Hirok Poddar
Senior Compliance Associate @ Mariana UFP LLP | Compliance, KYC, AML
- Role
- Financial Crime Manager at novion global
About Hirok Poddar
As a Senior Associate at Bank of China, I lead the completion of Project Neptune, a critical initiative aimed at reducing a backlog of 783 cases to 93 by March 2025. I have over 2 years of experience in financial crime prevention and mitigation, with a focus on Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Financial Crime (AFC) processes. I hold certifications in Anti-Money Laundering (AML), KYC, and Compliance from reputable institutions such as Alison, Udemy, and ICICI Bank UK PLC. My expertise lies in conducting detailed reviews of corporate, Financial Institutions (FIs), and Non-Banking Financial Institutions (NBFIs) clients, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies. I also collaborate closely with the 2nd Line of Defense (2LoD) to assess and review high-risk clients, including Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), sanctions checks, and risk assessment adjustments based on Nature of Business (NOB) and jurisdiction. I am passionate about enhancing KYC and AFC processes by implementing regulatory updates, compliance initiatives, and operational insights to meet evolving financial crime prevention standards.
Experience
Financial Crime Manager
novion global
May 2026 — Present · London Area, United Kingdom
Senior Compliance Associate
Mariana UFP LLP
May 2025 — Apr 2026 · City Of London
Acting as Compliance Manager, overseeing London, Paris, and Dubai operations with focus on capital markets compliance and financial due diligence sign-off. Reviewed and approved onboarding/KYC & AML under four-eye control for corporate and structured products. Conducted financial, regulatory, and transaction monitoring analysis, escalating deal risks linked to market abuse and insider trading. Reviewed structured product documentation prior to market release, ensuring financial accuracy and regulatory compliance. Performed quality control checks on financial due diligence & onboarding documentation, including PEP assessments and risk mitigations. Acting as key client liaison, maintaining strong governance and ensuring compliance during deal execution.
Senior Associate KYC / Financial Crime Operations
Bank of China
Oct 2024 — Feb 2025 · City Of London, England, United Kingdom
In my role as a Senior Associate in Financial Crime Operations at Bank of China, I led the completion of Project Neptune, reducing a backlog of 783 cases to 93, with a target to clear all cases by March 2025. I conducted detailed reviews of corporate clients to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and collaborated with the 2nd Line of Defense to assess high-risk clients, including PEPs and sanctions checks. Additionally, I actively contributed to Business As Usual tasks, such as onboarding new clients and conducting Periodic Reviews.
Senior Associate KYC / Financial Crime Operations
Bank Of China (UK) Limited
Oct 2024 — Feb 2025 · London Area, United Kingdom
Senior Finance Associate
Bank of China
Oct 2024 — Feb 2025
Reviewed corporate, FI and NBFI customer files for AML/CFT, onboarding, periodic review and remediation requirements. Conducted enhanced due diligence reviews including ownership structure analysis, source of funds and risk assessment reviews. Collaborated with 2LOD and compliance stakeholders to assess higher-risk customers, sanctions exposure and PEP escalations. Supported trigger reviews, transaction analysis and financial crime risk identification in line with regulatory obligations. Escalated suspicious or unusual activity identified during customer reviews and ongoing monitoring activities. Maintained accurate audit-ready records, compliance documentation and case management updates.
Senior Associate (CDD-Financial Crime Operation)
Bank of China
Oct 2024 — Feb 2025 · City Of London, England, United Kingdom
✔Spearheading the completion of Project Neptune, successfully reducing a backlog of 783 cases to 93, with a target to clear all cases by March 2025, demonstrating strong project management and team coordination. ✔Conducting detailed reviews of corporate, Financial Institutions (FIs), and Non-Banking Financial Institutions (NBFIs) clients, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies related to financial crime prevention. ✔Collaborating closely with the 2nd Line of Defense (2LoD) to assess and review high-risk clients, including Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), sanctions checks, and risk assessment adjustments based on Nature of Business (NOB) and jurisdiction. ✔Actively contributing to Business As Usual (BAU) tasks, such as onboarding new clients, conducting Periodic Reviews, and executing Event Driven Reviews (EDRs) or Trigger Reviews in response to regulatory changes or client-related events. ✔Proactively identifying and escalating potential financial crime risks through comprehensive risk analysis, ensuring the Bank’s adherence to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF) regulations. ✔Collaborating with internal stakeholders across departments to drive efficiency in the review process, contributing to enhanced compliance controls, and achieving team goals within tight deadlines.
