How To Become An International Thought Leader In The AML And Compliance Industry

Welcome to the episode 4 of the 2nd season of “WE WERE ON A BREAK” - Ross Voice. The series where the host, Stephen Brent Sargeant (Compliance Consultant to Bitfinex) talks to industry professionals during the CoronaVirus (COVID-19) quarantine and gains industry insights and expertise. We were lucky enough to sit down and get expert insights from one of the most recognizable names in financial crime compliance. Dev Odedra shares almost 2 decades worth of experience working for the largest financial institutions and how he transitioned into becoming one of the most sought after niche financial crime consultants. We go deep on subjects including the FINCEN files, defensive SAR filing, maintaining a private personal brand and the thought process around creating one of the most bookmarked financial crime news aggregators, The Laundry (https://thelaundrynews.com/). He even talks about cryptocurrency and smart contracts being the next wave in AML and Compliance expertise. You definitely don’t want to miss this episode. **This interview was recorded on December 17, 2020

**Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this episode (and all episodes) are those of the host and the guests. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of their employers, contractors or any organization they may be affiliated with now or in the future.

Time Stamps (Return back to your favorite point of the episode):
•(1:25) – Who Is Dev And How Does He Know So Much About Financial Crime Compliance
•(3:20) – How Do You Stand Out As A Consultant And Subject Matter Expert
•(5:00) – How Did He Create The AML Information Hub, The Laundry
•(8:09) – Dev Explains How Articles Make It On The Laundry
•(9:55) – Going The Extra Step To Create Distinguished Articles (mentioned: Robert Mazur and Chris)
•(11:20) – How To Get The Confidence To Approach The Best In The Industry To Collaborate
•(13:38) – Do AML Professionals Even Have Time To Read Articles
•(16:55) – Dev Goes Into His Personal Life, Self Care And Work / Life Balance
•(20:00) – Why Dev Was Hesitant To Join LinkedIn And His Stance On Posting About Personal Matter (mention: Brian Munro)
•(24:05) – You Focus On The Skill And Not The Skin (mention: FINTRAIL)
•(25:55) – Breaking The Corporate Ladder Mindset And Betting On Yourself
•(31:42) – Why You Need To Speak Up Within Your Organization
•(35:19) – The FINCEN Files And The Importance Of Filing Strong SARs (mention: ACAMS)
•(37:54) – How To Pressure Your Organization To Stop Money Laundering Of High Profile Individuals (mention: Tiffany Tsang)
•(40:05) – Should AML Investigators Be Scared In Filing A SARs
•(41:35) – The Aftermath Of FINCEN SARs And International Info Sharing Solutions
•(45:32) – What Is The Aftermath Of COVID-19 And Our Change In Company Culture
•(48:43) – Top 3 Trends In Global Financial Crimes (mention: Niall Ferguson, Wealthsimple, Paypal)
•(54:00) – The Real-Life Stories From Dev Odedra (including: Avoiding Death And Crime Lifestyle)

Stephen Brent Sargeant (Host)
•LinkedIn (Best way to reach me) - linkedin.com/in/stephen-brent-sargeant-cams
•Instagram (Everyday type stuff) https://www.instagram.com/stephen_b_sargeant/
•Twitter (I communicate in GIFs) - https://twitter.com/lifesgt
•Business Related Matters (Let’s Collab): stephenbsargeant@gmail.com

Dev Odedra (Guest)
•Personal LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/dev-o-24631211b
•Company Email Address: contact@minerva-stratagem.com
•The Laundry Website: https://thelaundrynews.com/ (bookmark this)
•The Laundry LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-laundry%C2%AE

Resources (Dev’s Amazing Articles)
•https://www.riskscreen.com/kyc360/news/the-real-narcos-a-clear-and-present-danger-today/
•https://www.riskscreen.com/kyc360/news/dirty-money-on-the-big-screen-why-media-portrayals-of-money-laundering-are-important/
•https://www.riskscreen.com/kyc360/news/art-in-the-frame-for-money-laundering/
•https://www.arachnys.com/covid-19-illegal-wildlife-trafficking-and-money-laundering/
•https://www.arachnys.com/sanctions-understanding-the-global-chessboard/
•https://www.mme.ch/en/magazin/an_der_peripherie_risiken_der_finanzkriminalitaet_im_cryptocurrency_mining

Background Music (beat name: Leslie)
•Goose Goddi (Music Producer) - https://instagram.com/goosegoddi?igshid=1paia8lwy2x3o
•Beats Can Be Found On Amazon Music - https://www.amazon.com/Music-Station-Goose-Goddi/dp/B08B4BLCH1