Ms. Rasha Mortada is a compliance professional, with 24 years of experience in the banking and finance industry with leading global and local institutions. Over 16 years of experience in the compliance field covering multiple roles & responsibilities including Regulatory Compliance, Anti Money Laundering/ Counter-Terrorist Financing, Sanctions, FATCA/Common Reporting Standard and Conduct Compliance covering Wholesale, Retail, Private, Brokerage, & Asset Management businesses. She holds a bachelor degree in Banking and Finance from the Lebanese American University and an International Diploma in Compliance from the International Compliance Association. She is also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and holds a Fintech qualification from Harvard. She currently chairs the UAE Banks Federation Compliance Advisory Committee.
Founding Member: Waheed Rathore (2016-19) – Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Previous Executive Vice President
Mr. Abdulsamad Khalfan is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds ICA International Diploma in Governance, Risk and Compliance. He has over 15 years of experience in Banking, Audit and Investment sector. Prior to joining ABG, he was the Head of Internal Audit at Tadhamon Capital Investment Firm. Before that, he worked with Ernst & Young for more than 6 years at Bahrain office, responsible for conducting several assurance assignments relating to Banking, Investment and other sectors clients (both Conventional and Islamic) within the MENA region. Mr. Khalfan is a member of the Association of Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS), the International Compliance Association (ICA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
Founding Member: Qutub Yousafali, (2016-2019), Al Baraka Banking Group, Previous Group Head of Compliance
Previous Member: Nader Mahmood (2019-2021), Senior Vice President - Group Head of Compliance & MLRO Management
Joined Arab Bank in December 2002 as Director of Group Regulatory Compliance, Mr. Dabbour has more than 21 years of experience in Regulatory Compliance Risk Management, Combatting Financial Crimes, Anti Money Laundering, Sanctions and Embargo Programs, and Audit and Compliance. He spent 7 years working for a “Big Four” public accounting firm. Mr. Dabbour participated as a speaker in several national and international conferences and workshops on Regulatory Compliance, Combatting Financial Crimes, Anti Money Laundering, Combatting Terrorism Financing, and Corporate Governance. Mr. Dabbour is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS).
With over 20 years of experience, Bushra Al-Haddad has spent most of her career specializing in the field of anti-money laundering (AML) and the combating of terrorist financing (CTF). Bushra was Head of Compliance Examinations at the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), where she was responsible for leading and monitoring compliance examinations on the CBB’s licensees as well as providing regulatory authorities with assistance in investigating suspicious transactions. On an international level, Bushra is also a qualified assessor for evaluating a country’s financial and regulatory system, with a focus on AML/CTF regimes and was a CBB representative in worldwide meetings, such as those held by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). During this time, Bushra also provided AML/ATF freelance training to staff, senior management and Boards of Directors of financial institutions, ranging from introductory to specific topics (E.g., Hawala, Letters of Credit, etc.).
Her compliance-focused regulatory expertise allowed Bushra to transition into a new role with the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) in Toronto, Canada, as Senior Manager of Global AML Governance Oversight Testing, where she successfully developed and implemented the Global Oversight Program for all lines of business globally (North America, Europe, APAC) within the different platforms (Personal & Commercial Banking, Insurance, Capital Markets, Wealth Management and Investor and Treasury Services).
Bushra is currently with Bank Arab Banking Corporation (ABC) B.S.C., headquartered in the Kingdom of Bahrain, where she is Group Compliance Oversight Testing Officer, responsible for the Group’s second line of defence Compliance monitoring and testing.
Founding Member: Sharon Craggs (2016-17), Previous Group Compliance Officer – BANK ABC, Bahrain. Previous Member: Eduardo Rangel (2018-2019), Previous Deputy Group Chief Compliance Officer - BANK ABC, Bahrain. Previous Member: Pieter Vos (2020), Group Head of Financial Crime Compliance - BANK ABC, Bahrain
Mr. Costa is a Member of several Board Committees in BLOM Bank Group Entities.
Mr. Costa has more than 20 years of experience in the banking sector, assuming the role of Head of Compliance in 2007. Moreover, he spent 7 years at Arthur Andersen where he gained his experience in external auditing and business advisory.
Mr. Costa became the Head of Compliance for BLOM Bank Group in 2012 and was appointed by the Board of Directors as Assistant Chief Executive Officer in July 2020.
Mr. Costa is President of Group Certificate Compliance Officers (GCCO) at World Arab Bankers (WUAB), Member in the Compliance and AML/CFT Committee - Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL), Member of the Private Sector Experts of the FATF - GAFI.
Member in the Institute of Internal Auditors – USA, He has held the position of President of the institute (IIA- Lebanon) 2014-2016;
Moreover, he serves as a speaker in many local and international conferences and seminars.
Mr. Costa holds a CPA Certificate from California Board of Accountancy-USA and a B.S. Degree in Business Accounting from the Lebanese American University.
