Strategic problem solver and change manager. Expertise in risk management and regulatory legal compliance. Effective team player and efficient autonomous professional. International experience across four legal jurisdictions. Strong human rights advocate.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Data Policy Officer (Risk Management)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Copenhagen (Home-based Geneva)
01.2021 - Current
Data Policy Officer, Norms and Standards Section, Global Data Service. Providing subject matter excellence (risk management focus) for inputs on institutional policies and frameworks.
Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of regulatory frameworks for data management and data governance in a humanitarian setting, reinforcing responsible governance practices, data protection standards, and relevant human rights principles through implementation of formal oversight mechanisms.
Conduct research and remain abreast of related policy developments and legal frameworks for data, including regulations on AI, data responsibility, and data protection and privacy.
Act as the risk management focal point, ensuring risk identification, assessment and mitigation in line with UNHCR's Enterprise Risk Management framework.
President and Legal Adviser
Project Justice Ghana Association
Geneva
03.2020 - 01.2021
Co-Founder of a Swiss NGO dedicated to seeking legal justice for small-holder farmers across 16 Sub-Saharan African countries. These farmers participated in the testing of a toxic product, which resulted in life-threatening health consequences for some participants. Led fundraising and advocacy efforts, raising USD 5 million to support a claim valued at over USD 2 billion.
Senior Risk and Compliance Officer and Head of Anti-Money Laundering
Merrill Lynch Trust Services S.A.
Geneva
08.2016 - 12.2019
Act as the Firm's Money Laundering Reporting Officer, with full responsibility for the compliance and reporting framework for anti-money laundering.
Merrill Lynch Trust Services (Suisse) SA was acquired by JTC Group in September 2017. My responsibilities did not change.
Founder
Latitude60Ltd
NZ Company, (home-based Geneva)
04.2014 - 07.2016
I established a start-up eco-clothing company focused on manufacturing New Zealand-made ski base layers using 100% locally sourced wool.
Senior Compliance Officer and Head of Anti-Money Laundering
Merrill Lynch Bank Suisse
Geneva
02.2011 - 04.2014
Reporting to the CEO of the Swiss private bank and acting as a member of the Bank's Operations Committee.
Acting as the Money Laundering Reporting Officer and implementing the framework for compliance, including policy development, training, and management of investigations and case management.
Regulatory Counsel and Compliance Officer
Merrill Lynch International Bank
London
06.2007 - 02.2011
Regulatory Counsel in the Legal and Compliance Team (2007-2008). Initially working for the investment banking division (2007-8), then (2008-2011) in private wealth management.
[In September 2008 Bank of America Corporation acquired Merrill Lynch & Co.
2008-11, acting as the Senior Anti Money Laundering (AML) Officer for the Bank's Wealth Management business in EMEA.
Solicitor
Kennedys Solicitors
London
03.2003 - 06.2007
Legal representation for individual and corporate clients involved in regulatory proceedings, including investigations, inquiries, and enforcement proceedings with UK public bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive, and also financial conduct proceedings commenced by the Financial Conduct Authority, then known as the Financial Services Authority.
Solicitor
Bark and Co Solicitors
London
12.1999 - 03.2003
Defence of clients in serious and complex criminal cases facing charges brought by Crown Prosecution Service, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, Serious Fraud office and then Financial Services Authority, concerning money laundering, confiscation, enforcement, restraint orders and asset forfeiture proceedings.
Education
Bachelor of Laws, BA - Law, Psychology
Otago University
Otago, New Zealand
12-1995
Skills
Risk management
Legal analysis
Regulatory compliance
Data Protection and Privacy
Partnership Development
Employee Relations
Staff management, Team leadership
Policy Development
Certification
Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS)
Legal Practicing Certificate, England, and Wales (SRA)
Professional Risk Manager, (PRMIA)
Certified Data Protection Officer (Knowledge Academy)
Languages
English
First Language
French
Proficient (C2)
C2
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Data Policy Officer (Risk Management)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
01.2021 - Current
President and Legal Adviser
Project Justice Ghana Association
03.2020 - 01.2021
Senior Risk and Compliance Officer and Head of Anti-Money Laundering
Merrill Lynch Trust Services S.A.
