India Chapter

Ms. Rinku Sharma is the Executive Vice President and Head of Workforce Effective for SBI Card, India. She is recognized for her experience, leadership and dedication to the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) field. Under her able leadership, the SBI Card AML program is robust, sustainable and has evolved as the best in class.

Her all-round experience has given her the unique ability to manage key business transformations in an innovative manner. She successfully led the automation, integration and implementation of a new AML solution that provides easy access to a single consolidated platform with a 360-degree view of customers, automated filing of STRs, interactive rule simulation functionality and MIS reporting. She has established a system of internal controls and policies and procedures in line with ongoing compliance with AML requirements and has ensured an independent testing Assurance process of the same. She has also established effective working partnerships with law enforcement agencies ensuring that management and employees understand how regulatory requirements are used to achieve national policy goals that may override business concerns.

With a prolific career spanning over 25 years, Rinku has carved a niche for herself in the world of Compliance and Anti Money Laundering. She has not only gained an influential position within the organization’s internal leadership but is also a well-respected expert in the industry. She is a special invitee member to the CII (Confederation of Indian Industries) Delhi State Council and member of their panel on ‘Digital Cashless Economy’ and ‘SMEs and Finance’. Rinku was invited by the FIU – India Director to address the ‘Train the Trainers’ workshop on AML & CFT and was the only speaker representing private sector financial institutions. She was the key note speaker at the ACAMS - South India Chapter event in July 2018 and her articles on Compliance related matters are regularly published in esteemed magazines. She has been winning various awards at national and international forums including a global industry award for “Best Financial Crime Compliance Team of the Year”, ‘Best Compliance Officer of the Year’ at the ‘Women in Compliance Awards’ at London.

Rinku is a St. Stephen’s alumni and holds a master’s degree in business administration. She has previously led Fraud Control Management and Customer Insights & Process Trainings COE. Her earlier roles at GE include AML Principal Officer and senior roles in Sales, Credit and Operations. She was part of a 3 member team that launched the Home Equity product for GE Money that was adjudged the best New Product Introduced for the year globally. Rinku is a Certified ‘Investigations and Security Manager’ and has completed the flagship three-year GE Global Fraud Management Leadership program at Washington DC, Prague & Bangkok and was trained at US Secret Service Office as a part of the program. She is CAMS (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, USA) and six sigma certified. She is a visiting faculty to CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation - akin to FBI) Academy and has also contributed towards GE Women’s Network Co-Hub Lead for Delhi.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

• International Banking
• Strategic Planning
• Anti Financial Crime
• Risk Management
• Project planning & execution

INDUSTRY EXPERTISE:

• Regulatory-IFSCA
• Banking–Bank of Baroda

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• B.Com & M.A
• EAG FSRB Certification for FATF Standards
• Risk Based Supervision – Toronto Centre
• Certifications from IIBF, IIM, IBRD, ASCI, IIFT, FTMI, InfosysLtd., Aon, INSEAD, IDBRT, IRDAI, McKinsey, Fitch, NIBM, Euromoney, and Oxford University

EXPERTISE SUMMARY:

• More than 3 decades of experience in banking industry
• International Banking Strategic planning, AML Project Management, Risk Management and Treasury
• Leadership roles in business development
• Recognition in business development -Consistent performance and pan India best performance
• Assignments in Europe, Middle East, Central Asia, South East Asian and South Pacific countries
• Participated in 2023 ACAMS APAC Annual Conference on AML and AFC and 2024 ACAMS APAC Assembly as Panel Member
• Guest and Associate faculty – Risk Management in International Operations

KEYWORK / PROJECTS / INITIATIVES:

IFSCA

• Worked as GM and Chief – BankingSupervision, Head – AML/KYC/CFT
• Steered the Supervision and AML-CFT Divisions at IFSCA.
• Risk Based Supervision (2020-2024)
• AML/KYC/CFT Guidelines and Risk Based Supervision (2022-2024)
• FATF Mutual Evaluation(2023-2024)
• Member of Task Force and Sub-Group on CKYC and CCL (2024)
• Member of Indian delegation for updating of FATF standards (2024)

Banking:

• Member of IBA Sub/Support Group of Working Group on AML (2000)
• Strategic planning–Rejig of Business model and expansion
• Policies, implementation and monitoring -Risk Management for International operations (2000-2005)
• Project Manager – AML and Payment Systems (2005-2007)
• Amalgamation and Integration of processes and IT systems (2019-2020)

Nitin is a seasoned ‘Enterprise Sales’ specialist with two decades of experience in the financial services industry. In ACAMS, he is championing the idea of role-based AML/ AFC learnings amongst banks and financial institutions (BFSI).