Muayad Bahram is the Head of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) at Bank Muscat S.A.O.G which is the largest financial institution in the Sultanate of Oman. He has over 15 years of experience in Compliance and AML. He has held a number of different industry-wide positions in Oman such as the Chairman of the Oman Banks Compliance Forum from 2012 to 2014, and the Secretary to the Oman Banks Association (OBA) Compliance Committee. He has an ICA International Diploma (post-graduate level) in Compliance and a Degree of Master of Laws (LLM) in International Business Law from the University of Liverpool. He is also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).
Founding Member: Damian O’Riordan (2016-19) – Bank Muscat, Previous Deputy General Manager, Compliance
Mr. Mohamed has almost 23 years of diversified experience in Regional and Multinational Banks in Egypt and abroad with evidenced track record in the financial services industry. He is a subject-matter expert in Compliance, Central Operations, Internal Control Management, Operational Risk, Enterprise Risk Management, and Basel II Implementation. Prior to joining Bank Misr in October 2023, Mohamed held the position of Chief Compliance Officer in Commercial International Bank - Egypt, overseeing Financial Crime, Regulatory Compliance, Compliance Monitoring & Testing, Conduct Risk & Customers’ Rights Protection and Whistleblowing Functions. He was also Acting Head of Compliance in Attijariwafa Bank Egypt from 2018 to 2019 and Head of Regulatory Compliance from 2012 to 2018 with Barclays Bank Egypt.
Previous Member: Mohamed Afifi, Previous Group Chief Compliance Officer, Bank Misr (2021-2023)
Ms. Mona joined Boubyan Bank in 2005, and has since acquired many years of experience in the banking sector. She held many positions where she became in charge of the Sales and Distribution Channels Support Department and then moved to the Compliance Department until she was appointed Head of the Compliance Group in 2021. She graduated from Kuwait University, the College of Business Administration - Finance Major in 2005, and then attended many specialized banking programs and many other programs abroad such as KFAS 2018’s Innovation Program from UCLA and a Mini MBA from London in addition to attending various executive management development programs at other prestigious institutions.
Founding Member: Nadim Safa (2016-2021), Previous Compliance Head – Boubyan Bank
Victor Matafonov is the Group Chief Compliance Officer at Emirates NBD and is responsible for all regulatory compliance matters. Mr. Matafonov has more than 30 years of international experience in the finance industry covering Australasia, Europe, Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. An Accounting and Economics graduate, he started his career with Coopers and Lybrand in Melbourne prior to moving to ANZ Bank in Melbourne and later to ANZ Grindlays Bank in London. During his time in London he joined Standard Chartered Bank where he worked in various risk and compliance roles, with 10 of those years in the Dubai regional office.
His career experience has been in the audit, risk and compliance areas. This includes more than 17 years in compliance / financial crime risk both at group and regional levels (covering the Middle East, South Asia and Africa).
Scott Ramsay is the Head of International Banking Group Compliance for Mashreq Bank. He is a seasoned Compliance Professional with over 17 years of banking experience spanning multiple geographies. He has previously held senior roles in several banks including HSBC, National Bank of Abu Dhabi and ANZ Bank, covering Prudential, Regulatory and Financial Crime Compliance functions. He holds a Master's Degree in Law from Victoria University of Wellington.
Previous Member: RAJESH VERMA (2018-2020) – Mashreq Bank UAE, Previous Head of Audit, Fraud, and Compliance
Founding Member: KHALID ABDULLA SHAIKH (2016-2017) – Mashreq Bank UAE, Previous Head of Compliance & Bank MLRO
Ihab El Masry is the Chief Executive Officer Compliance and Corporate Governance Group at National Bank of Egypt. He leads NBE’s compliance group as he oversees the regulatory compliance program including financial crime, sanctions, regulatory affairs, customer protection, compliance assurance, corporate governance, and the assigned NBE FATCA responsible officer.
Ihab’s background includes over 30 years of experience at multinational and public sector banks in Egypt and North Africa. Including Credit Agricole Egypt, formerly Egyptian American Bank, Arab Bank PLC Egypt & Algeria and National Bank of Egypt.
Throughout his tenure with NBE, Ihab has been tireless in his dedication to oversee compliance functions and has made extraordinary contributions to NBE, Head of Compliance Committee at NBE Head Office, Deputy Chair Compliance Committee at NBE Foreign branches (New York, Shanghai) as well as NBE DIFC Limited –Dubai. Moreover, he is a board member at NBE South Sudan.
Ihab has been recognized and honored the “Compliance officer” of the years 2013 by Allied Compliance Consultants “ACC” Dubai. He acts as a member of MENA Financial Crime Compliance Group (MENA FCCG), In addition to moderating and keynoting at both local and international events and conferences. Ex. UNODC, MENA FATF, MENA FCCG and Union of Arab Banks.
Ihab received his Bachelor Degree Accountancy from Faculty of Commerce, Cairo University, He is also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) Association of Certified Anti-Money laundering Specialists - USA, Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), USA, Member of the association of certified financial crime specialists and finally, certified by the Corporate Directors Certification Program CDCP.
