ACAMS Today ( AT ): Can you share your journey and what led you to your current role ?
Jaede Tan ( JT ): I originally grew up in London and started my career in the hedge fund / finance space . In 2008 , during the global financial crisis , I , along with a few close friends , decided to move to Asia to explore opportunities and I have been in the region and in love with the region ever since . I originally spent three years in Beijing followed by a stint in Hong Kong and since 2016 have been in Singapore ― a place I now proudly call home .
During this time , my career focus shifted away from finance to helping to build and scale various businesses in the Asia-Pacific region . After originally moving into the Enterprise B2B SaaS Technology space with App Annie , my first foray into the world of AML / AFC came when I was approached to found and build out the Asia-Pacific business for ComplyAdvantage , a U . K . -headquartered regulatory technology ( regtech ) business and a global leader in technology and AI-driven fraud and AML risk detection .
It was during my time at ComplyAdvantage that I viewed firsthand how critical it was for people to have the tools and knowledge to detect and fight financial crime and how rapidly the space was evolving . Previously , from the outside looking in , it was easy to fixate on the financial impact of financial crime . It was only by being involved in the space that I came to appreciate the deep human impact and cost , and understand why this is a fight we must all endeavor to win .
It was this experience that ultimately led me to ACAMS as I was deeply drawn by our mission-first culture and deep commitment to investing in , supporting and empowering the global AFC community ― especially in Asia-Pacific .
On a sidenote , both my father and my wife are compliance officers , so growing up I always swore I would never work in anything related to compliance . But I guess it ’ s impossible to ever really escape the “ family business .”
AT : What leadership strategies have been effective in engaging stakeholders across a diverse region ?
JT : During my time in Asia-Pacific , I learned the importance of appreciating and embracing the diversity in the region . “ APAC ” is often lumped together as a singular region , but it is a region made up of 74 individual and distinct countries ( with many more languages and cultures ), 58 % of the world ’ s population and about 45 % of the global gross domestic product .
In my experience , true localization is critical to success . Far too often we think about “ localization ” purely as “ translation ,” but it is much more than that . It is truly understanding the needs of the customer in each country or region and adapting the way we interact with our customers ― from how we communicate , how we market , how we engage , how we meet expectations around customer service and how we deliver product ― all while staying within the limits and framework of what we , at ACAMS , as a global organization can offer . Once we have this figured out , it then becomes about truly empowering our local teams to deliver this to our customers .
Finally , it is important to unify the team around common goals , identify and execute against strategic initiatives as one unit , and create an environment where we can all enjoy our work and have some fun along the way .
AT : Which emerging financial crime trends are most pressing for the Asia-Pacific region ?
JT : Sadly , innovation in the space is rife with bad actors constantly pioneering new innovative ways to illegally obtain and move illicit funds . AML used to be the primary focus ― stop the funds moving and you stop the illicit activity ― but the sphere has widened so quickly . Fraud and scams are now a huge problem affecting the mass population on a daily basis and the tools and technology that bad actors are utilizing are truly cutting-edge . This means that now , more than ever , widespread awareness is absolutely critical .
Fighting financial crime should not be siloed and confined to teams or individuals . It is the responsibility of every individual regardless of industry or job role .
I am so proud to be a part of ACAMS in helping to raise this awareness and arm people with the knowledge to help play their part .
AT : What do you like to do in your spare time ?
JT : I am a full-time husband to my wonderful wife , Jessie , and father to two beautiful and very energy-consuming young children ― Theodore ( 5 ) and Ava ( 3 ). As a family we love to eat , travel , swim , ride bikes and watch movies .
When I get some spare time , outside of work and family I am an extremely competitive but a poorly talented recreational golfer . I have also been known to enjoy karaoke ― especially singing ( badly ) Disney songs and ‘ 90s boy band classics .
Interviewed by : ACAMS Today editorial , ACAMS , editor @ acams . org
ACAMS Today | March – May 2025 89