08.2016 - 12.2019
Founder
Latitude60Ltd
04.2014 - 07.2016
Senior Compliance Officer and Head of Anti-Money Laundering
Director of Human Resources at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCRDirector of Human Resources at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR
Senior Field Assistant at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)Senior Field Assistant at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
VICE PRESIDENT at ASSOCIATION BAREFOOT COLLEGE AND BINDI INTERNATIONAL SUISSEVICE PRESIDENT at ASSOCIATION BAREFOOT COLLEGE AND BINDI INTERNATIONAL SUISSE
<ul><li>Company Overview: Group Company of PUIG, Spain</li><li>Team Leadership & Process Excellence: Organised the transformation of the Finance & Accounts function, establishing performance-driven goals, and embedding a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. Drove operational efficiency through process redesigns, SOP implementation and optimal resource deployment, leading to measurable improvements in turnaround time and accuracy.</li><li>Strategic Partnering with CXOs: Acted as a key advisor to the CEO, CFO, and other CXOs on business planning, pricing strategies, and business model pivots to support scale-up and profitability. Contributed to investor communications with data-backed insights to enhance stakeholder confidence and secure strategic funding.</li><li>Cross-Functional & Global Stakeholder Management: Functioned as the strategic finance business partner to cross-functional heads and the PUIG global finance team, aligning local execution with global financial strategies and compliance requirements.</li><li>ERP Transformation & System Automation: Led end-to-end ERP reimplementation to address system gaps, enforce role-based controls, and automate core finance processes—resulting in enhanced data accuracy, faster reporting and improved internal controls.</li><li>Costing, Inventory & Profitability Optimization: Designed and implemented plant-level costing models to ensure accurate COGS determination. Improved inventory management across pricing, consumption tracking, and aging analysis—enabling better working capital control and cost efficiency.</li><li>Manufacturing Finance & Statutory Compliance: Supervised end-to-end accounting for manufacturing operations and ensured full statutory compliance.</li><li>Financial Reporting, MIS & Profitability Analytics: Delivered accurate and timely monthly MIS reports, including P&L, Balance Sheet and KPI dashboards with deep-dive variance analysis across stores, business verticals, and geographies. Supported board-level decision-making through insightful presentations on financial health and business performance.</li><li>Budgeting, Forecasting & Business Planning: Led the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and rolling forecasts, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and market dynamics. Monitored key financial metrics to enable business decisions and proactive cost management.</li><li>Statutory, Internal & Tax Audit Management: Finalized standalone and consolidated financials under Ind AS and IFRS, ensured timely group reporting and compliance with international standards. Delivered clean and timely closures of statutory, tax, and internal audits in coordination with Big 4 auditors. Strengthened audit readiness through pre-audit diagnostics and rectification of recurring control gaps.</li><li>Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management: Ensured end-to-end compliance which includes ROC, RBI, FEMA, Income Tax, GST, Transfer Pricing, DTAA, and Customs. Reviewed cross-border contracts and transactions to ensure arm’s length pricing, accurate TDS application, and proper documentation under Transfer Pricing regulations.</li><li>Commercial Negotiation & Contract Governance: Led commercial negotiations and structured deals with vendors and franchisees. Reviewed key business contracts to ensure financial viability, risk protection, and compliance with regulatory standards.</li><li>Treasury & External Commercial Borrowing (ECB): Managed fund planning and liquidity management including ECB drawdowns, bank negotiations, and interest optimization. Improved working capital cycles through proactive cash flow forecasting and receivables control.</li><li>Internal Controls & Governance Framework: Led organization-wide reviews of internal control systems, identified process gaps, and redesigned or implemented over 40 SOPs and IFCs. Established a governance structure for financial discipline, risk mitigation, and policy compliance across departments.</li></ul> at Kama Ayurveda Pvt. Ltd. & PUIG India Pvt. Ltd.<ul><li>Company Overview: Group Company of PUIG, Spain</li><li>Team Leadership & Process Excellence: Organised the transformation of the Finance & Accounts function, establishing performance-driven goals, and embedding a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. Drove operational efficiency through process redesigns, SOP implementation and optimal resource deployment, leading to measurable improvements in turnaround time and accuracy.</li><li>Strategic Partnering with CXOs: Acted as a key advisor to the CEO, CFO, and other CXOs on business planning, pricing strategies, and business model pivots to support scale-up and profitability. Contributed to investor communications with data-backed insights to enhance stakeholder confidence and secure strategic funding.</li><li>Cross-Functional & Global Stakeholder Management: Functioned as the strategic finance business partner to cross-functional heads and the PUIG global finance team, aligning local execution with global financial strategies and compliance requirements.</li><li>ERP Transformation & System Automation: Led end-to-end ERP reimplementation to address system gaps, enforce role-based controls, and automate core finance processes—resulting in enhanced data accuracy, faster reporting and improved internal controls.</li><li>Costing, Inventory & Profitability Optimization: Designed and implemented plant-level costing models to ensure accurate COGS determination. Improved inventory management across pricing, consumption tracking, and aging analysis—enabling better working capital control and cost efficiency.</li><li>Manufacturing Finance & Statutory Compliance: Supervised end-to-end accounting for manufacturing operations and ensured full statutory compliance.</li><li>Financial Reporting, MIS & Profitability Analytics: Delivered accurate and timely monthly MIS reports, including P&L, Balance Sheet and KPI dashboards with deep-dive variance analysis across stores, business verticals, and geographies. Supported board-level decision-making through insightful presentations on financial health and business performance.</li><li>Budgeting, Forecasting & Business Planning: Led the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and rolling forecasts, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives and market dynamics. Monitored key financial metrics to enable business decisions and proactive cost management.</li><li>Statutory, Internal & Tax Audit Management: Finalized standalone and consolidated financials under Ind AS and IFRS, ensured timely group reporting and compliance with international standards. Delivered clean and timely closures of statutory, tax, and internal audits in coordination with Big 4 auditors. Strengthened audit readiness through pre-audit diagnostics and rectification of recurring control gaps.</li><li>Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management: Ensured end-to-end compliance which includes ROC, RBI, FEMA, Income Tax, GST, Transfer Pricing, DTAA, and Customs. Reviewed cross-border contracts and transactions to ensure arm’s length pricing, accurate TDS application, and proper documentation under Transfer Pricing regulations.</li><li>Commercial Negotiation & Contract Governance: Led commercial negotiations and structured deals with vendors and franchisees. Reviewed key business contracts to ensure financial viability, risk protection, and compliance with regulatory standards.</li><li>Treasury & External Commercial Borrowing (ECB): Managed fund planning and liquidity management including ECB drawdowns, bank negotiations, and interest optimization. Improved working capital cycles through proactive cash flow forecasting and receivables control.</li><li>Internal Controls & Governance Framework: Led organization-wide reviews of internal control systems, identified process gaps, and redesigned or implemented over 40 SOPs and IFCs. Established a governance structure for financial discipline, risk mitigation, and policy compliance across departments.</li></ul> at Kama Ayurveda Pvt. Ltd. & PUIG India Pvt. Ltd.