Robert Evans, CEO, FINTRAIL

BBC journalist Sue Mitchell and ex-soldier and aid worker Rob Lawrie join us at FFECON25 to reveal the thrilling story behind the award winning BBC podcast 'To Catch A Scorpion'. They will discuss their investigation into the booming trade in people smuggling, run by organised criminal gang that make millions of pounds a year, and their dramatic hunt for one of Europe’s most wanted people smugglers. Can they succeed where the police have failed, and catch the Scorpion?

Rob Lawrie, Ex-soldier and aid worker
Sue Mitchell, Journalist, BBC

The FinTech sector prides itself on bringing unique products to the market, but how do they fit into the global financial ecosystem? How are financial crime threats managed in the integrated ecosystem between Fintechs and Banks? How is the industry working together to solve financial crime threats?

James Nurse, Managing Director, FINTRAIL (moderator)
Marta Lia Requeijo, Interim UK Chief Risk & Compliance Officer, ClearBank
Kevin Penter, Head of Financial Crime Compliance, International Corporate Bank, Barclays
Patrick Green, Head of AML & UK MLRO, Banking Circle
Charlotte Meyer, Global Anti-Financial Crime Digital Assets Lead - Regulatory Adherence, Deutsche Bank

Juggling issues of financial inclusion and regulatory compliance, financial institutions can face complex decisions when dealing with high-risk countries. Geographic risk is multi-faceted and affects different businesses in different ways, yet it is often based on simplistic assessments and used as a blunt tool.

This panel will challenge conventional wisdom around how to understand and manage country risk, considering new approaches and delivering actionable recommendations for managing and assessing geographic risks. Our speakers will discuss smarter ways to measure country risk, making balanced risk assessments, and how to take on geographic risk safely without increasing your vulnerability to financial crime.

Sara Abbasi, Principal Consultant, FINTRAIL (moderator)
Amer Baroudi, Co-founder & CEO, nsave
Aamir Hanif, Regional Vice President, AML Compliance: EU / CIS / Africa, Western Union
Kathryn Sharpe, AML Senior Product Manager, Zepz
Sangeeta Goswami, Director, Policy and Advocacy, Human Security Collective

Whilst combating terrorist financing is supported by a strong regulatory framework, dealing with extremist movements and the financing activities of their participants is uncharted territory that creates significant challenges for financial institutions.

This panel will focus on navigating the complexities of respecting customers’ right to freedom of expression and managing firms’ individual risk appetites whilst faced with a lack of regulatory guidance and ongoing public scrutiny around extremist movements.

Greg Wlodarczyk, Managing Director, FINTRAIL (moderator)
Mark Wright, National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit (NTFIU), Training and Engagement Team, Drug Expert Witness, Counter Terrorism Policing – SO15, Met Police
Dr. Mei Ling Young, Senior Manager, Financial Intelligence Unit, Monzo
Anne Craanen, Senior Research and Policy Manager, Extremism, Institute for Strategic Dialogue

While traditionally seen as high-risk, the inherent transparency underpinning the crypto sector offers unique opportunities for better risk understanding and enhanced compliance. As more financial institutions engage with crypto—whether through direct offerings or client activities—effective compliance strategies are no longer optional; they’re essential. This session will explore how to risk-rate crypto activities and implement a dynamic, risk-based compliance strategy.

Isabella Chase, Senior Policy Advisor, TRM Labs
Amanda Shoffel, Chief Compliance Officer and MLRO UK, Uphold

The fundamental rule of combat? Understand your enemy. In today's digital world, fraud comes in many forms - manipulative and innovative phishing scams to identity theft. And the threat is often unknown - or may even exist within. Your first line of defense is awareness and understanding of your risks.

Ciara Aitchison, Director, FINTRAIL (moderator)
James Baston-Pitt, Head of UK and EMEA, Alloy
Hannah Becher, Sr. Decision Intelligence Lead, Pleo
Ross Longmore, Director of Ongoing Monitoring (Fraud, AML & Sanctions), Tide
Maddie Gunn, Director, Fraud & AML Risk Management, GoCardless

This fireside chat will unpack what it means to be sanctioned: can you go to the supermarket, and if so, do you get an allowance? Does the government issue licenses for reasonable expenses? What should financial institutions do when presented with a license? And finally, can you get off a sanctions list once you’re on it?

Dr. Anna Bradshaw, Partner at Peters & Peters, will speak from her experience representing designated individuals in the UK, including representing a UK-sanctioned individual in a ministerial review resulting in the individual being removed from the UK sanctions list.

Emil Dall, Principal Consultant - Head of Sanctions, FINTRAIL (moderator)
Dr Anna Bradshaw, Partner, Peters & Peters

This discussion brings together a diverse panel to explore and demystify the unique opportunities, risks, and challenges associated with providing financial services to the adult entertainment industry. The sector has a legacy perception of increased risk which has resulted in stigmatisation and financial exclusion - what are the true risk levels and how can they be addressed? Hear from representatives of content creators, regulators and the financial industry, and understand from those with first-hand experience how financial services can safely engage with the sector.

Robert Evans, CEO, FINTRAIL (moderator)
Alison Boden, Executive Director, Free Speech Coalition
Stanley Skoglund, CEO UK, Segpay
Joe Woolmer, Supervision Principal, Online Safety Group, Ofcom

Robert Evans, CEO, FINTRAIL