators and law enforcement are actively fostering innovation in the industry and strengthening communication and collaboration.
Inclusivity in banking: bringing small and community banks into the financial crime fold to give criminals a smaller target.

There’s much more, so listen to this bonus episode of KYC Decoded and unlock ACAMS Vegas ’22 in less than 22 minutes.

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Community in AML: The FFE Story

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Jean-Paul Eaton) — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0000

This episode welcomes Jean-Paul Eaton, Global Community Director of FINTRAIL’s Fintech Fincrime Exchange (FFE), who takes listeners through the story of how FFE originated. What started as a small roundtable, FFE has now matured into a global community that shares information on how to detect and deal with financial crime.

Listen along to learn more about FFE and FFECON, its annual conference for FinTechs and financial crime professionals to understand and share developments in the industry.

Hear about FFE and its activities by visiting its LinkedIn page, and check out the FINTRAIL website for research from a network of talented financial crime fighters.

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pKYC Miniseries: Part 3

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Jessica Cath) — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 10:00:00 +0000

In our pKYC series we have explored the concept of pKYC and the technologies behind it, but what is it like operationally to practice this modern process and yield positive outcomes? In this final installment of the pKYC series, Jessica Cath, Head of Financial Crime Project Delivery at FINTRAIL, discusses her unique experiences and perspectives as an active practitioner in compliance to answer this question.

Visit the Moody’s Analytics KYC website for more information on how to implement pKYC in your organization.

And visit FINTRAIL’s website for even more resources:

FINTRAIL Insights Page

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pKYC Miniseries: Part 2

Wed, 7 Sep 2022 10:00:00 +0000

A large difference between traditional KYC and Perpetual KYC is the technological advancements that enhance the process to make it more efficient. In the second part of our pKYC series, Alex Pillow speaks with Delphine Masquelier, KYC Solution Manager at Quantexa, Alex Richter, Head of Customer Lifecycle Management at PassFort, and Henry Irish, Manager of Technology Strategy at Moody’s Analytics. Their discussion takes a closer look at the technologies needed for a successful Perpetual KYC program.

Visit the Moody’s Analytics KYC website for more information on how to implement pKYC in your organization.

And visit Quantexa’s website for even more pKYC resources:

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pKYC Miniseries: Part 1

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Chor Teh) — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Are the traditional methods of periodic review things of the past? A new approach called Perpetual KYC (pKYC), offers solutions to optimize the conventional process and make it more time efficient and less expensive, providing real-time risk mitigation. In the first part of our Perpetual KYC series, host Alex Pillow is joined by Chor Teh, Moody’s Analytics Financial Crime Compliance Industry Practice Lead, to explore the definition, understanding, and implementation of Perpetual KYC.

Visit the Moody’s Analytics KYC website for more information on how to implement pKYC in your organization.

For additional resources, check out:

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Book Club: The Betrayal

podcasts@moodys.com (Robert Mazur, Alex Pillow) — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 10:00:00 +0000

It is noble and important work when compliance professionals spend their days behind an office desk using sophisticated tools and processes to prevent financial crime. However, there’s another compelling story to be told about the difference one can make away from the office, deep within the trenches. This episode welcomes undercover agent and author, Robert Mazur, who has worked side-by-side with some of the world’s most notorious money launderers and drug traffickers. Be sure to grab your copy of Mazur’s latest book, The Betrayal, and listen along as he shares his experiences and the inspiration behind his work.

For more information, please check out the following resources mentioned in this episode:

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Crypto Miniseries: Part 3

podcasts@moodys.com (Niels Pedersen, Laurence Twelvetrees, Alex Pillow) — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 10:10:00 +0000

Crypto may provide bad actors with yet another channel to launder funds, but could it also provide a unique set of opportunities for KYC and AML professionals to revolutionize their practices and manage risks in new ways? The third and final installment of our Crypto Series welcomes Niels Pedersen, Senior Lecturer of FinTech at The Manchester Metropolitan University, and Laurence Twelvetrees, a multiple time MLRO at crypto-focused businesses.

Key discussion points in this episode include:

Individual privacy verses blockchain transparency
Global financial inclusion
Decentralized finance

To learn more about the resources shared in this episode, please check out the following:

Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella H. Meadows
CoinMarketCap
Elliptic
Financial Technologies: Case Studies in FinTech Innovation by Niels Pedersen

To find out how Moody’s Analytics KYC solutions can help your organization harness the power of crypto with confidence, please get in touch.

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Crypto Miniseries: Part 2

podcasts@moodys.com (Craig Gleeson, Tom Robinson, Alex Pillow) — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 10:05:00 +0000

Outsmarting criminals preying in the crypto space - no one said it was easy. How can KYC and AML systems work with law enforcement to tackle these opponents? Our crypto series continues with part two taking a deep dive into risk mitigation and law enforcement focused on crypto. In this episode, host Alex Pillow is joined by Craig Gleeson, Senior Office for the Crypto assets Money Laundering, Bribery & Corruption Threat Team for the UK’s National Economic Crime Centre in the NCA, and Tom Robinson, co-founder and Chief Scientist at blockchain analytics company, Elliptic.

