AWARDS
AT : What was your motivation for wanting to write for ACAMS Today ?
CB : Reading and writing are a passion of mine and I will read any topic ( e . g ., astronomy , history ) in any medium . My first exposure to ACAMS Today was at the start of my career . In fact , I still have every ACAMS Today magazine that has been issued . I have always been inspired by those who take time out of their busy lives to educate the AFC community , and I wanted to do my part . It wasn ’ t until I got to know Karla Monterrosa-Yancey and the ACAMS Today team that the interest turned into motivation , which turned into action .
My first article , titled “ Exam-Ready AML and Sanctions Programs ,” 2 was inspired by my experience at a bank considered higher risk by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency due to a customer base that included check cashing businesses , prepaid cards , third-party processors and more , as well as products / services , such as trade finance and merchant acquiring . We spent a lot of time with our examiners showcasing our great financial crimes program , ultimately resulting in our program being considered one of the strongest . I wanted to share this experience with the financial crimes community .
The success of publishing this article opened the door for me to write numerous articles , many in collaboration with so many other brilliant financial crime prevention professionals over the past several years .
SC : As the Polaris FIU director , my goal was to educate AML professionals and motivate them to get involved . There is no better platform to reach AML professionals than ACAMS Today . Like Chris , I love to write . While I ’ ve done a lot of public speaking , I prefer to communicate in writing . I am really a true nerd .
AT : What advice would you give to other AFC professionals who would like to write for ACAMS Today but have yet to take the first step ?
CB : When I have had an opportunity to provide advice to those interested in writing for ACAMS Today , I always try to provide three key pieces of advice :
▪ Start with the topic you are most passionate about and comfortable with . This doesn ’ t mean you shouldn ’ t take a chance on something new , but getting that first article published , where you can share your knowledge and experience , will go a long way . Even if others have written on the same topic , that doesn ’ t mean you shouldn ’ t . We all have different experiences and sharing those experiences is how we grow .
▪ Start small . I ’ ve written plenty of 2,000 + word articles and that can be daunting even for seasoned authors . But the ACAMS Today team is just as happy to publish a 400-word article . Part of the reason why the Back to the Basics column was established was to provide authors an avenue to write smaller , succinct articles . Leverage mediums like this to get started .
▪ Don ’ t take no for an answer . One factor that impacted my ability to write early in my career was the approval process at the banks I worked for . Before writing anything , make sure there are no issues or limitations on writing content for ACAMS Today . If you are told you can ’ t write , don ’ t be discouraged . It is your career and anything important is worth fighting for .
The ACAMS Today team is amazing in their support of new and seasoned authors . Don ’ t be afraid to reach out and ask how to get started !
SC : I would say to team up with Chris Bagnall because he is a wonderful writing partner and really guided me through the process . But if you can ’ t do that , the first step is creating a clear concept of what you want to say . Think
“ The success of publishing this article opened the door for me to write numerous articles , many in collaboration with so many other brilliant financial crime prevention professionals over the past several years .”
― Chris Bagnall
60 acamstoday . org