Back in 2009, Nitin started off with making presence in banks’ dealing rooms and commodity trading desks helping Dealers/ Traders access intelligent real-time financial data and risk information across asset classes i.e. Forex, Fixed Income, Commodities, and Equities. His knowledge and expertise leaped after joining Dun & Bradstreet where he advised top-of-the line multinationals / Indian clients to mitigate supply chain risks by adopting Third-party due diligence (TPDD) solutions targeted to screen supply chain partners for financial stability, sustainability, Anti-bribery, PEP, AML, CFT and Sanctions.

Nitin has distinct experience of dealing with leading public sector undertakings and government institutions including Finance Ministry, Central Bank of India and other regulatory institutions. He has held illustrious sales career and received several awards and recognitions during the years. He is a Commerce graduate from University of Delhi and completed management studies at International Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi. In 2020, he attended prestigious Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) and successfully completed a four-month weekend programme in international trade and business. In 2024, he passed CAMS and Advanced CAMS (Risk Management) Certifications and in 2025 the Certified Anti-Fraud Specialist (CAFS).

Sumithra is a seasoned Financial Crimes Risk & Compliance learning specialist with over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. She is currently leading the Surveillance Academy for Financial Crimes Surveillance Functions at Standard Chartered Bank. As the Programme Director for Surveillance Academy she is responsible for the strategic Change, Design, and implementation of the FC learning programme spanning Policies & Standards, Process, Technology, regulatory requirements and changes across Screening and Transaction Monitoring for over 40 countries.

Having accumulated over 23 years of work experience, Sumithra is certified in Six-sigma methodology and Project Management with progressive knowledge and proven accomplishments in the financial services sector under her belt. A certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), she was pivotal in the establishment and operations of the former ACAMS South India Chapter, which paved the way to the formation of the ACAMS India National Chapter.

An accomplished Banking Professional with over 29 years’ experience in banking industry (Bank of Baroda – 24 years, Union Bank of India – 5 years) covering areas of credit, compliance & regulatory matters, international banking, finance, internal audit and now heading the Compliance function of Bank of Baroda group.

Karthik Varadharajan is a seasoned senior leader in BFSI with over 23 years of experience in overseeing complex financial operations, risk management functions, and regulatory compliance. Karthik has consistently led large teams and managed high profile risk management functions across diverse sectors.

Karthik's career began with hands-on experience in financial reporting and controllership, focusing on maintaining transparency and compliance within global financial frameworks. Over the years, he has developed a comprehensive understanding of broader risk frameworks, including financial crime risk (AML/Sanctions), fraud risk, cyber risk, and financial risk, providing him with a holistic approach to managing and mitigating risks across organizations.

His expertise in SOX methodology, Enterprise Risk Management Framework, and control testing using quantitative analysis and data analytics has been instrumental in fortifying internal controls and driving operational excellence. Karthik is particularly skilled at aligning risk management strategies with business objectives, ensuring that financial and operational risks are effectively addressed while supporting organizational goals.

Throughout his career, Karthik has been dedicated to fostering a culture of accountability, continuously strengthening internal controls, and advancing best practices in risk management and internal audit. As a member of the Board of Governors for the Institute of Internal Auditors, Madras Chapter, he actively contributes to the development and promotion of industry standards.

With a proven track record of driving performance improvements, strengthening governance, and ensuring regulatory compliance, Karthik remains committed to enhancing organizational resilience in an increasingly complex risk landscape.

With over nine years of experience in global trade, Anti-Money Laundering (AML), and sanctions compliance, Ms. Siddhi brings a well-rounded and practical perspective to the financial crime risk domain. CAMS and CGSS certified, she is currently responsible for managing the Sanctions Desk at Yes Bank Limited.

During her tenure at Yes Bank, numerous complex Trade-Based Money Laundering (TBML) cases have been successfully identified, meaningfully contributing to strengthen the bank’s overall compliance efforts. Her unique combination of hands-on experience in trade operations as a document examiner and her expertise as a TBML senior analyst has enabled her to develop a deep and practical understanding of global sanctions regimes.

She has been consistently recognized with multiple awards for outstanding dedication, performance, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.