Gregory Dellas is the Group Chief Compliance and Risk Officer at ECOMMBX and a recognized leader in financial crime prevention and risk management. With a career spanning over three decades in banking and financial services, Gregory has held a series of senior leadership roles. At the Bank of Cyprus, he served as Director Wealth & Markets and led the AML Risk Management team within International Banking Services, overseeing high-risk clients and transactions while providing strategic guidance and specialized training to management and staff. Prior to that, he was Group MLRO for a major Cypriot bank and held other senior management positions. In 2015, Gregory founded the ACAMS Cyprus Chapter, where he continues to serve as Chair, driving the Chapter’s growth into one of the most active and respected professional communities in the region. He also serves as Vice-President of the Association of Cyprus Electronic Money and Payment Institutions (ACEMPI). Gregory is an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a Fellow of the International Compliance Association (FICA), a long-standing member of the AMLP Forum and AGRC, and a certified CAMS Instructor and GCI-accredited trainer. His credentials include CAMS (Advanced) – Risk, CAMS (Advanced) – Audit, and CGSS, reflecting his deep expertise across the spectrum of AML/CFT and sanctions compliance. Academically, Gregory holds an MBA from Lancaster University and a BSc (Hons) in Industrial Economics from the University of Warwick.

Alfred Zammit has been the Director of the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU, Malta) since December 2023, having joined the Unit in 2010. He maintains oversight and provides strategic direction to the various sections the Unit which serves as Malta’s FIU and single AML/CFT regulator. Mr Zammit has been on the Maltese delegation to Moneyval for several years, and currently also serves as one of Moneyval’s Vice-Chairs. He is also a MONEYVAL assessor, has participated in two mutual evaluations, and has been routinely involved in Malta in various evaluations, including MONEYVAL’s. As the director of the FIAU, Mr Zammit is also a member of the AMLA General Board, participates regularly in meetings of the Egmont Group of FIUs, and presently serves as a Regional Representative of the Europe 1 Regional Group of FIUs within Egmont.

Shane Siegel is currently serving as the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at U.S. Embassy Nicosia.  Shane arrived in Cyprus in July, 2024 as the Political-Economic Counselor.  Shane’s previous postings abroad include serving as the Political-Military Affairs Officer at U.S. Embassy The Hague, as Special Assistant to the Ambassador at U.S. Embassy Baghdad, as the Political-Military Affairs Officer at U.S. Embassy Prague, and as Vice Consul at the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai.  In Washington, Shane has served as a Senior Watch Officer in the Operations Center, as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research, and as the desk officer in charge of U.S.-German bilateral economic relations.  Shane was the 2021 recipient of the Department’s Rockwell Anthony Schnabel Award for Advancing U.S.-EU Relations and has been awarded five superior honor awards as well as six meritorious honor awards.  Shane was also a member of the fifth cohort of the Secretary’s Leadership Seminar. Before joining the diplomatic service, Shane was the founding partner of DomaiNYC, a wine consignment firm in Manhattan, and the founding Vice President of De Carlo America.  Before working in NY, Shane was a portfolio analyst for a private equity firm in Rome, Italy where he also got his MA in International Affairs from St. Johns University.  Shane is a 2003 graduate from Canisius University with a BA in Anthropology and Sociology.  Shane speaks German, Greek, French, Italian, Mandarin, Czech, and Dutch.

Silvia Casagrande, is the Head of Engagement at HM Treasury’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, leading its work to support businesses in the UK and around the world navigate, understand, and comply with the UK’s financial and maritime services sanctions.

Paulis Iljenkovs has 9 years of experience in anti-financial crime and sanctions compliance, having worked as a lawyer at Deloitte and since 2019 – at the Latvian FIU. In 2023, Paulis was appointed the Deputy Director of FIU in charge of core financial intelligence functions, including operational analysis, strategic analysis and public-private partnerships for combatting money laundering and sanctions evasion. In 2024, Paulis was assigned with setting-up the framework for FIU becoming the national competent authority for sanctions implementation. Paulis was a Steering Group member at the Europol Financial Intelligence Public Private Partnership (EFIPPP) until 2023. He has a Master’s degree in law and he is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS).

