VP, Global Head of Financial Crimes

Reinsurance Group of America•City of London, Missouri

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

RGA is seeking an authoritative leader and financial crimes subject matter expert to serve as the Global Head of Financial Crimes Compliance. This role is RGA's principal in-house authority on anti-money laundering (AML), economic sanctions, anti-bribery and corruption, fraud risk management, and related financial crime matters, providing day-to-day guidance on live cases, screening alerts and escalations across the group. The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate the technical and regulatory expertise, and the judgment, that the role demands, together with the authority and poise to influence senior stakeholders across RGA. The role will also lead the build of a best-in-class, risk-based and technology enabled global financial crimes program. They will also play a critical role in RGA's broader compliance transformation, being responsible for building and leading a world-class global financial crimes program, capable of supporting a growing global enterprise.

Requirements

At least one current financial crimes certification is strongly preferred, for example CAMS (ACAMS), CGSS (ACAMS Certified Global Sanctions Specialist), CFCS, CFE, or an ICA Advanced Certificate or Diploma in Financial Crime Prevention, Sanctions Compliance or AML.
A sanctions-specific credential such as CGSS is strongly preferred given RGA's sanctions exposure, and candidates without a certification should be prepared to obtain one within twelve months of appointment.
JD or equivalent legal degree from an accredited law school preferred.
10+ years of compliance, financial crimes, AML, sanctions, fraud, or related risk management experience within insurance, reinsurance, banking, securities, or other regulated financial services organizations.
Demonstrated experience leading financial crimes, sanctions or related compliance programs within a large, complex global organization.
Experience operating across multiple jurisdictions, and managing diverse regulatory requirements, and engaging with regulators and executive leadership.
Deep current and hands-on expertise interpreting and applying sanctions regulations (including OFAC, EU, UK and UN regimes), AML laws, anti-bribery and corruption requirements, and related financial crime legal frameworks evidenced by the ability to reach and document technical determinations on live matters without routine reliance on external counsel.
Proven success building and transforming enterprise financial crimes compliance programs within a large, complex, global organization.
Working knowledge of international insurance or reinsurance, and of the sanctions, AML and fraud risks arising in ceded and assumed business, or clear evidence of the ability to acquire it quickly.

Responsibilities

Serve as the organization's principal subject matter expert on financial crime legal requirements.
Act as the day-to-day point of contact for the business, regional compliance officers and control functions on AML, sanctions, anti-bribery and corruption, and fraud questions, including screening alerts, escalations, and case-level determinations, and provide credible in-house guidance that reduces RGA's reliance on outside counsel.
Own the technical determination, and the documented rationale, for complex sanctions and AML matters, including cross-border payment questions, restricted party and ownership analysis, license and permission considerations, and sanctions exposure arising in ceded and assumed business.
Lead the selection, implementation, tuning and ongoing quality assurance of screening and monitoring tooling, including the pending replacement of RGA's sanctions screening tool, with hands-on ownership of the testing and calibration work.
Lead the build out and maturation of a global financial crimes compliance program, and establish scalable governance, monitoring, investigative, and reporting capabilities across RGA's global operations which facilitates the business operating in a compliant manner on a day to day basis.
Build and lead a high-performing dedicated global financial crimes team, including organizational design, talent acquisition, capability development and succession planning.
Establish and oversee policies, standards, procedures, and controls governing AML, sanctions, anti-bribery and corruption, fraud risk, and related financial crime risks.
Ensure the financial crimes program remains aligned with the evolving global regulatory framework, industry best practices and emerging technologies.
Lead responses to regulatory inquiries, examinations, and audits involving financial crime compliance matters and act as the named point of contact for regulators and auditors on technical financial crime questions.
Partner with technology and operations teams to enhance monitoring, screening, and investigative capabilities.
Educate the business on how compliance is achieved by developing and delivering financial crimes training and awareness programs.
Build and lead a high-performing team of financial crimes professionals.
Transform and lead the financial crime program, including establishing and implementing an effective compliance risk based management program and oversight framework that complies with the risk assessments related to ceding companies, retrocessionaires, brokers, and strategic counterparties.
Serve as enterprise subject matter expert for sanctions compliance and related financial crime legal requirements.
Assess financial crime risks associated with cross-border payments, international business operations, and sanctions exposure.
Provide oversight of third-party administrator (TPA), outsourcing, and vendor financial crime due diligence programs.
Partner with Enterprise Risk Management, Legal, Compliance, and Business Development teams to evaluate emerging financial crime risks in reinsurance markets.