For further reading, check out the resources below:

To find out how Moody’s Analytics KYC solutions can help your organization harness the power of crypto with confidence, please get in touch.

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Crypto Miniseries: Part 1

podcasts@moodys.com (Yana Afanasieva, Pierce Kearns, Alex Pillow) — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Like it or not, some of your global customers are likely to be engaging with cryptocurrency. Flashy media headlines highlighting the scandals related to the crypto space often create feelings of fear, anxiety, and confusion, which can muddle our understanding of the real risks associated with crypto. In the first episode of our 3-part cryptocurrency series, special guests Yana Afanasieva, Founder & CEO of Competitive Compliance and host of the podcast Compliance that Makes Sense, and Pierce Kearns, Financial Crime Consultant and cryptocurrency enthusiast, provide their takes on the perceived versus real risks related to crypto as well as the responsibility KYC professionals have to understand them.

For more cryptocurrency learning, here is a great resource:

Free compliance downloads and templates

To distinguish digital asset opportunities from cryptocurrency risks in your compliance practices, please get in touch.

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Bonus Episode: RegTech Research Report

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Matt Neill) — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 10:00:00 +0000

How do Financial Institutions determine the right RegTech vendors for them? And how do RegTech providers establish a reputation that is built on trust?

The RegTech industry poses unique challenges for buyers and sellers alike. In this special bonus episode, host Alex Pillow and guest Matt Neill, Managing Director and Co-founder of Beyond, take a closer look at Beyond’s recently published guide, Leveraging RegTech in Financial Crime Compliance Programmes.

This thought-provoking conversation weaves through the processes and systems needed by both vendors and Financial Institutions to yield successful outcomes.

Download the report, and get in touch to find out how Moody’s Analytics KYC can support your institution’s RegTech requirements.

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Book Club: The Lazarus Heist

podcasts@moodys.com (Geoff White, Alex Pillow) — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0000

In a world where computer hacking has become increasingly more sophisticated, how does an organization ensure it does not find itself the next victim of a financial cybercrime attack? In this episode of Moody’s Talks: KYC Decoded, leading investigative journalist and author of the recently published book The Lazarus Heist, Geoff White, breaks down the events of the 2016 Bangladesh bank heist, commonly attributed to North Korea’s cyber unit, the Lazarus Group. Listen along for a riveting account of money laundering fueled by cybercrime, the devastating consequences such crimes can bring about for victims, and the systems and controls needed to combat it.

For additional resources, make sure to check out:

The Lazarus Hei$t BBC podcast series
Geoff White’s 2020 book, Crime Dot Com: From Viruses to Vote Rigging, How Hacking Went Global
Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World’s First Digital Weapon by Kim Zetter

To learn how to prevent financial crime in your organization, please visit kyc.moodys.io.

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Sanctions Miniseries Part 4: Sanctions & Crypto

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, David Carlisle) — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 04:15:00 +0000

Could crypto actually be enabling sanctions evasion, or is this just grabbing headlines?

In the final discussion of our Sanctions Miniseries, David Carlisle, VP of Policy and Regulatory affairs at blockchain and analytics company Elliptic, weighs up the validity of this question.

Learn more about how you can adapt to an evolving sanctions environment by visiting our website.

And visit Elliptic’s website for more sanctions evasion resources:

Reach out to us via podcasts@moodys.com to share feedback and ideas for new Moody’s Talks: KYC Decoded episodes.

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Sanctions Miniseries Part 3: Networks Defeat Networks

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Graham Barrow) — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 04:10:00 +0000

You may have looked data up and down and back again, but have you looked at it sideways?

In Part 3 of our Sanctions Miniseries, host Alex Pillow is joined by KYC expert, Graham Barrow, host of The Dark Money Files podcast. Their discussion sheds light on the networks of those who are sanctioned and the risk indicators to look for.

Find out more about how you can adapt to an evolving sanctions environment by visiting our website.

Reach out to us via podcasts@moodys.com to share feedback and ideas for new Moody’s Talks: KYC Decoded episodes.

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Sanctions Miniseries Part 2: Going Beyond the Lists

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Andréas Hobbelin) — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 04:05:00 +0000

In Part 2 of our Sanctions Miniseries, Andréas Hobbelin, Head of Anti-Money Laundering & Financial Crime Prevention at ZTL Payment Solutions, guides us beyond sanctions lists by sharing the importance of ownership and control in relation to sanctions. Without complete and accurate data, subsidiary networks are more difficult to detect, and mistakes become more likely for vendors and practitioners.

This conversation highlights ways organizations can take a proactive approach to mitigating sanctions risk.

Learn more about how you can go beyond the lists and adapt to an evolving sanctions environment by visiting our website and reading our related whitepaper.

Reach out to us via podcasts@moodys.com to share feedback and ideas for new Moody’s Talks: KYC Decoded episodes.

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Sanctions Miniseries Part 1: The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow) — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 04:00:00 +0000

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had a profound impact on the compliance, KYC, and supply chain industries as governments around the world have issued sanctions at a rapid pace.