Sam Sheen has been professional involved in risk management, compliance and financial crime prevention for almost 20 years, working for a variety of financial institutions and regulators in various senior roles. Her work has included the development of a podcast, “Captivated Audience”, recording over 100 episodes with crime fighters across the world. Sam was ACAM Europe’s first Director and subject matter expert, forming part of the content team that first developed the Sanctions Foundations course for AML/CFT professionals. Sam has worked closely with regulators and other agencies across Europe on sanctions compliance, evasion tactics and enforcement measures.  Sam has cultivated a unique perspective, allowing here to “reach across the aisle”, in seeking solutions with input from both the public and private sector. In 2024, Sam joined the Council of Europe’s Economic Crime and Cooperation Division, as a Programme Manager, responsible for overseeing large complex AML/CFT and Sanctions projects, spanning multiple jurisdictions and stakeholders.

Kane Baguley serves as the British Government’s Illicit Finance Lead, overseeing work in the Baltics, Moldova, Ukraine, and Cyprus. A Financial Action Task Force (FATF) assessor and certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Kane operates at the intersection of policy and practice. His work centres on the nexus of national security and illicit finance, with a focus on economic warfare as a tool of statecraft.

Jennifer Hanley-Giersch is Co-Founder of ALL AML GmbH and Managing Partner of Berlin Risk Advisors GmbH. With over 25 years of experience in compliance and investigations, she specializes in developing innovative risk assessment methods and managing complex reputational risks. A CAMS-Audit and CFE professional, Jennifer serves as MLRO for several investment funds and advises public and private institutions globally. She is a founding board member of the ACAMS Germany Chapter and a member of the ACAMS Today Editorial Task Force. Jennifer also contributes to DICO working groups on business partner compliance and money laundering prevention.

In 2017 Marie Lundberg founded Acronym Consulting AB, an independent firm specialised within all things Anti Financial Crime including Internal (independent) Auditing. Marie is a senior financial crime specialist with over 30 years of experience within the financial sector. She has extensive international experience, working mainly in the Nordics, Europe, and the UK. She is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering (CAMS) specialist by ACAMS and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) by ACFE. Marie is a believer of using data analytics and the importance of knowing and understanding your data, as well as your customers activities, behaviours, and transactions. Other areas of expertise involve model risk management and model validation, SAR/STR-filing and collaboration with authorities such as FIU: s. She served as a SME to the ECCD with the Council of Europe.  Acronym Consulting and Marie are selected members of the Compliance Circle.

Ian Hotton, is a compliance professional with over 25 years’ experience in compliance and risk management within financial services, specialising in crypto assets, alternative investment, and asset management. Ian is a Fellow of the International Compliance Association, shortlisted for Compliance Officer of the Year 2022. Ian’s focus is navigating evolving regulation, achieve compliance excellence, combat financial crime, and deliver tailored, value‑added solutions aligned to business objectives and priorities. Ian is currently the Head of Compliance and Risk at Asset Reality the world’s first complete solution for the custody of seized physical and virtual assets.

Willem Wellinghoff is an experienced Executive Director, Chief Compliance Officer, General Counsel and Fintech and RegTech Advisor and Mentor with over 20 years’ professional experience in the financial services, financial crime and technology sector focused on payments and lending. He has multi-faceted experience in senior legal and compliance roles in start-up, scale-up and high-growth financial services firms.  He also has a great passion for giving back, as a mentor and as member of Advisory Boards and Working Groups across the industry providing advice and strategic direction relating to changes in consumer credit and payments and the shift to new regulatory bodies.

Vicky Christophidou is a Fellow Chartered Accountant, member of the ICPAC and CAMS member. She joined ECOMMBX as the Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer on April 1^st, 2021 after being with PwC Cyprus for a total of 15 years. During her career, Vicky serviced a wide range of financial services clients including credit institutions, EMIs and investment firms, offering advisory services in the areas of risk management, regulatory compliance, governance and internal controls.

Artem Romanov is the Senior Compliance Manager at Freedom Holding Corp., where he leads AI Compliance and Conflict of Interest programs across a multi-jurisdictional group regulated by more than ten authorities. In 2025, he was named Compliance Professional of the Year (“Compliance Star 2025”) by the Compliance and Business Ethics Association for his contribution to compliance culture and program development. With over 14 years of international experience in legal and compliance, Artem has built and run end-to-end compliance functions across financial services, FMCG, fintech, and logistics. He also serves on the Association’s AI Compliance Committee, advancing AI compliance practices across Central Asia and Europe. Artem holds an LL.M. in International Law from KIMEP University and a Bachelor’s degree in International Law from Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University.

