Patrick Southern

About Patrick Southern

As a Director in a Financial Crimes department and an attorney, I specialize in building and leading robust BSA/AML compliance frameworks within dynamic, hyper-growth companies. With a foundation in the fast-paced fintech sector, I excel at navigating complex regulatory landscapes and translating legal requirements into effective operational processes.My core expertise encompasses the full spectrum of anti-financial crime efforts, including: BSA/AML Program Development & Management Enterprise Risk Assessments & Mitigation Regulatory Examinations & Internal Audits Sanctions, KYC, CIP, Customer Due Diligence (CDD) & Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) Complex Investigations & SAR FilingI am a proven leader of high-performing teams and committed to fostering a culture of compliance. By designing and building scalable and defensible compliance programs, I enable businesses to innovate and grow responsibly while safeguarding them from financial, reputational, and regulatory risk.

Experience

1. Director, Financial Crimes

   Upgrade, Inc.

   Jul 2025 — Present

   Design and implement the Customer Risk Rating methodology, incorporating behavioral, transactional, and geographic risk factors; improved high-risk customer identification accuracy and strengthened defensibility during audit and bank partner review• Review and direct changes to various onboarding-related operations processes and procedures to strengthen the overall KYC program and minimize AML risk, sanctions risk, and fraud losses• Develop standard operating procedures, desktop guides, informal guidance documents, and an internal QA process to ensure analysts are trained to meet internal and regulatory requirements• Lead all sanctions-related processes, including ultimate alert disposition at onboarding of new accounts, ongoing monitoring of the existing customer base, and regular review of other relevant populations• Manage a team of KYC & Sanctions Analysts who perform Enhanced Due Diligence reviews, conduct sanctions investigations, document PEP and negative news concerns, and review transactional activity and customer identity information to holistically assess customer risk• Serve as a leader across the Financial Crimes department, including interim leadership of the AML Investigations and Transaction Monitoring teams, regular Board reporting, enterprise-wide AML Risk Assessments, independent BSA/AML audits, and implementation of corresponding enhancements to program pillars

Education

• Wake Forest University School of Law

  Doctor of Law (JD)

  2017

• West Virginia University

  Bachelor's degree, Multidisciplinary Studies

  2011