In my final Wirex role, my work extended well beyond individual case handling into processes, team coordination, automation, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Covered for the Team Lead for periods of up to one month and coordinated a seven-person team across screening and transaction-monitoring workstreams.
• Planned and organised the team's work to clear backlog and stabilise processes.
• Prepared team-performance reporting for internal stakeholders.
• Designed automation improvements in the ticketing system for customer-contact processes initiated by internal teams.
• Worked with Data, Development, Fraud, Blockchain Analytics, Support, Assurance, and external providers to resolve operational issues.
• Communicated with AML analysts and MLROs at external providers on additional-information requests and SAR-related cases.
• Organised cross-training between Financial Crime teams.
• Supported audit preparation with data and documentation.
• While covering the Team Lead, reviewed and approved complex analytical decisions, closure requests, and escalations.

What matters for Product here: leadership without a formal manager title, process design, automation thinking, metrics, stakeholder management, and work across multiple teams.

I moved from foundational KYC into full Financial Crime work across transaction monitoring, screening, EDD, and investigations.

• Analysed transaction-monitoring and screening alerts.
• Conducted EDD for confirmed PEPs.
• Investigated suspicious activity and escalated complex cases to senior management.
• Contributed to risk-based exit and account-closure decisions.
• Filed SARs with the relevant authorities and external service providers.
• Handled provider requests related to transaction monitoring and screening.
• Screened suppliers.
• Trained and mentored junior analysts.
• Created training materials and process documentation.
• Supported the Fraud team with fraud alerts and backlog when additional capacity was needed.

Role progression: I was no longer simply following a procedure; I regularly worked through ambiguous cases, risk, decision rationale, and training others.

The next step after Verification brought greater responsibility for complex KYC cases, internal consulting, and sanctions-related work.

• Supported the Wirex US launch from the verification and KYC side.
• Worked with new US customers and US Compliance on verification requirements.
• Identified bugs and process issues affecting the verification flow.
• Supported the Sanctions team with PEP and Adverse Media screening.
• Escalated suspicious activity and prepared internal SARs when needed.
• Advised other teams on KYC processes.
• Mentored new employees from their first day.
• Created learning materials and ran internal training sessions.
• Identified and reported incidents affecting the verification process.

An early pattern is already clear here, and it repeated in nearly every role that followed: I quickly moved from “running the process” to “explaining how it should work, finding its problems, and teaching others.”

My first role in fintech.

• Conducted CDD for new and existing customers.
• Checked customer data and documents for completeness and accuracy.
• Identified fraudulent documents and suspicious behaviour.
• Prepared internal SARs for suspicious cases.
• Handled customer verification requests through the ticketing system.
• Created refund and defund requests for closed accounts.
• Worked with Support and Compliance to resolve verification-process issues.
• Identified and reported incidents.
• Already in this role, I began mentoring new employees and providing practical training.