Zalina Mardalieva is an experienced compliance and legal executive specializing in regulatory compliance, AML/CFT, corporate governance and compliance transformation within international financial groups. With over 15 years of experience in the insurance and financial services sectors, she has led legal and compliance functions for BNP Paribas Russia and currently serves as Director of Regulatory Compliance at Freedom Holding Corp. Zalina also is the member of Association “Compliance Hub”. Throughout the career, she has been responsible for implementing international compliance standards, strengthening internal control environments, overseeing AML and sanctions compliance programs, and supporting governance frameworks aligned with both local regulatory expectations and global group requirements. Her expertise includes compliance risk assessment, ethics and conduct programs, due diligence, whistleblowing frameworks, sanctions screening, regulatory interaction and compliance governance. She is a certified compliance professional holding an International Certificates in Compliance from the International Compliance Association and from Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists.

Stelios Yiannaki is a Director in the International Compliance and Advisory Services Department. As technology-driven professional, he specializes in risk management, valuation, business assessment, and process automation. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Public and Business Administration, he is Chartered Accountant (ACA), and a member of the ICAEW.

Nikolas Chatziavraam is the CEO of Zygos, a leading provider of practice management software for lawyers, accountants and corporate service providers. With over fifteen years of experience in the legal tech and professional services space, he has led the transformation of the company from a legacy software vendor into a modern cloud-based solution, trusted by hundreds of firms worldwide, including public sector institutions. Nikolas holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens and an MBA from the University of Cyprus. His work blends technical expertise with leadership across product development, operations, and customer success. He has also advised some of the largest professional services firms, along with the Government of Cyprus, on the use of technology to streamline operations and improve efficiency. He strongly believes that technology is not just an enabler but a necessity for any firm that wants to remain relevant in the professional services industry.

Mary Hadjiathanasiou is the Compliance Junior Director and Data Protection Officer (DPO) at ECOMMBX, specialising in regulatory compliance, anti-money laundering, data protection, and information security within the fintech and financial services sector. With a background in legal practice and in-house compliance, she oversees ECOMMBX’s legal, regulatory, and governance function ensuring adherence to applicable regulatory and compliance requirements. Mary is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (ACAMS), a CySEC Certified AML Officer, and a Certified GDPR and Data Privacy Expert Practitioner. She holds an LLM. in Forensics, Criminology and Law from Maastricht University and an LLB. in Law from the University of Surrey.

Marios Lazarou is heading the Advisory Department of KPMG in Cyprus. He has more than 24 years of advisory experience in the Financial Services sector. He has led multiple advisory engagements in the areas of banking and financial services risk and regulation with emphasis on capital adequacy, internal governance, AML, and conduct risk. He also led the design and development of risk-based supervision frameworks for two financial services supervisory authorities

Georgia Anastasiou Themistocleous is a Deputy Economic Director at the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of Cyprus, Head of the National Sanctions Implementation Unit (NSIU). For the past ten years, she has been responsible for financial sector policy matters, focusing particularly on financial stability, financial literacy and transposition of the EU financial services acquis into national law. She also serves as an Alternate Member of the Financial Services Committee (FSC) of the Council of the European Union. Over the last three years, her main responsibilities have centered on restrictive measures and sanctions. She is the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Economic Sanctions to the NSIU. She also represents Cyprus as the national competent authority on sanctions at the High-Level Committee of the European Commission. Ms. Themistocleous has participated in numerous seminars and conferences on illicit finance and sanctions matters, including the International Training Course on UN Sanctions at the Geneva Graduate Institute and the executive training program “Making Sanctions Work: Political, Legal, and Economic Challenges of EU Restrictive Measures” at the Florence School of Transnational Governance (European University Institute). She holds a BSc in Business Finance and Economics from the University of East Anglia (UK) and a Master’s degree in Public Sector Management from the Cyprus International Institute of Management (CIIM), where she received a Director’s Prize for her Final Project on Improving the Business Environment for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Cyprus.

