Michael Williams

Bank ABC

Head of Talent 

BNY Mellon

EMEA Chief Administrative Officer, Technology Services Chief of Staff, Senior Vice President

EMEA Technology Workforce Transformation Lead, Chief of Staff - Poland & CEE, Associate Director

Recruitment Team Leader, Associate Director

HSBC

Senior Recruiter, UK&CI and Zurich

Various Specialist Recruitment Firms

Senior Recruiter (UK & Europe)

Talent Acquisition Lead ✦ RL100 Member ✦ Views are my own

A results-driven HR and Talent Acquisition professional with International experience. I specialise in aligning people strategies with business goals to fuel growth and performance. With extensive experience in global banking, financial services, and technology, I have a deep understanding of the complexities of talent management, workforce planning, and regulatory compliance within the financial sector.

✔ End-to-End Recruitment Expertise: Successfully hired top talent across Front Office, Middle Office, and Corporate Functions within banking, managing searches at all levels up to Managing Director (MD).

✔ Talent Strategy & Workforce Planning

✔ HR Transformation & Change Management

✔ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) 

✔ Leadership Coaching & Performance Management

✔ HR Analytics & Data-Driven Insights 

✔ Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management

I am passionate about building future-ready workforces, driving innovation in talent acquisition and HR strategy, and fostering environments where people and businesses thrive.

Head of Talent

Recruitment Lead responsible for all lines of business hiring from entry to Board level, covering Corporate Functions through to the FrontI office. 

2021 Achievements:
→ Recruitment Framework & Governance Implementation 
→ IR35 Lead (Successful HMRC Audit)
→ Reduced time to hire to 41 days

2022 Achievements:
→ ATS Implementation 
→ Talent Management Framework Design
→ Gender Diversity recruitment policy implementation 

2023 Achievements (YTD):
→ Direct recruitment model implementation 
→ Direct Recruitment (91% YTD)
→ Internal Mobility (63% increase YTD)
→ Branding

Key Placements:
→ European Chief Risk Officer, London
→ Chief Risk Officer, Paris
→ European Head of Internal Audit
→ UK MLRO / European Head of Financial Crime
→ European Chief Financial Officer
→ Head of Market Risk & Reporting
→ Head of Credit Risk
→ Head of Enterprise Risk Management 
→ Head of Operations 
→ Head of Business Management
→ European Head of Banking
→ European Head of IT
→ Head of Communications - Europe
→ European Head of Treasury & Financial Markets
→ Business Manager to the CEO, IB

Head of Financial Crime Operations, Europe

Coordinate with head of financial crime operations to oversee entire operations and compliance and financial crime professionals while conducting broader financial crime operations activities. Apply external applicable laws, rules, and regulations in order to protect the bank from the risk of regulatory breaches, sanctions violation, financial loss, and reputational damage. Ensure that Bank ABC’s first and second line of defence (1LoD & 2LoD) activities in respect of AML, financial crime and sanctions compliance according to internal policies, procedures, and standards.

My key contributions during this tenure include:

•	Developed a new European 1LoD department and financial crime operations unit to enable the transferring of certain 2LoD activities to 1LoD, including customer screening alert management, transaction monitoring alert management, correspondent banking reviews, financial crime risk, controls assessment methodology, and financial crime watch-lists systems and configuration.
•	Restructured existing responsibilities across financial crime operations, Europe as part of the broader European Financial Crime Operations unit.

Deputy Head of Financial Crime Operations, Europe

Spearheaded all BDD department activities to ensure smooth running and execution of all operations. Headed cross-functional teams of sanctions screening, customer due diligence (CDD), and transactional due diligence (TDD). Managed fourteen compliance and financial crime professionals with adherence to regulatory obligations. Supported business units to ensure regulations, anti-money laundering, know-your customer, and anti-financial crime initiatives across ABC group. Prepared timely fulfilment/submission of compliance reports and forward to senior management, board, and regulator. Advised, coached, and motivated (Group-wide) to management in identifying, measuring, leading, and controlling risks of regulatory concerns.

My key contributions during this tenure include:

•	Created and delivered a programme of first and second line risk-based compliance reviews and responded appropriately and promptly to identify operational risk.
•	Ensured compliance governance and controls in compliance with industry practice and regulatory requirements.

Head of Business Due Diligence

Leveraged solid expertise in maintaining economic crime framework, and delivering economic crime training, and leading independent review and approval of client and counterparties due diligence. Created effective risk-based annual monitoring plan, including on-going reviews and control testing, maintaining conflict of interest, gift/entertainment, complaint registers, and reviewing marketing materials. Liaised with regulators in line with regulatory affairs. 

My key contributions during this tenure include:

•	Determined and mitigated compliance risks regarding business by executing annual compliance monitoring plan.
•	Guided regulatory issues, trained business in key compliance issues, and supported high standards of conduct and ethics and an effective compliance culture.

Compliance Manager & Acting MLRO

Administered all incoming and outgoing MT SWIFT messages by utilising SIDE Safe Watch for purposes of AML and sanctions compliance. Investigated potential matches and documented the rationale for discounting false positive matches. Led the maintenance of EBS and Reuters dealing screens to ensure that no breach of trading limits occur.

My key contributions during this tenure include:

•	Oversaw the reconciliation of all Cash Nostro accounts by utilising SMART reconciliation package and production of reports for distribution to relevant departments for resolution.
•	Supervised confirmations of Money Market, Foreign Exchange, and Derivatives transactions in conjunction with counter parties and brokers utilising the SMART reconciliation package.

Senior Internal Controls Officer

Hello, I’m Grace Ogedengbe! My history of managing all in executing and managing anti-money laundering, systems and controls, financial fraud, and criminal investigations. I am competent professional, who is highly expert in managing the businesses risk, building and maintaining economic crime framework, and leading compliance governance and controls.

Demonstrate excellence in driving revenue growth and productivity through the implementation of process improvements. Possess strong business acumen with proven ability to take appropriate initiatives for optimising organisational performance and profitability. Excellent communicator with background in leading teams and projects to add value, reduce costs, and improve financial/operational performance. Thrive in highly complex environments, researching and analysing legal regulations, creating high-impact strategies, and implementing procedures to mitigate risk.

My passion is for delivering service that goes beyond organisational expectations, creating a win-win scenario for uncompromised financial management!

Please feel free to contact me at gi.ogedengbe@yahoo.co.uk with any thoughts, comments, or questions about my work— I’m always interested in making new professional acquaintances.


taplio

The Battle

Michael Williams

Grace Ogedengbe, CFE, Chartered FCSI

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?