Chair of the MENA FCCG Europe Chapter
Thomas Noone has worked in regulatory and financial crime compliance roles for the past 20 years and is the current Head of Compliance and MLRO at Europe Arab Bank Plc, a subsidiary of the Arab Bank Group. He has a breath of experience across Banking both retail and institutional, Fund Management, Financial Markets and Consultancy. He has held senior positions at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse and was the Head of Compliance and deputy MLRO for Lehman Brothers in Administration. Thomas holds a Law Degree (LLB) and is ACAMs qualified.
Leanard Phillip is currently the European Head of Financial Crime Compliance/ UKMLRO at Bank ABC International Plc. His career in the City of London spans over fifteen (15) years and he has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as an approved person (CF11) and/or Senior Management Function (SMF17) with responsibility for Money Laundering controls for a number of financial institutions.
He is a subject matter expert in the areas of anti-money laundering, counter terrorist financing, sanctions compliance, tax evasion, fraud prevention and anti-bribery and corruption.
Leanard has an MSc in Financial Regulations and Compliance Management from London Metropolitan University. He also holds a Diploma in Anti-Money Laundering from Sir John Cass Business School, City University, London and is an Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist with qualifications from University of Portsmouth. In addition, he also holds a Diploma in Forensic Accounting and a Financial Times Diploma qualification in Non-Executive Directorship accredited by Pearson Education Limited.
Mr. Marc Abou Khalil brings extensive expertise to his role as the Risk & Compliance Manager of Banorient France, drawing from over 35 years of experience across various sectors within the financial industry including banking, investment firms, and leasing. His tenure has equipped him with a deep understanding of crucial banking regulations such as Basel and EU standards, as well as honing his financial acumen and fostering a robust professional network.
Having spent 17 years at KBC Bank in France and another 12 years at Banorient France, Marc has held pivotal positions in multiple control functions, notably in Audit, Compliance, and Risk Management. His diverse experience underscores his versatility and adaptability in navigating complex regulatory landscapes and ensuring adherence to industry best practices.
Marc Abou Khalil's academic background further bolsters his credentials, holding a degree in Finance & Economics from the University Paris IX Dauphine. Additionally, his certifications from reputable institutions including the Institute of Internal Auditors, AMF, and ISO27001 underscore his commitment to upholding the highest standards of professionalism and compliance within the financial sector.
Dominique joined Bank Audi France in January 2013 as Director of Compliance and Internal Control. He has more than 30 years of experience in regulatory compliance risk management, combatting financial crimes, anti-money laundering, sanctions and embargo programs, internal control, internal audit and risk management (operational risk).
He spent 25 years working in several entities of Group Credit Suisse (Private Banking, Investment Banking). Dominique delivers training in AML and CTF for several consulting firms and has been President of the commission on internal control at OCBF (French SME Association) for eight years.
Bilal joined Arab National Bank London branch in 2021 as the MLRO and has over 10 years of experience in financial crime compliance at wholesale and retail banks. Prior to joining Arab National Bank, he has worked with British Arab Commercial Bank, National Bank of Egypt, Fidelity International and Crown Agents Bank. Bilal has a Masters in Finance from Warwick Business School, and a BSc (Hons) from City University London, and holds ICA International Diploma in Anti Money Laundering.
MENA FCCG Europe Chapter Vice Chair
Andrew has more than 12 years of Financial Crime experience at various institutions. He is a Fellow Member of the ICA (FICA) and has accumulated a diverse range of product and regulatory experience across various institutions covering Compliance and Financial Crime.
Prior to joining BLME, Andrew spent five years as Head of Compliance & MLRO at Mashreq bank London and before that he held similar positions in fintech and payment firms. He has also been involved with start-up firms from their licensing stage to the build out and implementation of compliance & AML frameworks.
Vince Holley is a seasoned Compliance Professional with over 36 years of banking experience spanning multiple geographies. He has previously held various Trade Finance Operations, FI Credit & Sales plus Group/Regional Operational Risk and Assurance roles before specializing in Regulatory and Financial Crime Compliance, at Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC, where he also built out its Cash and Trade Finance Compliance teams across HSBC’s European footprint. These roles have also incorporated responses and management of regulatory investigations, Skilled Person and Monitorship oversight reviews plus occasional guesting himself on Internal Audit reviews. Vince has also represent his employer banks at drafting committees of BAFT, JMLIT and most recently at AFB for JMLSG revisions.