Senior KYC Analyst
Deutsche Bank
Sep 2022 — Oct 2024 · Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
✔Spearheaded the continuous enhancement of KYC and Anti-Financial Crime (AFC) processes by implementing regulatory updates, compliance initiatives, and operational insights to meet evolving financial crime prevention standards. ✔Collaborated closely with management to develop and execute comprehensive risk-based control frameworks, leveraging risk/compliance analysis, regulatory changes, and internal audit outcomes to optimize financial crime mitigation. ✔Conducted in-depth KYC and AFC/AML reviews, producing detailed reports on Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), Sanctions, Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), and other financial crime findings, presenting actionable insights to senior leadership for decision-making. ✔Demonstrated expertise in navigating complex corporate and trust structures, KYC/CDD requirements, and anti-money laundering regulations (e.g., FATF, 4MLD, 5MLD) to ensure robust compliance and adherence to industry standards. ✔Partnered with cross-functional EMEA compliance teams to drive knowledge sharing and enhance the understanding of AFC & compliance obligations, conducting comprehensive walkthroughs to improve process handling and risk mitigation strategies. ✔Formalized and executed comprehensive KYC and AFC reviews in alignment with customer due diligence (CDD) protocols, regulatory frameworks (FCA, FCA Handbook), and operational policies to ensure high-quality risk assessments and regulatory adherence. ✔Identified and flagged significant financial crime risks, working with senior stakeholders to initiate corrective actions that reinforced reputational risk management and strengthened internal controls. ✔Assessed the Source of Wealth/Source of Funds (SOW/SOF) for high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) and clients across high-risk sectors, ensuring compliance with FATCA, AEI, and Sanctions regulations, minimizing potential regulatory exposure. Managed a high-volume portfolio of new and existing KYC and AFC cases.
Anti-Money Laundering Analyst
Deutsche Bank
Sep 2022 — Oct 2024
Performed end-to-end KYC, AML and AFC reviews across Private Banking, FI, NBFI and Corporate client relationships. Conducted periodic reviews, trigger reviews, EDD assessments, onboarding reviews and managed exits for high-risk customers. Reviewed PEP, sanctions and adverse media screening outcomes using LexisNexis, Dow Jones and Factiva. Prepared detailed risk assessments covering source of wealth, source of funds, ownership structures and financial crime exposure. Supported suspicious activity escalation, compliance reporting and audit readiness activities. Collaborated with compliance and AFC teams across EMEA to strengthen financial crime controls and regulatory adherence. Ensured compliance with FCA requirements, FATF guidance, 4MLD, 5MLD and internal policies.
Deputy Manager – Banking, KYC & Compliance
ICICI Bank UK
Feb 2022 — Sep 2022 · London, England, United Kingdom
✔Managed and led an 8-member team within retail banking operations, overseeing coaching, professional development, and ensuring adherence to operational risk and compliance frameworks, significantly enhancing the team's effectiveness in financial crime prevention and mitigation. ✔Produced comprehensive monthly and weekly compliance insight reports for internal stakeholders, identifying and analyzing emerging financial crime trends, fraud risks, and regulatory changes, facilitating informed decision-making and proactive compliance action plans. ✔Acted as the final authority in the authentication and approval of high-value transactions, including CHAPS, BACS, and International Telex transfers, ensuring strict adherence to AML (Anti-Money Laundering), CTF (Counter-Terrorist Financing), and fraud detection protocols. ✔Supported CHAPS Participant Performance & Managers by coordinating workflow processes, logging transaction data accurately in internal systems, and ensuring efficient onboarding of new clients while maintaining compliance with KYC and AML standards. ✔Collaborated closely with the Head of Operations to implement strategic changes within both onshore and offshore teams, including the introduction of updated KYC, compliance, and risk management training programs, enhancing staff awareness and compliance adherence. ✔Ensured the team's compliance with SLAs for KYC accuracy, timeliness, and adherence to policies and procedures, while maintaining transparent communication across departments to ensure continuous improvement in financial crime controls and operational risk management.
Operations Compliance Manager
ICICI Bank
Feb 2022 — Sep 2022
Managed operational compliance controls, transaction approvals and AML monitoring activities across retail banking operations. Reviewed high-value CHAPS, BACS and international payments ensuring adherence to AML and fraud prevention requirements. Prepared compliance insight reports highlighting emerging risks, fraud trends and operational control observations. Supported audit reviews, SOX controls and compliance governance for high-risk and HNI customer relationships. Led training initiatives to improve compliance awareness and AML control adherence across operational teams.
