Bhuvana Vishwa

Highly skilled and motivated Anti-Money Laundering (AML) professional with close to 10 years of banking experience in Risk and Control, Compliance, and Transaction Monitoring. Proven expertise in investigating complex alerts, executing enhanced due diligence, and independently filing Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs). Proficient in utilizing industry-leading AML tools such as Mantas, Actimize, Enterprise Case Management (ECM), and Quantexa to mitigate corporate risk and ensure strict adherence to global regulatory standards.

AML Transaction Monitoring Officer at Citi Bank (2024-09 – Present)

• Independently conduct complex research and investigations utilizing internal and external data, leveraging applications like Actimize and Quantexa to perform comprehensive data analysis.
• Review and analyze complex correspondent banking transactions to detect money laundering typologies, evaluate risk exposure, and ensure strict adherence to regulatory standards.
• Draft, finalize, and independently file Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) directly with regulatory authorities, presenting critical findings to senior management.
• Execute enhanced due diligence investigations in support of policies and procedures to meet internal and external regulatory requirements.
• Exercise sound judgment and discretion at each decision point throughout the investigation lifecycle to effectively mitigate corporate risk.
• Make strategic recommendations to senior management regarding the next course of action, including relationship retention or termination.
• Appropriately assess risk during business decisions, safeguarding Citigroup's reputation and assets by driving compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Consultant at TATA Consultancy Services (Client: Silicon Valley Bank) (2022-06 – 2023-11)

• Managed risk-based monitoring for unusual activities, including the detection, investigation, and reporting of suspicious activities to law enforcement agencies; made critical decisions on account closures.
• Conducted comprehensive analyses and investigations on various accounts across low to high-risk jurisdictions for all group correspondent and retail banks.
• Utilized third-party applications and agencies such as World-Check and LexisNexis to investigate transactions, effectively identifying and mitigating potential fraudulent or money laundering activities.
• Performed internal audits and evaluated compliance controls for financial institutions, conducting testing of design, operational, and transaction effectiveness.

Process Associate at Standard Chartered Bank (2019-12 – 2022-06)

• Conducted thorough investigations on unusual transaction patterns within SCB Retail Banking accounts in India, ensuring strict compliance with all Group Standard Risk Policies.
• Escalated unusual cases directly to ACT (FCC India) for comprehensive review, facilitating the closure of Risk Relevant cases and assisting in the drafting of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) for the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) India.
• Monitored transactions for unusual activity utilizing AML concepts such as KYC profiling, Sanctions Screening, and Payments through various detection scenarios.
• Successfully managed daily transaction monitoring workflows using Oracle's ECM Mantas system.

Analyst at Royal Bank of Scotland (2012-11 – 2016-08)

• Executed end-to-end alert and case investigations utilizing core applications including ECM, Mantas, and Actimize.
• Identified and reviewed suspicious activities to protect the reputation of The Royal Bank of Scotland, ensuring regulatory compliance and avoiding significant financial loss.
• Performed holistic reviews of customers, accounts, transactions, and involved entities to accurately determine the nature of alerted activities.
• Verified Source of Funds (SOF), Purpose of Transaction (POT), and overall fund utilization.
• Conducted due diligence reviews specifically targeted at correspondent banking transactions of high-risk flagged parties.
• Tracked and managed Ageing and productivity MIS, ensuring timely allocation and escalation reporting to the country head.
• Performed manual testing and validation during the platform migration from MANTAS to Actimize.

Master of Business Administration in Finance & HR – Bharathidasan University, Trichy (2009 – 2011)

Bachelor of Science in Physics – Bharathidasan University, Trichy