George Karatzias was appointed as an Executive Member of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Cyprus in May 2024. From September 2021 up to the date of his appointment was serving as the Vice Chairman of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission . He previously led the fund services of Alter Domus in Cyprus until 31 December 2020, having joined in 2011. Previously he worked for international audit firms, commencing his career in 2006. He was elected as a board member of the Cyprus Investment Funds Association (CIFA) in 2019 and also served as the vice-chairman of the Fund Administrators Committee of the association up until September 2021. He also served as member of the Funds Committee of ICPAC (Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus) for two terms.  He is a Fellow member of ACCA and holds a Masters degree in Marketing and Financial Services from the University of Exeter.

Maria Kyrmizi Antoniou is senior Counsel of the Republic of Cyprus and Head of the Cyprus Financial Intelligence Unit (MOKAS). Since 1997 working at the Law Office of the Republic of Cyprus, as a Counsel of the Republic, dealing mainly with criminal law and Asset Recovery. Officially seconded by the Attorney General to the Cyprus FIU, which functions under the Law Office of the Republic and in 2022 appointed by the Attorney General as the Head of the FIU (MOKAS).

Haroulla Arkade is the Risk and Compliance Partner of Grant Thornton Cyprus and the Chair of the AML & Compliance Committee of ICPAC. She has worked with the ACCA, for over 11 years, overseeing audit firms and service providers in Cyprus on the quality of their work and compliance with regulations. In her current role, she is responsible for engagements on quality and compliance including internal audit, training and advisory services to financial institutions, other professionals, including auditors, administrative service providers and law firms.  She is the firm’s Compliance officer, acts as the second partner performing quality reviews and is the Ethics leader.

Panagiotis Trisokkas was born on August 29, 1980, and hails from Liopetri and the occupied village of Patriki in Famagusta. He is a graduate of Frederick University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and holds a Master’s degree in the same field from Kingston University in the United Kingdom. He worked for ten years as a banking officer at Eurobank Cyprus Ltd and is the President of the National Betting Authority since October 2024. He was a professional basketball player for two decades, competing with leading Cypriot and Greek teams and serving as captain of the Cyprus National Basketball Team. He has earned numerous titles and distinctions and has also served as President of sports associations such as PASK and EEAK. He also served as a Board Member of the Cyprus Olympic Committee (COC) and the Cyprus Sports Organisation (CSO). He is a certified basketball coach, having served as Head of the Basketball Academies of Enosis Neon Paralimni, and a member of the Cyprus Basketball Coaches Association. At the same time, he maintains active social, charitable, and volunteer involvement, firmly believing that sports are an integral part of culture.

Professor Pieris Chourides, currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Cyprus Gaming and Casino Supervision Commission, where he oversees the regulatory authority responsible for supervising casino operations and gaming activities in Cyprus. In this role, he helps ensure transparency, compliance with regulations, and responsible gaming practices while supporting the sustainable development of the country’s gaming sector. Prof. Chourides, is the Dean of the School of Business Administration at European University Cyprus. He holds a BEng (Hons) in Electrical Engineering, an MSc in Strategic Management, and a PhD in Knowledge Management. His research focuses on developing best practices in Knowledge Management, including models and tools such as the sophistication scale, people portfolio matrix, knowledge adaptability matrix, knowledge management intelligent systems, knowledge transfer models, and performance measurement frameworks. His work also spans Strategic Management, Project Management, Velocity Theory, and Real Quality. Prof. Chourides has collaborated with organizations in the automotive and aerospace industries on strategy, quality management, and knowledge management initiatives. He previously served as Head of the Research and Strategic Planning Department at the Cyprus Federation of Employers and Industrialists. Prof. Chourides also leads the cooperation between the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School and the European University Cyprus across the Euro-Mediterranean and MENA regions. He is also an assessor of the European Foundation for Quality Management excellence model and a reviewer for several academic journals.

Ioannis Georgoulas is a certified board director with a specialization in banking from INSEAD and holds professional certifications in banking and green & sustainable finance from the Chartered Banker Institute. He has founded several companies in the fields of corporate communications and technology, and specializes in corporate governance, regulatory frameworks for financial services firms, and emerging technologies. He has served on the Board of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, appointed by the Council of Ministers. He is currently an independent non-executive director at EcommBX, Société Générale Bank Cyprus, FXCM (a subsidiary of Jefferies Group), and TFI Markets. He is Chairman of the Cyprus Association of Electronic Money and Payment Institutions (ACEMPI) and a board member of the Cyprus–U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He has served on various boards in the private sector and in charitable organizations, and is an alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) of the U.S. Department of State. He holds an MBA, a BSc in Business Information Systems, and a Diploma of Higher Education in Computer Sciences.

