Vijay Challa, ACAMS, CAMI, CAME

Associate Partner

Hyderabad, Telangana, India12 yrs 11 mos experience

Most Likely To SwitchHighly Stable

Key Highlights

11+ years of experience in AML and KYC operations
Expert in mitigating financial crime through technology
Strong leadership and analytical skills

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Fintech professional specializing in Anti Money Laundering and KYC operations.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Anti Money LaunderingRisk ManagementKycTransaction MonitoringCustomer Due Diligence

Other Skills

AML investigationsEDD proceduresFraud DetectionFraud InvestigationsFraud PreventionIntroduction to Anti-money laundering courseKYC documentationKYC reviewsMS OfficeManagement Information Systems (MIS)Microsoft ExcelPEP screeningProject ManagementTeam Managementclient onboarding

About

A technically astute, meticulous, competent Certified AML Specialist, Investigator & Expert (CAMS, CAMI & CAME) with 11+ years of prodigious experience in AML and KYC Operations. Seeking to pursue a career in the upper echelons of an esteemed organization, which calls for extremely high levels of leadership, analytical and investigative skills to mitigate financial crime by utilizing the advancement in technology and gain further experience in reducing the company's financial risk and enhancing profitability & reputation.

Experience

Accenture

Team Lead - Sanctions and PEP Screening

Oct 2021 – Present · 4 yrs 5 mos · Hyderabad, Telangana, India · On-site

Lead a high-performing team of analysts in the diligent execution of PEP (Politically Exposed Persons) and sanctions screening activities, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and mitigating financial risks.
Design and implement robust operational strategies to streamline PEP and sanctions screening processes, optimizing efficiency and accuracy while maintaining a strong focus on quality and timelines
Serve as a subject matter expert, providing guidance and expertise to team members on complex PEP and sanctions screening cases, resolving escalations, and facilitating knowledge sharing across the team.
Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders, including Compliance, Legal, and Risk Management teams, to ensure seamless integration of PEP and sanctions screening processes within broader organizational frameworks.
Stay updated with the latest regulatory changes and industry trends related to PEP and sanctions screening, proactively adapting processes and systems to meet evolving compliance requirements.
Conduct comprehensive risk assessments and gap analyses to identify potential vulnerabilities in the PEP and sanctions screening processes, implementing robust controls and remediation plans to address identified risks.
Generate insightful reports and dashboards, providing accurate and meaningful metrics to senior management, and highlighting key performance indicators, trends, and areas for improvement in PEP and sanctions screening operations.
Drive continuous process improvement initiatives, leveraging data analytics and other tools to enhance operational efficiency, reduce manual effort, and ensure optimal resource allocation within the team.
Foster a culture of continuous learning and development within the team, conducting training sessions, workshops, and knowledge-sharing activities to enhance the skills and expertise of team members in PEP and sanctions screening.

PEP screeningsanctions screeningregulatory compliancerisk assessmentdata analyticsAnti Money Laundering+1

Dcb bank

Manager - AML & KYC

Feb 2020 – May 2021 · 1 yr 3 mos · Hyderabad, Telangana, India · On-site

Spearheaded the day-to-day operations of the KYC Analysts team, orchestrating their meticulous collation of all KYC documentation for new and existing clients, ensuring unwavering adherence to regulatory and money laundering requirements within prescribed timelines.
Investigated, reviewed and resolved AML (Anti Money Laundering) and economic sanction-related alerts, conducting thorough investigations, comprehensive reviews, and efficient resolutions to safeguard against suspicious activities and transactions
Provided invaluable guidance to team members, offering insights and expertise in developing and implementing robust escalation procedures for unresolved KYC and AML cases, fortifying the organization's defenses against potential risks.
Provided invaluable guidance to team members, offering insights and expertise in developing and implementing robust escalation procedures for unresolved KYC and AML cases, fortifying the organization's defenses against potential risks.
Scrutinized customer accounts, determined the legitimacy of funds received, conducted enhanced due diligence (EDD) procedures, and swiftly alerted the Reporting Officer by furnishing a well-crafted Suspicious Activity Report (SAR).
Reviewed and drafted transaction monitoring guidelines and procedures, ensuring compliance with internal standards and providing invaluable advice on completing internal SARs.
Took charge of resolving investor queries, addressing requests, and handling SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) complaints, orchestrating seamless coordination with various teams to deliver prompt resolutions within the defined turnaround time (TAT).
Continuously stayed abreast of evolving industry regulations, best practices, and emerging trends in AML and KYC, proactively implementing
necessary measures to enhance operational effectiveness and ensure the highest levels of compliance and risk mitigation.

