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AFB Financial Crime Compliance Conference

The AFB Financial Crime Compliance Conference, sponsored by Avyse Partners and BeyondFS, will be held on Wednesday 26 November 2025 hosted by A&O Shearman.

This conference will bring together senior industry leaders, regulators, and compliance experts to examine the most pressing challenges and innovations in the fight against financial crime. It will also provide an excellent opportunity to expand your knowledge, share insights, and build connections with peers across the banking community.

As financial crime grows in scale and complexity, compliance has never been more critical. This conference will explore:

the FCA’s financial crime strategy and the effectiveness of the UK’s wider approach
the UK sanctions regime, and the impacts of global divergence and geopolitics
emerging risks from digital assets and cyber-enabled crime
the potential of technology and AI to strengthen detection and prevention

Confirmed speakers include:

Beth Harris – Head of Financial Crime, Financial Conduct Authority
Ben Young – Head of Domestic Anti-Money Laundering, HM Treasury
Sal Melki – Deputy Director Economic Crime, National Crime Agency
Jason Williams – Head of Fraud and Corruption Division, Serious Fraud Office
Laura Lehane – Head of Financial Crime, AJ Bell

Conference Programme

Time	Session	Speakers
8:30 – 9:00	Registration, breakfast, & networking
9:00 – 9:10	Welcome & introduction	Giles French – CEO, Association of Foreign Banks Sarah Hitchins – Partner, A&O Shearman
9:10 – 9:40	Keynote plus Q&A	Beth Harris – Head of Financial Crime, FCA Q&A moderated by Jose Arevalo, Director of Regulatory Risk & Control Oversight, Commerzbank
9:40 – 10:40	Panel discussion: How to make the UK’s approach to tackling financial crime more effective?	Chair: Kathryn Westmore, Senior Research Fellow, RUSI Panellists: Helen Murphy, Principal, Avyse Partners Ben Young, Head of Domestic Anti-Money Laundering, HM Treasury Edwin Schooling-Latter, Head of UK Compliance, Mizuho Sarah Hitchins, Partner, A&O Shearman
10:40 – 11:10	Refreshment break and networking
11:10 – 12:10	Panel discussion: Sanctions compliance in 2026 and beyond	Chair: Zia Ullah – Partner, Head of Corporate Crime & Investigations, Eversheds Sutherland Panellists: Neil Whiley, Head of Sanctions, Bank ABC Tom d’Ardenne, Counsel, A&O Shearman Tobias Marchant, Strategic Exports and Sanctions Enforcement Policy Lead, HM Revenue & Customs Olga Dimitrescu, Head of Industry Engagement, Office of Financial Sanctions
12:10 – 13:00	Panel discussion: Cross-border financial crime – Navigating multi-jurisdictional regulatory risks	Chair: Zeynep Turunc – Partner, Financial Crime, PwC Panellists: Akash Jain – Program Director, EU AML Regulatory Program, Deutsche Bank Sihem Mouelhi – Technology and Client Transformation – Financial Crime, Citibank Martijn de Blauwe – Director, Financial Sponsors Group, ING
13:00 – 14:15	Lunch and networking
14:15 – 15:05	Panel discussion: The changing face of financial crime – digital assets and cyber crime	Chair: Nikki Johnstone – Partner, A&O Shearman Panellists: Sal Melki – Deputy Director Economic Crime, NCA Aaron Debattista, Global Head of AML, Zodia Custody Adrian Barnett, Director, Beyond FS
15:05 – 15:55	Panel discussion: Striking the right balance – Using technology and AI to fight financial crime	Chair: Ruth Paley, Partner, Michelman Robinson Panellists: Jason Williams – Head of Fraud and Corruption Division, SFO Laura Lehane – Head of Financial Crime, AJ Bell
15:55 – 16:15	Coffee and networking

Logistics

Please note: this is an in-person event only. Places are limited to five per member bank. Please contact secretariat@foreignbanks.org.uk if you have any questions.

Fee: Included in AFB Membership
Location: A&O Shearman, One Bishops Square, London E1 6AD
Date: Wednesday 26 November 2025
Time: 09:00 – 16:15 (Arrival and breakfast from 08:30; lunch will be provided)

Sponsor Biographies

Host Partner

A&O Shearman

A&O Shearman transforms the way law is practiced, to deliver unparalleled results for our clients’ most complex matters – everywhere in the world. We’re a law firm at the forefront of the forces changing the current of global business. A&O Shearman’s finance team is renowned as one of the strongest and deepest in the world, with top-tier lawyers located in all the major markets. We have acted on many of the highest-profile financial services enforcement and litigation matters of recent years and are regularly called on by governments to help develop new regulatory frameworks. Fluent in U.S. law, English law, and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets in equal measure, we support our clients with bespoke teams of expert minds. On May 1, 2024, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling merged to become A&O Shearman. Find out more on A&O Shearman website

Supporting Partners

Avyse Partners

Avyse Partners are regulatory consultants whose expertise covers Governance, Conduct and Financial Crime. We provide practical expertise to navigate both the volume and complexity of regulation. On average, Avyse consultants have 14 years’ experience which includes working in house and for the regulator. This dual perspective allows us to understand firms’ challenges alongside regulatory expectations and demands. We work closely with many UK based foreign banks and understand the specific needs and pressures they face.

Our purpose-led philosophy is aligned with FCA thinking on outcomes – what is regulation trying to achieve? We are of the view that this can sometimes get lost within the sheer volume of regulation.

In March 2022, Avyse Partners was appointed to the FCA’s Skilled Person Panel for four Lots – Governance, Risks and Controls, Conduct of Business and Financial Crime. Since then, we have undertaken 25 of these reviews across all Lots, applying our common sense, and a proportionate, outcomes focused perspective.

Find out more on the Avyse Partners website

BeyondFS

BeyondFS was founded in 2018 by three former Big 4 consultants who recognised a persistent challenge: Financial Crime leaders face relentless pressure but often lack the clarity, capacity and capability to drive progress amid regulatory, business and market demands.

We help banks build high-performing Financial Crime programmes that reduce risk, meet regulatory expectations, and run efficiently.

Clients turn to us when regulatory gaps demand urgent remediation, programmes stall, or costs and complexity rise without better outcomes.

We don’t just advise – we deliver, applying proven expertise to turn strategy into reality. With methods developed in complex regulatory and operational settings, we introduce improvements that last.

Our senior experts restore momentum across financial crime risk, controls, operating models, data, technology, and change – giving leaders renewed confidence, stronger capability, and the space to focus on what matters to them.

Find out more on the BeyondFS website