Mr. Faisal Ghazi Al-Rayes joined the National Bank of Kuwait S.A.K.P. (“NBK”) in 2005 and currently serves as the Deputy Head of Group Compliance & Governance. He has more than 20 years of legal and banking experience. Before his current position within NBK, Mr. Al-Rayes was responsible for the international legal department. Prior to joining NBK, Mr. Al-Rayes worked in the Amiri Diwan of the State of Kuwait. Mr. Al-Rayes holds an LLM (Masters of Law), JD (Juris Doctor) and a BS degree from the United States and is a registered and active Bar member within the State of Kuwait and California.
Previous Member: Walid El Seyoufi, (2016 - 2023), Previous NBK Group Risk Management and Compliance Head
Mr. Al Fayech joined QNB in 2008 and currently serves as the Group Chief Compliance Officer. He has more than 20 years of banking and financial services industry experience and specializes in the compliance and audit fields. Prior to joining QNB, Mr. Al Fayech was with Ex-Arthur Andersen, Moore Stephens and, ABC Group. He is a CPA, holds a Master’s Degree (Major in Accounting), he has International Diploma in Compliance and Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). Mr. Al Fayech is also a member of the Tunisian Institute of Chartered Accountants and previously a member of the ICC and theACAMS – (MENA Task Force).
Global Strategic Partner Director (Financial Crime & Compliance) - Secretary General, MENA Financial Crime and Compliance Group
Mr Shepherd is a Global Strategic Partner Director (Financial Crime & Compliance) at the London Stock Exchange Group based in London, UK. He previously spent six years based in MENA, between 2013 and 2019, where he was Head of Market Development and Strategy for the Refinitiv Financial Crime business for the MEA region.
He has been a Member of the MENA FCCG since its inception in 2016, acting as Group Secretariat and Special Advisor. He is also a permanent member of the Advisory Board of the MENA Chapter of the Global Coalition to Fight Financial Crime. He has 15 years of experience working in the anti-financial crime industry, working with leading Regulators, Financial Institutions, and Corporates worldwide. He is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and holds an Executive accreditation from MIT for AI & Machine Learning with applications in financial crime technology
Mr. Bou Abboud leads the Risk Customer Success Management team for CEEMA within the Data & Analytics unit at the London Stock Exchange Group, and based out of Beirut, Lebanon. He is a Risk & Compliance professional with over 15 years of experience in AML/CFT/FCP content and technology, both as an individual contributor and as a people leader. Proven ability to develop and implement risk-based solutions that protect organizations from Financial Crime. He has great experience working with many top-tier financial institutions in private and public sectors across MEA. Mr. Bou Abboud regularly provides training on Financial Crime trends and technological innovations, and is speaker and panellist in English, French and Arabic at industry events. Strong aptitude for working with senior and staff management with recommendations to assure regulatory compliance while consistently driving quality analysis. From Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), he got his BBA in Finance. He is certified in Compliance and AML from University of Reading and holds a Diploma from the International Compliance Association (ICA) in Financial Crime Prevention.
The Union of Arab Banks (UAB) is a Strategic Partner to the MENA FCCG. Mr. Wissam H. FATTOUH, as its Secretary General since November 2010, leads the largest banking consortium in the region and the sole representative of the Arab banking community, which aims at the development and advancement of the banking and financial markets, in addition to cross border relations and exchange of expertise with international counterparts.
The UAB is comprised of over 330 Arab banking and financial institutions within its membership, including all MENA region Central Banking systems, major Arab and MENA banking institutions and financial agencies, and joint Arab-Foreign institutions, making the UAB the largest banking and financial consortium in the region.
Regulatory Standard and Privacy Manager, Arab Bank
Leen is Regulatory Standard and Privacy Manager in Group Regulatory Compliance at
Arab Bank. In this capacity, she leads a team responsible for ensuring Arab Bank
requirements in this area are implemented across Branches and Subsidiaries and are
aligned with best practices and in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.
Leen has over 17 years of experience in the area of compliance including AML/CTF,
Anti-Bribery and Corruption, as well as GDPR and Privacy. She holds a bachelor degree
in Law from the University of Jordan and is CAMS and FATCA certified. She also serves
as General Secretary to the MENA Financial Crime Compliance Group (MENA FCCG)
and supports the Vice-Chair of the Global Coalition to Fight Financial Crime - MENA
Chapter.
Mr. Antoine Hobeiche is the Strategic Advisor of MENA FCCG. He is also the Managing Partner of React-Adapt-Lead Consulting, a Canadian-MENA consulting firm that has proven expertise in enhancing some of the biggest private & public sector organizations. He has more than 20 years’ experience in advising government agencies, central banks, banks and other non-financial service providers. Antoine won in 2007 the World Quality Award in Paris- France, in 2008, the Global Crown Award in London- United Kingdom and in 2011, was nominated for the Diamond Award New York-USA. He holds a dual degree in business administration and human resources from Molson Business School, Canada and his specialization is in strategy from Harvard Business School, USA. Antoine is very active in the international community being a prominent speaker for many organizations such as the United Nations and the OECD. Antoine also serves as the advisor of the World Union of Arab Bankers.
