KNOW YOUR CHAPTER
ACAMS Netherlands Chapter : Evolution in AML through connections
Evelyn Bell , Alexander Verhoeven and Yuri Broodman were active board members of the ACAMS Netherlands Chapter in 2022 . They met after an ACAMS Netherlands Chapter event and reflected on their compliance careers as well as their involvement with ACAMS . Since April 2023 , Broodman moved to the Luxembourg Chapter , while Bell and Verhoeven are now both co-chairs of the ACAMS Netherlands Chapter Board .
The following are some of the questions posed during their discussion .
ACAMS Netherlands Chapter ( ANC ): Where did you spend your childhood and what did you study and where ?
Evelyn Bell ( EB ): I grew up in a small town 40 km north of Amsterdam and moved to Amsterdam when I was 18 years old , starting my studies in criminology at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam . Taking an interest in both law and human behavior , I expected criminology to be the perfect choice of study for me . After my bachelor ’ s degree , for which I spent one semester at Northeastern University in Boston , I pursued a master ’ s degree in criminology at that same university and I did a second master ’ s degree in forensics , criminology and law as well as criminal defense law at Maastricht University in the south of The Netherlands .
Alexander Verhoeven ( AV ): Contrary to Bell , I grew up in the south of the Netherlands , near the border of Belgium . While the work conditions were difficult during the 1980s in the Netherlands , my family emigrated to the Republic of South Africa in 1984 to make a living . I lived in George for two and a half years and went to Outeniqua High School , before we emigrated back to the Netherlands in
1987 . I then completed my high school in Eindhoven and started with a bachelor ’ s degree in business administration which I completed in Amsterdam . In October 1992 , I started working for De Nederlandsche Bank ( DNB ), which is the central bank in the Netherlands , in the Monetary Division in downtown Amsterdam .
Yuri Broodman ( YB ): I spent my childhood in Zeeland , was born in Middelburg and lived in Vlissingen until the age of 19 . Having grown up in Zeeland , a quiet province on the seaside in the south of the Netherlands , I had a natural fascination for the sea and when I had to decide what to study , the Royal Netherlands Naval academy was my first choice . As such I went to Den Helder ( a three-and-a-half-hour train ride from Vlissingen ) and started my studies there to become a navy officer . In 1999 , I graduated from the academy and later , during my career in the navy , I did additional studies and obtained an Executive Master of Science Degree in internal auditing ( RO ) at the University of Amsterdam .
ANC : When did you start working in compliance and what was your first role ?
EB : I started my career working for a law firm in international criminal law . After four years , I wanted to work for a large company with many opportunities for growth which I found at KPMG Forensic . With my legal background , I soon focused on anti-money laundering / counter-terrorist financing compliance work , such as supporting clients with running remediation programs . In my first role as a consultant , I reviewed the quality of deliverables ( policies and procedures , integrity risk analysis ) and acted as a mystery shopper for a money transfer company to assess the level of compliance at different stores .
144 acamstoday . org