KYC documentationAML investigationsescalation procedurestransaction monitoringcustomer account scrutinyKYC+1

Icici bank

Deputy Manager - Transaction Monitoring

Mar 2017 – Jan 2020 · 2 yrs 10 mos · Hyderabad, Telangana, India · On-site

Continuously stayed abreast of evolving industry regulations, best practices, and emerging trends in AML and KYC, proactively implementing necessary measures to enhance operational effectiveness and ensure the highest levels of compliance and risk mitigation.
Efficiently identified and monitored suspicious activities and transactions, demonstrating unparalleled vigilance in analyzing leads for potential signs of illicit behavior. Handled aging alerts and expertly managed any operational issues, orchestrating the production of insightful management information and analysis to showcase the thoroughness of alert reviews and highlight key findings.
Reviewed and crafted comprehensive transaction monitoring guidelines and procedures, providing unwavering support to AML transaction monitoring efforts and conducting meticulous analysis of transactional information to identify risk trends and potential suspicious activities.
Assisted in monitoring and tracking incidents and ensured swift resolution within customer SLAs. Conducted thorough EDD of customers and diligently prepared draft SARs for submission to the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) and Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU)
Exercised astute judgment in providing name screening approvals for various account openings and transactions, leveraging powerful resources such as World check, Lexis-Nexis, and Internal KYC documents to make informed decisions.
Published comprehensive Daily/Monthly Management Information System (MIS) reports, delivering vital statistics on AML alerts and conducting regular process note reviews to ensure transparency and drive continuous improvement.
Conducted surprise process audits to assess compliance activities, meticulously performed various quality checks on actioned alerts to uphold exceptional standards, and adeptly determined risks associated with accounts and activities

transaction monitoringsuspicious activity identificationEDD proceduresmanagement information systemsquality checksAnti Money Laundering+1

Hsbc

Customer Due Diligence Analyst

Jul 2015 – Feb 2017 · 1 yr 7 mos · Hyderabad, Telangana, India · On-site

Conducted meticulous KYC/CDD/EDD reviews on prospects and new/existing customers, aligning with HSBC Global Standards and leaving no room for compromise in ensuring compliance and risk mitigation.
Orchestrated the client onboarding process, seamlessly managing expectations, fostering effective communication, and diligently collecting vital client information essential for the completion of comprehensive Customer Due Diligence profiles.
Proactively identified opportunities for process enhancements, driving increased efficiency in due diligence processing and analysis. Engaged with existing clients to gather detailed information and supporting documentation, contributing to the completion of robust Customer Due Diligence profiles and sharing best practices with the team for continuous improvement.

KYC reviewsclient onboardingprocess enhancementscustomer due diligenceCustomer Due DiligenceKYC

Computershare

Process Associate

Aug 2014 – Jun 2015 · 10 mos · Hyderabad, Telangana, India · On-site

Vigilantly oversaw and scrutinized a wide range of transactions with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and adherence to quality standards.
Orchestrated seamless coordination with internal and external clients, delivering exceptional assistance to enhance customer satisfaction, while also driving operational effectiveness and efficiency to new heights.
Exemplified the epitome of customer service excellence, fostering collaborative relationships with brokers and stakeholders, and going above and beyond to fulfill all requests, while maintaining an unrivaled level of knowledge on technical information to swiftly resolve any transactional issues and implement necessary corrections.

transaction scrutinycustomer serviceoperational effectiveness

Genpact india pvt ltd

Process Associate

Sep 2012 – Aug 2014 · 1 yr 11 mos · Hyderabad, Telangana, India · On-site

Conducted thorough reviews of customer funds against provided information, promptly filing Unusual Activity Reports (UAR) when discrepancies were identified, ensuring adherence to regulatory standards.
Managed and analyzed metrics related to various processes, identifying key data points for process improvement and implementing necessary changes to enhance overall efficiency.
Maintained accurate documentation of daily transactions and consolidated metrics from multiple associates, skillfully preparing comprehensive reports to provide valuable insights and support informed decision-making. Analyzed and addressed issues faced by both internal and external clients, delivering effective resolutions that met their needs and exceeded their expectations, contributing to overall client satisfaction.

customer fund reviewsunusual activity reportsmetrics analysis