Sharon Gaughan is the MLRO and Chief Compliance Officer of Riyad Bank, London. She has overseen the Risk, Compliance and AML function of the Riyad Bank Branch since 2018.
For the past 30 years, Sharon has worked in various roles for several foreign banks and has been focussing on Financial Crime and Compliance for 15 years, with work including the management of several Regulatory Reviews of firms she has been working with.
As a result of her achievements, Sharon won the Compliance Register Award for Best Compliance Executive in Regulatory and Financial Crime. She holds CIS and ICA Compliance and AML qualifications.
Pierre-Henry Poissonnier has been Head of Risks, Compliance and Internal Control at Banque Misr’s Paris branch since 2020. He has more than 12 years of experience in the banking and insurance sectors. Prior to joining Banque Misr Paris, he was the Head of Internal Audit at the financial institution Groupe CSF, and then of the insurance company SADA assurances.
Pierre-Henry holds a master’s degree in philosophy and a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management.
Mr. Ansari has over 15 years of experience in AML and financial crime working directly in banking, insurance, professional services, fiduciary sectors, and the regulator. This experience has provided him with detailed insight into the financial products and the practical understanding of associated risks, legal and regulatory expectations, and operational implementation.
Further, earlier role included AML enforcement in the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority where he represented the Island in MONEYVAL and advised colleagues from other European jurisdictions on planning for National Risk Assessments.
Makram has spent most of its career specializing in the fields of risk management, financial market supervision, regulatory compliance and anti-money laundering (AML) and the combating of terrorist financing (CTF). He is currently the Head of Compliance and Internal Control at QNB Paris where he is in charge of the implementation of the compliance and internal control program and financial crime framework.
Makram previously worked as the Head of Domestic Compliance Strategy and Supervision within QNB Group Compliance Division in Doha Qatar. Before that, he had successfully led investigations for the French Financial Market Authority (AMF) as a senior Investigator where he conducted Risk Based and Event Based investigations on a portfolio of complex and diversified regulated entities.
Makram started his career as a risk manager for a top tier investment bank and then for an international prime broker in Paris where he gained significant experience in quantitative risk management techniques, derivative products and market/credit risk monitoring and reporting.
Andrew Cunningham acts as the Editor in Chief of the London Arab Bankers Association (ABA), and in that capacity he produces Arab Banker magazine and other publications for the Association.
When not working for the ABA, Andrew leads his own consulting firm, Darien Analytics Ltd, that specialises in corporate governance, bank risk, and international financial regulation, with a particular focus on Middle Eastern and Shari’ah-compliant financial systems.
His work on bank risk and regulation is centred on the London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF) where he is a Visiting Professor. He also chairs the Editorial Board of LIBF's Centre for Governance Risk and Regulation. Andrew's governance work includes conducting Corporate Governance Assessments of banks and non-banks for clients such as the International Finance Corporation, EBRD, DEG and CDC.
Earlier in his career Andrew spent nine years with Moody's Investors' Service, rating banks in the Middle East and in western Europe; and six years with the NGO, Financial Services Volunteer Corps, where he designed and implemented technical assistance programmes to strengthen financial sector infrastructure in emerging markets.
Nadia manages the Themis Insight team, leading Themis' financial crime research and training. Nadia has a diverse background in international affairs and research. Prior to joining Themis in 2020, she completed assignments at the United Nations, FTI Consulting, NATO Parliamentary Assembly and European Commission. Nadia has a dual master’s from the London School of Economics and Sciences Po, Paris, and a Double First Class undergraduate degree from the University of Cambridge, all in the sphere of International Relations.
Tharanga De Silva has worked in Financial Services for the past 15 years and is the current Deputy MLRO at Europe Arab Bank Plc, a subsidiary of the Arab Bank Group. He is a seasoned Governance, Regulatory and Compliance professional having worked in External Audit, Internal Audit, and Compliance in EY, Deloitte, Barclays, RBS, and Santander. His experience covers assurance services in Retail and Private Banking, Capital Markets, Investment Banking, Wealth Management, Treasury and Corporate and Institutional Banking.
Tharanga is a Fellow Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and is ACAMS qualified.
