A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
I
had to laugh the other day on the
way to work. It is November, and
I still have the air conditioner
running in my car. When I lived in
New York, fall always heralded a
time of change, a chance to finish
final preparations for the long cold
winter. In Miami, no cold winter
looms mere weeks away. However,
even here, we need to be aware of
weather changes. Heavy rain and
thunderstorms can happen at any
time, leaving the unprepared soaked and running for cover.
The global economic crisis compares to those South Florida
storms: You never know who will get wet next—and walking
around without an umbrella is a poor decision. The credit crisis
and current economic landscape have highlighted the importance
of achieving greater efficiencies, maximizing resources and collaborating between AML and fraud departments to prevent financial crimes. That was an ongoing theme during the September
ACAMS 7th Annual International Money Laundering Conference &
Exhibition in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
At the conclusion of the conference, it was gratifying to hear
many participants say that it had been the best annual conference
they have ever attended. More regulators and law enforcement professionals attended than in previous years. Speakers from federal,
state and local agencies provided valuable knowledge to nearly
900 attendees from more than 30 nations. My favorite part was
the roundtable discussions. The roundtables afford attendees an
intimate format to discuss important topics with their colleagues,
regulators and others. Attendees had the opportunity to learn
what others are doing to address tough AML challenges, what they
perceive as leading industry practices and just as important, to
learn what does not work and what the regulators look for during
examinations.
Another hot topic at the conference was the 2008 AML/CFT
Compensation Survey, which yielded exciting findings on the
value of AML professionals and the increasing demand for their
knowledge and expertise, despite an overall decline in salaries and
total compensation from the past year. The salary survey shows
that CAMS professionals earned 14 percent more in total compensation this year than non-CAMS professionals. The “Who made more
in 2008?” article in this issue highlights the details of the survey.
As always, the conference presented a wonderful opportunity to
renew friendships and to meet new members. ACAMS constantly
expands its membership, and I expect that we will reach 10,000
members shortly. Seeing so many members come together and
share so much of their hard-won knowledge and experience really
highlights that it is the members that drive ACAMS. I, on behalf of
ACAMS, want to express our appreciation for the time and effort
that so many of you put into making ACAMS successful.
Now, I am looking forward to the ACAMS European Money
Laundering Conference in Prague this month and anticipate the
success of the second annual MENA conference in Dubai and an
additional conference in Hong Kong for 2009. I look forward to
seeing many of you at these locations.
Finally, as the year comes to a close, I want to wish everyone a
A
safe and happy holiday season.
Gregory J. Calpakis, CAMS
SAVE THE DATE!
REGISTER BY DEC 22
AND SAVE $300!
THE MONEYLAUNDERING.COM
14th Annual International
Conference & Exhibition
Mention VIP code 8LAC01*
March 16–18, 2009 | The Westin Diplomat | Hollywood, Florida USA
Five reasons to attend:
Contact Us/Register:
Learn how to maximize your resources
and achieve greater efficiencies in your
AML processes.
Benefit from ample face time with
leading industry experts, including
your regulators.
Take away best practices on complex
AML compliance issues.
Exchange lessons learned with
your peers to solve your most
pressing compliance challenges.
Create a customized agenda by selecting
the sessions most suited to your
information needs.
Phone: 305.530.0500 or
800.232.3652 in the U.S.
Fax: 305.530.9434
Web:
http://www.moneylaundering.com/conferences
Email:
[email protected]
Mark your calendar for the AML event of the year and register now!
* VIP code 8LAC01 must be provided in order to receive discount offer.
www.ACAMS.org
November / December 2008
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acams today
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