AMLP conference

On Monday 14 November, Nicola Thivessen (Director of Group Compliance) attended the European AMLP Forum held at Merchant Taylors Hall in the City to discuss and present the new Russian Sanctions within the Real Estate Industry. Below she summarises her experience:

Founded in 2001, the AMLP Forum is a cross-industry association of AML, anti-corruption and financial crime prevention professionals. The organisation represents the industry voice to policymakers, governments, and law enforcement, and the Forum was attended by about 500 people both in person and online representing major banks, law firms and other financial organisations.

I was invited to take part in a discussion on dealing with the new Russian Sanctions within the Real Estate Industry. Presenting to approximately 100 individuals, I was part of a panel of 4 AML professionals.

My presentation focused on:

1. Our obligation to identify potential financial crime within the Real Estate sector  

2. The challenge of identifying owners of complex overseas company structures

3. How the new Russian sanctions have affected both sales and lettings

4. Potential solutions to being able to identify individuals who hide behind complex structures

The event was well received and I have since been invited to take part in a FATF (Financial Action Task Force) webinar, discussing the risks of money laundering with the Estate Agency sector.