Marija Balciunaite
Compliance Manager
Gzira,12
Summary
Accomplished Compliance Manager with a proven track record in various financial services, adept at SAR/STR writing and leading teams to enhance AML compliance. Expertise in financial crime investigations and mentoring, significantly improving regulatory adherence and operational efficiency. Skilled in project management and risk mitigation, consistently achieving stringent compliance targets.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Compliance Manager
Forvis Mazars
03.2023 - Current
- Drafting AML (Anti-Money Laundering) policies and procedures to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and internal guidelines.
- Collaborating closely with the Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) on daily operations, including the development of new processes and internal controls.
- Overseeing and conducting thorough reviews of high-risk clients to identify and mitigate potential risks.
- Ensuring that the company complies with all relevant regulatory requirements.
- Writing Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) to document and report unusual or suspicious activities in accordance with legal requirements.
- Providing comprehensive AML and compliance training to staff to enhance awareness and adherence to regulatory requirements.
- Preparing detailed internal compliance reports and external reports for the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU).
- Communicating with regulatory authorities, including the FIAU, to address compliance issues and respond to inquiries.
- Leading and managing the compliance team to ensure effective implementation of compliance programs.
- Ensuring adherence to Forvis Mazars group compliance requirements and maintaining up-to-date knowledge of changes in the procedures.
- Overseeing services provided by service lines (tax, auditors, accountants, etc.) and guiding them on potential AML/Sanctions risks to ensure compliance across all functions.
Acceptance and Compliance Officer
Forvis Mazars
04.2022 - 03.2023
- Overseeing the client acceptance process, including initial client onboarding and ongoing periodic monitoring to ensure compliance.
- Reviewing and escalating high-risk client cases to appropriate levels for further investigation and action.
- Delivering targeted training sessions to staff on AML and compliance best practices to enhance organizational compliance awareness.
- Leading the development and implementation of internal AML controls and procedures to ensure regulatory adherence.
- Preparing comprehensive reports on compliance activities for internal use and regulatory submission.
Learning Analyst - Financial Crimes
PayPal
07.2021 - 04.2022
- Organized and scheduled trainings for various AML Compliance teams to ensure consistent and up-to-date knowledge.
- Supervised and guided a team of EMEA training interns, providing mentorship and support.
- Observed, coached, and developed trainers to enhance their skills and effectiveness.
- Interviewed and selected new hires for the training internship program, ensuring a high caliber of candidates.
- Facilitated compliance trainings based on business needs, ensuring relevance and applicability.
- Conducted one-on-one sessions with training interns to provide personalized feedback and support.
- Prepared training progress and team quality reports for leadership to inform decision-making.
- Analyzed training programs and provided recommendations for continuous improvement.
- Ensured all trainings were properly recorded and managed in preparation for internal audits.
LEAP (Trainings) Intern - Financial Crimes
PayPal
06.2020 - 08.2021
- Conducted BRM (Business Risk Management) trainings for new hires across multiple regions, including EMEA, APAC, and NA.
- Developed and delivered training sessions for PayPal outsourcing teams located in Poland and Lithuania.
- Coordinated with stakeholders to prepare and finalize training agendas.
- Created and updated training materials to ensure content remains current and relevant.
- Enhanced the skills of investigators from other compliance departments through targeted training.
- Engaged in LEAP trainings and coaching sessions to improve public speaking and video creation skills.
Reputational Risk Investigator - Financial Crimes
PayPal
02.2020 - 07.2021
- Drafted and escalated Suspicious Transaction Reports to relevant authorities.
- Reviewed transactions, analyzing patterns, amounts, and other relevant data to detect potential illegal activities and risks.
- Identified transactions that could potentially damage the company's reputation or pose issues with Visa or Mastercard compliance.
- Reviewed high-risk content related to child exploitation materials and hate speech.
- Prepared high-level dossiers concerning offensive materials.
- Conducted due diligence on individuals and business entities associated with investigated accounts.
- Investigated websites, marketplaces, and platforms to identify and mitigate reputational risks and improper marketing practices.
- Streamlined processes to eliminate inefficiencies.
Legal & Processor Risk Investigator - Fin. Crimes
PayPal
09.2018 - 02.2020
- Reviewed account activity and transaction patterns to identify potentially illegal activities or activities that could cause issues with credit card processors.
- Conducted due diligence on individuals and business entities associated with investigated accounts.
- Investigated websites, marketplaces, and platforms to verify legal compliance and prevent improper marketing practices.
- Ensured that issues identified during monitoring were properly documented and tracked to resolution.
- Reviewed current compliance activities and made recommendations for improvement.
- Provided advice, mentoring, and training to colleagues on compliance issues.
FIU Specialist - AML Compliance
Western Union
03.2017 - 09.2018
- Analyzed transactions to identify consumer networks involved in illegal or high-risk activities.
- Drafted Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and Suspicious Transactions Reports to comply with regulations and report illegal activities to law enforcement.
- Provided constructive feedback to Western Union agents regarding identified errors and ensured improvements in vulnerable areas.
- Evaluated documents submitted by Western Union agents to ensure compliance requirements were met when processing transactions for customers.
- Investigated consumer reinstatement requests and provided feedback.
- Enhanced expertise by obtaining various internal certificates necessary for handling high-risk cases such as SAR Concentrations, Reinstatements, and High-Risk Consumers.
Non-Payment Claims Sr. Specialist
Western Union
03.2016 - 03.2017
- Identified potential system or agent errors and processed refunds to customers.
- Analyzed for fraud to identify suspicious customer activity.
- Evaluated customer complaints concerning incorrectly processed money transfers.
- Called customers to notify them of potential fraudulent activity.
- Analyzed transactions and reported high-risk activity to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
Education
No Degree - Financial Services & MLRO Certificate
LEAD Training Services
Malta 04.2001 -
No Degree - Certified Cryptocurrency Investigator
Blockchain Intelligence Group
04.2001 -
No Degree - Certificate:Financial Crime Risk - New Technology
ICA
04.2001 -
No Degree - Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist
ACAMS
04.2001 -
Bachelor of Arts - History
Vilnius University
Lithuania 04.2001 -
Skills
- SAR/STR Writing
- Training and Development
- Transaction Monitoring
- Financial Crime Investigations
- Mentoring and Coaching
- Public Speaking
- Risk Management
- Investigating Issues
- Fraud Prevention
- AML Policy Writing
- Internal Controls Creation
- Enforcing Regulations
- Project Management
- People Management
- Operations Management
Timeline
Compliance Manager
Forvis Mazars
03.2023 - Current
Acceptance and Compliance Officer
Forvis Mazars
04.2022 - 03.2023
Learning Analyst - Financial Crimes
PayPal
07.2021 - 04.2022
LEAP (Trainings) Intern - Financial Crimes
PayPal
06.2020 - 08.2021
Reputational Risk Investigator - Financial Crimes
PayPal
02.2020 - 07.2021
Legal & Processor Risk Investigator - Fin. Crimes
PayPal
09.2018 - 02.2020
FIU Specialist - AML Compliance
Western Union
03.2017 - 09.2018
Non-Payment Claims Sr. Specialist
Western Union
03.2016 - 03.2017
No Degree - Financial Services & MLRO Certificate
LEAD Training Services
04.2001 -
No Degree - Certified Cryptocurrency Investigator
Blockchain Intelligence Group
04.2001 -
No Degree - Certificate:Financial Crime Risk - New Technology
ICA
04.2001 -
No Degree - Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist
ACAMS
04.2001 -
Bachelor of Arts - History
Vilnius University
04.2001 -
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