Anti-Money Laundering Analyst
Bank of Baroda
Aug 2021 — Feb 2022
Conducted KYC, AML, CDD and EDD reviews for high-net-worth and retail banking customers. Supported the MLRO in transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, PEP reviews and suspicious activity assessments. Performed detailed onboarding reviews and maintained customer due diligence documentation in line with FCA and PRA requirements. Monitored high-value payment transactions and escalated suspicious activities where required.
KYC & Compliance Analyst
Bank Of Baroda UK
Aug 2021 — Feb 2022 · London, England, United Kingdom
✔Managed and executed end-to-end KYC, AML, and Compliance processes for High Net Worth (HNW) clients, ensuring full adherence to FCA, PRA, and Bank of England regulatory requirements, thereby ensuring the bank’s compliance with anti-money laundering and financial crime prevention standards. ✔Utilized industry-leading tools such as Dow Jones, CIFAS, and proprietary Risk tools to conduct comprehensive KYC, CDD (Customer Due Diligence), and EDD (Enhanced Due Diligence) reviews, effectively identifying and mitigating high-risk clients in line with regulatory frameworks. ✔Supported the MLRO (Money Laundering Reporting Officer) in identifying potential financial crime risks through detailed transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, and PEP (Politically Exposed Persons) monitoring, contributing to the ongoing risk assessment and compliance strategy for the bank. ✔Monitored and reviewed high-value payment transactions, including CHAPS, BACS, International Telex, and online/mobile banking transactions, ensuring strict adherence to AML and fraud detection protocols and flagging suspicious activity as per FCA requirements. ✔Compiled, updated, and meticulously analyzed KYC documentation for account openings and changes, ensuring the accuracy and completeness of all client profiles and maintaining regulatory compliance with CDD/EDD requirements.
Customer Analyst
FIRST ABU DHABI BANK
Nov 2014 — Aug 2021
Conducted risk-based KYC reviews, sanctions screening, adverse media reviews and financial crime investigations. Prepared and updated KYC, CDD, EDD and PEP profiles for new and existing customers. Investigated fraud transaction alerts and supported suspicious activity escalation and reporting. Performed periodic reviews and trigger reviews based on changing customer risk profiles. Trained operational teams on AML/KYC controls and compliance best practices.
KYC & Customer Experience Analyst
First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)
Nov 2014 — Aug 2021 · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
✔Conducted risk-based KYC reviews within the Personal Banking Team, Branch Banking, and Customer Experience Operations, ensuring compliance with AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and financial crime prevention KPIs, while minimizing operational risk. ✔Specialized in AML and KYC risk analysis for a range of financial products including credit and lending products, personal loans, investments, and mortgages, performing comprehensive sanctions screening, PEP (Politically Exposed Persons) checks, and adverse media reviews. ✔Investigated fraud transaction alerts, overseeing full case management and escalation, including the preparation and submission of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), preventing potential cross-border transactions and safeguarding the bank from financial crime risks. ✔Generated, updated, and maintained KYC, CDD (Customer Due Diligence), EDD (Enhanced Due Diligence), and PEP profiles for new and existing clients, conducting periodic reviews triggered by changes in risk profiles or client circumstances to ensure continuous compliance with regulatory standards. ✔Mapped the customer journey, identified compliance gaps, and recommended improvements that enhanced compliance with UAE Central Bank regulations, resulting in strengthened KYC processes and AML protocols across the bank. ✔Spearheaded the development and implementation of a CRM tool to centralize service requests, improving workflow efficiency and communication, while acting as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) to train an 8-member team on KYC and AML best practices and compliance. ✔Oversaw departmental Net Promoter Score (NPS), complaint management, and service improvement strategies, driving an increase in customer satisfaction and compliance awareness within the team. ✔Volunteered within the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, raising funds for refugees and children, demonstrating commitment to both community engagement and the bank’s ethical standards.
Anti-Money Laundering Officer
MASHREQ BANK
Apr 2014 — Oct 2014
Supported onboarding, KYC, AML and sanctions screening processes for retail and corporate banking customers. Conducted customer due diligence and enhanced due diligence assessments prior to onboarding. Collaborated with relationship managers and compliance stakeholders to mitigate financial crime risks. Escalated high-risk and complex compliance concerns to 1LOD and 2LOD functions.
