BSA / AML · Financial Crime Risk
PhD — Financial Crime Prevention CAMS Certified Six Sigma Green Belt

Dr. Raheel Siddiqui

Senior BSA/AML & Financial Crimes Leader

15+ years of experience across global banking institutions — leading KYC operations, regulatory remediation, AML control frameworks, and high-risk customer reviews for top-tier banks including MUFG, China Construction Bank, Nordea, and BNY Mellon.

Request a Consultation View Services
15+
Years Experience
BSA/AML & Financial Crime
4
Tier-1 Global Banks
MUFG · CCB · Nordea · BNY Mellon
PhD
Doctoral Degree
Financial Crime Prevention
Scroll
15+
Years in BSA/AML
KYC
CDD · EDD · QA Leadership
4+
Global Banking Institutions
CAMS
Certified Since 2013
Core Disciplines

Deep expertise across
financial crime risk

01 — KYC / CDD / EDD
Know Your Customer & Due Diligence

End-to-end CDD/EDD lifecycle management for corporate and institutional clients. Specialization in high-risk segments including MSBs, Foreign Financial Institutions, Funds, and Charitable Organizations.

02 — AML / BSA
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance

AML program design, policy development, transaction monitoring oversight, and FinCEN CDD Rule implementation. Extensive experience with FATF standards, OFAC/SDN screening, and BSA regulatory requirements.

03 — Quality Assurance
QA Frameworks & Model Validation

Designing and managing QA frameworks to evaluate AML CDD control effectiveness, decision quality, and regulatory adherence. Oversight of annual KYC model validation processes and remediation coordination.

04 — Regulatory
Regulatory Exam Management

Representing departments in internal audits, regulatory examinations, and external reviews. Managing evidence collection, issue responses, and remediation initiatives aligned with OCC, FDIC, DFS, and FinCEN expectations.

05 — Sanctions & PEP
Sanctions Screening & PEP Review

OFAC/SDN screening, PEP registry design and implementation, adverse media investigations using World-Check, RDC, LexisNexis, Dow Jones, and Factiva. DFS 504 compliance and Beneficial Ownership rule implementation.

06 — Governance
Risk Governance & Operations

Defining SLAs, KPIs, RCSA metrics, and risk appetite frameworks. Backlog mitigation, capacity planning, escalation protocols, and training module development across regional and global financial crime teams.

◆
Background & Experience
Raheel Siddiqui
Dr. Raheel Siddiqui
PhD · CAMS · Six Sigma Green Belt
✉ [email protected] ◎ (646) 239-0488 ⊕ linkedin.com/in/raheelsiddiqui2020
◈ Monmouth Junction, NJ

Senior leader at the
forefront of financial crime

Dr. Raheel Siddiqui is a senior BSA/AML and Financial Crimes professional with over 15 years of hands-on experience within global banking institutions. He has led large-scale KYC operations, managed regulatory examinations, and built compliance frameworks from the ground up across some of the world's most prominent financial institutions.

Holding a PhD with a focus on Financial Crime Prevention and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) designation, Dr. Siddiqui brings both academic rigor and deep operational expertise to every engagement — from complex EDD reviews to regulatory remediation programs and model validation oversight.

Dec 2022
— Present
Head of KYC Middle Office & QA Program
Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation — New York, NY
Leads KYC Middle Office and Quality Assurance functions overseeing end-to-end CDD/EDD lifecycle for corporate and institutional clients. Oversees annual model validation and represents the department in regulatory exams and internal audits.
Dec 2019
— Nov 2022
First Vice President, KYC Manager
China Construction Bank — New York, NY
Led team of senior KYC specialists managing CDD/EDD for high-risk clients including MSBs, FFIs, Funds, and Charities. Implemented Head Office AML framework in the NY branch with gap analysis and control testing.
Apr 2016
— Dec 2019
Vice President, Customer Due Diligence
Nordea Bank Abp — New York, NY
Led governance committee for CDD/EDD system enhancements including FinCEN Beneficial Ownership Rule and DFS 504 compliance. Implemented PEP registry and negative news screening enhancements.
Apr 2011
— Mar 2016
AVP, Senior AML/BSA Specialist
Nordea Bank Abp — New York, NY
Reviewed complex high-risk accounts, developed MIS reporting and senior management dashboards, supported AML policy updates, and assisted in building out the Middle Office department.
Oct 2008
— Mar 2011
KYC QA Team Lead
Bank of New York Mellon — New York, NY
Performed QA reviews for Corporate Trust clients ensuring compliance with BSA, USA PATRIOT Act, and AML policies. Conducted EDD, OFAC/SDN screening, and adverse media searches. Participated in AML look-back remediation projects.
PhD, Business Administration (Financial Crime Prevention Focus) — National University, CA · 2023
MBA, Finance — Long Island University, NY · 2009
BS, Business Administration (International Business & Finance) — York College, CUNY · 2005
CAMS — Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, ACAMS · Dec 2013
Six Sigma Green Belt — March 2011
Core Competencies

What I bring to
every engagement

BSA / AML Compliance
Financial Crime Risk Management
KYC / CDD / EDD
High-Risk Customer Reviews
Beneficial Ownership (FinCEN CDD Rule)
OFAC & Sanctions Screening
PEP & Adverse Media Review
Regulatory Exam Management
Internal Audit & QA
Model Validation Oversight
Issue Management & Remediation
AML Policy & Procedure Development
Operational Risk & Controls
Team Leadership & Capacity Planning
AML/KYC Systems & Tools
World-Check RDC LexisNexis Dow Jones Factiva Bankers Almanac OFAC Screening Tools ChoicePoint MS Access MS Office Suite
Consulting Services

How I
engage

Each engagement is tailored to the institution's risk profile, regulatory posture, and operational timeline. Available for advisory, project, and retainer arrangements.

Start a Conversation
KYC Program Design & Remediation

Building or restructuring KYC Middle Office and QA functions, including CDD/EDD process design, SLA frameworks, and quality metrics aligned to regulatory expectations.

Advisory
AML Compliance Program Assessment

Gap analysis of existing AML programs against FinCEN, FATF, and FFIEC standards. Policy and procedure enhancement, transaction monitoring model evaluation, and control testing.

Project
Regulatory Exam Preparation & Support

Preparing institutions for OCC, FDIC, DFS, and FinCEN examinations. Managing evidence collection, issue response strategies, and post-exam remediation roadmaps.

Project
High-Risk Customer & EDD Reviews

Specialized EDD reviews for MSBs, Foreign Financial Institutions, Funds, PEPs, and Charitable Organizations — including Source of Wealth/Funds analysis and UBO documentation.

Retainer
Model Validation & QA Oversight

Independent validation of KYC and AML systems, QA framework design, and remediation coordination to ensure model integrity and regulatory compliance.

Advisory
PhD Research · Northcentral University · 2023

An Assessment of Current Anti-Money Laundering Strategies
among Financial Institutions in the United States

A qualitative case study exploring the effectiveness of AML controls, interviewing 14 compliance officers across major U.S. financial institutions. Includes findings on regulatory gaps, technology adoption, and compliance culture.

View Research Summary Download PDF
Get in Touch

Let's discuss
your compliance needs

Available for consulting engagements, advisory roles, and regulatory remediation projects. Based in Monmouth Junction, NJ — serving clients globally.

Send a Message
✉
Email
[email protected]
◎
Phone
(646) 239-0488
⊕
LinkedIn
raheelsiddiqui2020