Manisha Raju

• Providing expert advice and guidance on money laundering, terrorist financing, and financial crime investigations, ensuring compliance with relevant regulatory standards and policies.
• Working closely with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and other internal teams to develop and maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders, such as regulators and financial institutions, to support investigations and ensure efficient case resolution.
• Planning and conducting risk-based investigations into complex financial crime matters, including suspicious transactions flagged by Insights and Analytics and referrals from internal partners. Ensuring thorough documentation of investigative actions and decisions in compliance with regulatory and internal policy requirements.
• Performing quality assurance reviews of investigations, ensuring compliance with internal controls and providing actionable feedback to enhance operational efficiency.
• Assisting in implementing and delivering AML training programs within the team, ensuring proper understanding of processes and adherence to regulatory requirements.
• Analyzing large volumes of transactional data to identify suspicious activities. Leveraging banking platforms (SWIFT, ACH, and correspondent banking) to support investigations and make informed decisions on suspicious activities.
• Maintaining accurate records of all investigative actions, ensuring information is handled in accordance with legal, regulatory, and internal requirements.

Achievements at BNP Paribas:

• Set a record for maintaining the highest quality score.
• Received praise from upper management for improving process documents.
• I was awarded rating 1 for excellent performance in the year 2023.
• Receiving consistent recognition from senior management and peers for proactive leadership, subject matter expertise, and commitment to strengthening the team's performance and risk mitigation strategies.

• Managed a team of analysts, overseeing daily operations related to KYC and AML processes, ensuring timely and accurate risk assessments for high-risk clients across diverse sectors
• Conducted comprehensive KYC research, analyzing ownership structures and identifying potential risks such as negative media, adverse relationships, and involvement in fraud or money laundering activities
• Utilized advanced tools such as LexisNexis, Factiva, and Bridger to gather intelligence on politically exposed persons (PEPs) and entities, maintaining compliance with regulatory frameworks including FINTRAC and FATCA
• Led cross-functional collaborations to enhance onboarding processes for high-risk clients, implementing fraud mitigation strategies and reducing operational risks
• Provided mentorship and training to junior team members, sharing best practices to improve procedural accuracy and build a high-performing, knowledgeable team
• Regularly presented findings and risk assessments to senior stakeholders, contributing to informed decision-making and strategic planning

• Performed KYC screenings on customers, ensuring compliance with internal guidelines and external regulatory requirements for high-risk accounts
• Conducted investigations into high-risk clients to assess potential fraud risks and to verify their risk rating based on transactional behavior, industry, and geographical location
• Collaborated with Relationship Managers to address onboarding challenges, ensuring all necessary documentation and procedures were completed to mitigate financial crime risks

• At Citi Bank, I was responsible for the reconciliation and investigation of unapplied funds in Nostro/Vostro accounts
• Managed L1 & L2 reconciliation of unapplied funds, validating transaction details through SWIFT messages and communicating with external parties to resolve discrepancies
• Handled cancellation requests for payment orders, ensuring compliance with internal processes and regulatory requirements
• Prepared Management Reports on reconciliation statuses, providing key insights into financial discrepancies and action items for resolution

• Performed reconciliation process, matched of income and expenses, data extraction and analysis
• Followed-up with responsible teams for swift invoices processing and payment
• Reviewed aging break items and breaks over a certain dollar threshold
• Assisted Global Finance/Compliance team with month end tasks & reports
• Escalated problems or issues related to transactions, processes, reports, or procedures as well as monitored progress/changes and kept senior leadership informed of unusual financial details