In this first installment of our Sanctions Miniseries, host Alex Pillow provides an overview of sanctions, the subsequent responsibilities organizations have for staying compliant – and the consequences for not.

Find out how to adapt to an evolving sanctions environment by visiting our website.

Reach out to us via podcasts@moodys.com to share feedback and ideas for new Moody’s Talks: KYC Decoded episodes.

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AI & Transparent Boxes

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Janet Bastiman, James Nurse) — Fri, 8 Apr 2022 11:22:40 +0000

Attitudes towards AI in the KYC and AML space are often riddled with disillusionment. It begs the question, are there ways to unlock the potential of AI technologies in a more productive way when combatting financial crime?

Host Alex Pillow delves into this topic with guests Janet Bastiman, Chief Data Scientist at Napier AI, and James Nurse, Managing Director at FINTRAIL.

Check out these resources to learn more:

Do you have feedback or ideas for new Moody's Talks: KYC Decoded episodes? Please get in touch via podcasts@moodys.com.

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Entity Resolution + Data = ?

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Jamie Hutton) — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 04:00:00 +0000

When it comes to analyzing the financial crime industry, are you overwhelmed by data points? The more pressing concern is likely how to gain deeper insight into data that lead to more valuable business decisions. In this episode, host Alex Pillow and Jamie Hutton, CTO of Quantexa, discuss how entity resolution can be a powerful tool on your journey toward more impactful and affective KYC.

To learn more about Quantexa, be sure to visit their website and check out their entity resolution long page.

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Bonus Episode: Suisse Secrets Reaction

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Hugo Veazey) — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 04:00:00 +0000

The recent Suisse Secrets data leak from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) exposed unethical business dealings within the global banking system. These leaks are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to widespread misconduct in the financial system. These suspicious transactions fuel a vast range of illegal activities like tax evasion, money laundering, drug trafficking, and modern slavery.

Host Alex Pillow and Hugo Veazey, explore flaws embedded in the foundation of legal and banking systems around the globe and their devastating consequences. Listen along as they discuss the power organizations have to shift this dangerous and immoral paradigm by making systematic compliance changes to their tools, training, and accountability standards.

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UBOs and Why They Matter

podcasts@moodys.com (Alex Pillow, Oliver Bullough, Ted Datta) — Thu, 3 Mar 2022 23:00:00 +0000

Ultimate beneficial ownership of a company is not as straightforward as it seems. This opaqueness begets a system where business structures are created legally, and yet are also the preferred vehicle for furthering financial crime like money laundering, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling. Follow along as host Alex Pillow dives deeper into the topic of UBOs with highly esteemed author and investigative journalist, Oliver Bullough, and Moody's Analytics Financial Crime Industry Practice Lead, Ted Datta.

For further reading from Oliver Bullough, check out his renowned book, Moneyland: The Inside Story of the Crooks and Kleptocrats Who Rule the World. He is also a regular contributor to The Guardian, where you can find his recent article on Britain's role in handling Russian money, the impact this has had and how this relates to the military conflict in Ukraine. Visit the Moody's Analytics KYC website for more information on how to gain better transparency into your network.

Additional resources recommended in this episode include:

The Night Manager by John Le Carré
Rather Be the Devil by Ian Rankin
The Dogs of War by Frederick Forsyth
Kleptopia: How Dirty Money Is Conquering the World by Tom Burgis
Treasure Islands: Tax Havens and the Men who Stole the World by Nicholas Shaxon
Putin's People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West by Catherine Belton
McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld by Misha Glenny

Have any feedback or ideas for new Moody's Talks: KYC Decoded episodes? Please contact us at podcasts@moodys.com.

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Modern Slavery and How to Fight It

podcasts@moodys.com (Professor Zoe Trodd, Jakob Hahn-Petersen, Alex Pillow) — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

While unequivocally wrong, the global practice of modern slavery is yet to be completely eradicated. Host Alex Pillow is joined by Professor Zoe Trodd, Director of the Rights Lab, and Jakob Hahn-Petersen, Moody's Analytics KYC Product Strategist, to discuss the magnitude of the problem and the role governments, organizations, individuals, and technology can play to fight against it.

To learn more about Rights Lab and this very important subject, please visit their website. And for further reading, check out To Plead Our Own Cause: Personal Stories by Today's Slaves, a book by Professor Zoe Trodd and Kevin Bales, and Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy by Kevin Bales. Visit the Moody's Analytics KYC website for more information on how to combat modern slavery in your organization.

Have any feedback or ideas for new Moody's Talks: KYC Decoded episodes? Please contact us at podcasts@moodys.com.

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Moody’s Talks: KYC Decoded

podcasts@moodys.com (Moody's Analytics) — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 17:40:31 +0000

Moody’s Talks: KYC Decoded is your window into the world of financial crime fighters and the industries that arm them against the illegal actors that threaten people, companies and society. Listen and learn from subject matter experts, authors and practitioners to find out how you can better address and mitigate the risks to your business and community.

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