Onboarding and KYC Officer
Mashreq Bank
Apr 2014 — Oct 2014 · Dubai, United Arab Emirates
✔Collaborated with Relationship Managers to develop and execute risk-based plans focused on KYC (Know Your Customer), onboarding processes, and in-lifetime risk and compliance assessments, ensuring adherence to AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and sanction screening protocols. ✔Conducted in-depth research and gathered supporting documentation to perform risk reviews and generate comprehensive client profiles, advising on appropriate credit products based on KYC, CDD (Customer Due Diligence), and EDD (Enhanced Due Diligence) findings. ✔Performed meticulous credit application reviews prior to onboarding, taking full ownership of customer due diligence, enhanced due diligence, AML, and sanction checks, ensuring full compliance with internal policies and regulatory requirements. ✔Played an integral role in delivering a seamless client onboarding experience, fostering strong, compliant relationships with clients and their representatives by ensuring smooth integration of risk assessments and compliance checks. ✔Actively engaged with internal teams to enhance communication and alignment around KYC, risk, and compliance processes, which contributed to the successful opening of a new portfolio, enhancing operational efficiency and compliance controls. ✔Developed and maintained strong client relationships, while also providing training to sales teams on KYC and AML procedures; escalated complex issues to 1st Line of Defense (1LoD) and 2nd Line of Defense (2LoD) teams to ensure compliance and mitigate potential risks.
Specialist
EXL Services Ltd
May 2012 — Feb 2014
Supported operational compliance and customer risk management initiatives aligned with OFGEM requirements. Handled escalations, quality reviews and process improvement activities across customer operations. Provided coaching and compliance guidance to operational teams.
Subject Matter Expert, Customer Service (British Gas Project)
EXL
May 2012 — Feb 2014 · Delhi, India
✔Coached a 20-member customer operations team to meet KPIs, focusing on creating annual compliance control and action plans in alignment with regulatory requirements as part of a major British Gas project, ensuring adherence to financial crime and consumer protection standards. ✔Partnered with Bottom Quartile Management (BQ Management) to develop comprehensive risk management, action, and compliance plans reflecting the requirements set by OFGEM, ensuring the alignment of team operations with industry standards and regulatory expectations. ✔Introduced Customer Experience (CX) initiatives aimed at supporting vulnerable customers in managing debt and credit, helping mitigate potential financial crime risks associated with customer vulnerabilities. ✔Handled 1st Line of Defense (1LoD) escalations, offering subject matter expertise to bridge knowledge gaps and ensure compliance with AML (Anti-Money Laundering), fraud detection, and consumer protection regulations during customer interactions. ✔Co-led the revamp of the Customer Experience Analyst collection procedure, optimizing workflows to enhance risk management, streamline operations, and improve compliance with financial regulations. ✔Acted as a Master Coach, utilizing quality assurance practices, call monitoring, and coaching to address agent training needs, boosting team competency in regulatory compliance and enhancing operational efficiency. ✔Contributed to two Six Sigma Black Belt Projects led by the Onshore/Offshore Quality Team, improving Net Promoter Scores (NPS) and reducing OFGEM complaints, demonstrating the effectiveness of continuous improvement processes in risk management and compliance.
Collections Team Lead
RELIANCE LIFE INSURANCE
Apr 2008 — Apr 2012
Managed collections operations, customer escalations and team performance activities within a regulated environment.
Team Leader – Collections for Reliance Life Insurance Co.
Corp Solutions Services Pvt Ltd
Apr 2008 — Apr 2012 · Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Education
University of Calcutta
Bachelor of Commerce · Business/Commerce, General
2008 — 2011
University of Calcutta
Bachelor of Commerce - BCom · Business/Commerce, General
2008 — 2011
Skills
- FATCA / CRS Compliance
- Customer Journeys
- Client Risk rating
- Investigation
- Remmitance
- English Translation
- Periodic review
- Regulatory Audits
- Fraud Prevention & Detection
- Transaction Monitoring
- Ability to work independently
- KYC Review
- KYC
- Know Your Customer (KYC)
- Dow Jones Risk & Compliance
- Quality Control
- KYC Verification
- Professional Phone Skills
- Financial Regulations
- Client offboarding
- Complaint Management
- Regulatory Reporting
- Client lifecycle management
- Client Outreach
- Risk Reviews
- Urdu
- Client Review
- Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) Screening
- Business Development
- Document Drafting
- Client Onboarding
- Anti-Money Laundering
- Sanctions & Embargo Lists (OFAC, EU, UN, etc.)
- CDD
- LexisNexis Risk Solutions
- Chaps
- Anti-Money Laundering (AML)
- Accounting
- Market Abuse Regulations
- Coaching
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