A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
A great way to
stay connected
W
e are extremely proud to publish
this “Special Law Enforcement
Edition” of ACAMS Today. I
know you will find it as valuable as I do, to
focus entirely on the men and women of law
enforcement, who are community’s front line
against criminals throughout the world.
When I joined ACAMS last February, I was
committed to recognizing the important role
law enforcement plays in our organization and
in the global efforts to combat money laundering, financial crime and all other related
efforts that have a monetary component. In
the past year, we have met with state, federal
and international law enforcement representatives on improving our training, and overall
general awareness of the global AML community on the importance of working closely
with our allies from law enforcement. You
can expect to see more training from ACAMS
on investigations, responding to law enforcement requests for information and how to
prepare quality SARs or STRs. Law enforcement agencies are true partners of the AML
professional private sector and we need to do
our part to assist them.
Please give us feedback on this effort and
ideas for themes for future editions.
ACAMS Chapters —
A great way to stay connected
We had a 50 percent increase in ACAMS
chapters in 2010. Look for new chapters in
Florida, the Midwest, North East and West
Coast of the United States. Chapters will also
be created in Europe, Asia, Latin America
and the Middle East. So, growth is continuing
in 2011, and with the recommendations being
developed by a Steering Committee created
in December, chapters will indeed be a major
way for our members to stay engaged with
one another.
I have been fortunate to be able to travel to
a number of chapter launches and am truly
impressed by the professionalism exhibited
by the board members. Their commitment
to encouraging feedback and participation
should ensure active and connected ACAMS
members for a long time to come.
It is essential that our chapter boards
continue to be composed of a vast array of
AML professionals from the government, the
consulting area and the financial industry.
Keep in mind as you consider creating a
chapter in your area, the more diversity
in your board, the more value you will be
able to provide to local ACAMS members.
proud of your CAMS designation and share
stories with us on how that credential has
helped you in your career.
Task Force activity —
Another vehicle for participation
ACAMS has made a strategic decision to
revise all of our existing task forces and to
create several new groups. We feel strongly
that the expansion of task forces, chapters
and other committees will create ample
opportunities for members to stay involved
with the ACAMS community.
In some cases, ACAMS members who have
long served with distinction, are no longer
on several of our standing task forces, as we
have added new members or individuals that
have been members but never participated
in an active role. This approach may seem
harsh but it should not be seen that way.
It is essential that our
chapter boards
continue to be composed
of a vast array of
AML professionals
The CAMS Examination —
An assessment of the AML professional
like no other
Another area of critical importance to
employers in both the private and public
sector is whether an AML professional
candidate is truly prepared for the challenges of this industry. I have been fortunate
to have been in this community for a very
long time (no jokes please!) and it is clear
to me that the CAMS exam is the only true
testing measure of AML understanding.
There is no valid competition to our process
and we have just updated the examination
in 2011 to reflect changes in laws, regulations and AML-related coverage. Our exam
is also psychometrically reviewed and is
not an “open-book” examination. We also
do not “grandfather” anyone! So, the next
time you are contacted by the competition, remember, there is no competition. Be
For conference planning and training advice, it is important that ACAMS hear from
new members of our diverse community
— whether it is from MSBs, insurance,
securities, casinos or others from the AML
consulting community. We believe these
changes will pay immediate benefits.
I am convinced that the dedicated ACAMS
member will find a way to stay involved and
we welcome that support.
To get you to start thinking about new or
revital