Paula Harris

About Paula Harris

Senior risk, compliance, and financial crimes advisor with 25+ years of experience guiding enterprise financial institutions and fintech platforms through complex regulatory environments. Proven leader in BSA/AML and broader compliance governance, with deep expertise in translating regulatory requirements and legal research into practical, risk-based frameworks that support sustainable growth. Recognized for partnering with executive leadership, legal counsel, and cross-functional teams to strengthen control environments, resolve regulatory issues, and proactively identifying emerging risk. Brings a disciplined enterprise foundation and an advisory mindset suited to fast-moving fintech environments, combining strategic insight, clear executive communication, and sound judgment to align compliance, legal obligations, and business objectives. Key competencies are as follows:• Regulatory Remediation Expertise: Directed remediation efforts and designed and implemented corrective action plans addressing regulatory issues, ensuring timely resolution and compliance with mandates.• Compliance Program Management: Led the design, development, and oversight of compliance remediation programs, managing milestones, reporting, and stakeholder ownership.• Process Optimization: Designed and implemented effective risk and compliance frameworks, tools, and processes to identify, measure, mitigate, monitor, and report risks and corrective actions.• Risk Culture Development: Fostered a robust, collaborative risk culture, promoting behaviors aligned with organizational risk appetite and tolerances.• Executive Communication: Delivered comprehensive reporting and strategic insights to executive leadership and regulatory bodies, enhancing transparency and decision-making.• Training and Standards Creation: Developed business group-wide compliance training programs and standards, simplifying complex risk and regulatory topics for broad adoption.• Financial Crimes Expertise: Spearheaded initiatives in Know Your Customer (KYC), Politically Exposed Persons (PEP), Beneficial Ownership (BO), Customer Identification Program (CIP), Customer Due Diligence (CDD), Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD), Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) compliance.• Governance Innovation: Established a cross-business governance forum to align financial crimes risk strategies with organizational objectives.

Experience

1. Senior Vice President Commercial Banking Financial Crimes Risk at Wells Fargo

   Wells Fargo

   Apr 2018 — Present · Birmingham, AL, US

   Governance Oversight & Administration Team (GOAT)| Commercial Banking: The Head of GOA is responsible for facilitating coordination across all of the Commercial Banking Risk Program verticals as well as Commercial Banking business lines for any risk and compliance subject or specialty research topic related to the Designated Financial Crimes Leader (DFCL). Policy approval requirements, exemption/exception requirements, as well as other risk programs that require DFCL engagement are all in the purview of the Head of GOA. The GOA Team also drives policy compliance, managing line of defense testing responses and clearing of high risk corrective actions. The team investigates high priority emerging risks, supports owning teams in developing efficient processes, and resolves issues in a compliant and expedient manner.

Education

• Liberty University

  Bachelor of Science (BS), Business Administration, Project Management