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Mara WESSELING

Senior Financial Crime Expert

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Mara WESSELING
45 years old
Lille France
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Professional Status
Employed
Open to opportunities
About Me
I’m a Senior Financial Crime expert with a PhD in Political Science focusing especially on combating the financing of terrorism, risk and effectiveness.

Well-versed in both academic and professional (qualitative) research methodologies, I am a critical thinker, with strong analytical skills.

My research background (10+ years) has given me a unique and comprehensive insight in the ever-evolving financial crime landscape and the international efforts of public and private stakeholders to fight financial crime.
Resume created on DoYouBuzz
Experiences
  • Contributing to risk and threat assessments for the company's Business Wide Risk Assessment and Threat Library solutions.
  • Conducting research into threats and risk indicators. Presenting the findings via workshops (Stockholm, London) and in three White Papers.
  • Member of the Supervisory Boards for the Dutch National Risk Assessment on CT (2019, 2022) & the Evaluation of the Dutch Counter Terrorism Strategy (2020).
  • Member of the Ethics Committee of the Transaction Monitoring partnership of ABN AMRO, ING, Rabobank and Triodos Bank (2022).
Company website
https://acuminor.com/
  • Providing independent research, training and advice on financial crime and AML-CFT policies for public and private clients.
  • Key areas of interest include: risk identification and mitigation, assessing effectiveness, public-private cooperation, the use of ethical AI and technology for AML/CFT, terrorism financing.
  • 2-year CFT policy evaluation for Dutch Ministries of Finance and Justice.
  • Expert consultant for two AML/CFT studies for the European Commission.
  • In-house training and consulting for banks, compliance start-ups, money transfer services, trust companies, gambling sector, public sector...
  • Technical assistance commissioned by the Council of Europe for projects on regulating Virtual Asset Service Providers in Ukraine and Serbia.
  • Research and reporting on de-risking of Non-Profits and emerging tech (AI, ML) commissioned by the ECNL.
Detailed Description
  • 2022
    • Research into emerging tech and de-risking of the Non Profit Sector
    • Research and podcast on the funding of Right Wing Extremism
    • Development online AML/CFT Course
  • 2021
    • Consulting for ABN/AMRO, FMO, FEC
    • Research for RUSI on EU legal package
    • Compliance training and manual for Brazilian Sports Gambling Platform
  • 2020
    • Member of the Supervisory Board for the Dutch Counter Terrorism Strategy Evaluation.
  • 2019
    • Member of the Supervisory Board for the Dutch National Risk Assessment.
    • Invited as speaker at multiple international conferences (i.a. ACAMS Berlin, Cambridge Symposium on Economic Crime, Financial Intelligence Sharing Initiative)
  • 2018
    • Invited by the Dutch Financial Crimes Unit (FIOD) and the US IRS to present research.
    • Invited as speaker to the Dutch National Anti-Money Laundering Day.
  • 2017
    • Invited as expert for a hearing on CFT by the Financial Affairs Committee of the Dutch Parliament.
    • Invited by the Terrorism Finance Task Force to present research.
Company Description
WES Consulting helps governments and private companies to assess and mitigate the organizational risks of threat finance by providing research, consulting and expertise based on in-depth knowledge and evidence-based research. My areas of expertise include:

• Anti-money laundering (AML)
• Combating terrorism financing (CFT)
• Mitigating the organizational impact of terrorism financing through risk-based approaches
• International and European security policies
• Intelligence-led analysis of financial data and smart software
  • Conducting research on combating terrorism financing, with a particular interest in (1) risk-based approaches; smart technology/data-led solutions (2) compliance and the efforts and challenges of private actors.
  • Teaching courses on financial surveillance, terrorism financing and big data
    Sciences Po and the Catholic University of Lille.
Detailed Description
  • 2016
    • In-depth study and article for the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies.
  • 2015
    • Consulting requested by the Dutch Ministry of Finance.
    • Presentation during the National Day against Terrorism Finance organized by the Dutch Central Bank.
    • Presentation delivered at the European Parliament.
  • 2014
    • Writing an in-depth study on CFT for the European Parliament.
  • 2013
    • Providing expertise on AML/CFT for the Dutch Parliament leading to parliamentary questions.
Company website
https://www.sciencespo.fr/en/home
  • Writing a PhD thesis entitled ‘The European Fight against Terrorism Financing: Professional Fields and Governing Practices’
  • Teaching courses on the EU’s AML/CFT policies
  • Organizing and participating in (international) conferences and seminars
  • Visiting researcher at Durham University (UK) for 3 months in 2009
Company website
https://www.uva.nl/en
  • Research on EU internal and external security and terrorism
  • Training European officials on Justice and Home Affairs policies
Company Description
EIPA was created in 1981 on the occasion of the first European Council held in Maastricht.
We are supported by the EU Member States and the European Commission.
Cross-national and cross-institutional comparative, analytical perspectives on EU policies.
Longest-standing experts in EU public affairs.
Company website
https://www.eipa.eu/
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Resume created on DoYouBuzz