Louiza Protopapa studied law at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and was admitted to Cyprus Bar Association in 2002 after being employed in one of the leading Brokers of Cyprus for a period of almost 2 years.  Louiza, prior to establishing her own legal practice L. Protopapa & CO LLC, began her career in a well-respected law firm where she ultimately became a partner. During her work experience which spans over almost 25 years of practice both as a litigator and corporate lawyer she has acquired extensive experience in civil, commercial and corporate matters as well as in family law. Louiza has appeared at court in all jurisdictions of Cyprus and has assisted the handling of arbitration cases at the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Switzerland. She has acted on behalf of a high profile sponsors reviewing and composing multi million euro sponsorship contracts for the World Rally Championship, Formula 1 Racing and UK premier League teams, as well as for marketing contracts with online and media giants such as Google, Yahoo and Bloomberg. In the last years she has carried out specialised consulting for licensed investment firms and specifically relating to retail forex currency trading and CFDs (contracts for differences) as well as have been part of a specialised team that has consulted the Montenegrin government in setting up their own investment firms’ legislation. She was the legal advisor to one of the major European MIFID compliant Forex Brokers established in Cyprus and has assisted the company to obtain, besides its Cyprus regulatory license, their U.K. FCA license and Australian ASIC license by steering the committee of professionals involved in the process. She also advised eMoney Institutions on licensing and regulatory matters, as well as currently offering regulatory compliance and anti-money laundering compliance advise to a number of investment firms in Cyprus. Her extensive business experience having to deal with operational issues of large scaled companies over the years, has helped her to advise some of the largest trading companies in commerce, construction, financial technology and investment services with high recommendations. She is an Insolvency Practitioner and has successfully completed the Programme on Negotiation for Executives of Harvard Law School. Since 2023 she is the President of the Limassol Bar Association and a member of the Cyprus Bar Association Council.

Andrea Moundi Savvides is the Global Director of Risk and Compliance. She is a qualified lawyer and has extensive experience in the field of financial services, AML, and sanctions, and regularly works with our Tax and Regulatory team. Andrea also advises on competition law matters, at both local and European level including advising on issues which require notification to the relevant authorities. Prior to joining us in 2018, Andrea was a senior corporate lawyer in the legal and compliance team of an authorised investment firm where she liaised with regulators in multiple jurisdictions. She also gained experience in financial services law and regulation including MiFID II and other regulatory regimes such as the automatic exchange of information. She regularly advises clients on a range of regulatory issues which include white collar crimes, sanctions, and anti-money laundering cases. She also practised as an advocate advising on various contentious and non-contentious matters. Andrea holds several professional certifications, including the CySEC Advanced, the CySEC AML, and the ICA International Diploma in Anti-Money Laundering. She is Chair of the Cyprus Compliance Association, a body dedicated to advancing the professional growth of governance, risk, and compliance professionals in Cyprus. She is also a member of the Cyprus Bar Association’s Anti-Corruption Committee and Committee for the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing activities and breaches of sanctions.

Niki Charilaou is the Manager of Financial Crime & Sanctions Compliance at Bank of Cyprus. Since 2014, she has played a pivotal role in the Bank’s cultural and regulatory transformation, leading the strengthening of its AML and Sanctions Compliance Framework. She began her career as an auditor and qualified as a Certified Chartered Accountant (ACA). With more than two decades of experience in banking, she has held senior leadership roles across Finance, Investment Banking and Compliance. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University (USA) and is a Certified Anti‑Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and a Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS). She is an active member of the Steering Committee of Cyprus’s Public–Private Partnership on Financial Crime, contributing to cross‑sector dialogue and strategic initiatives aimed at combating money laundering, sanctions evasion and emerging financial crime risks.

Maria Aristidou Demetriou is Chief Compliance Officer at Eurobank Limited, with over 25 years of experience in banking and financial services. She holds an MBA in Human Resource Management from City University London (CASS) and is an FCCA, as well as a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC). Maria has led senior roles across regulatory compliance, AML, risk management, data protection, and organisational transformation, and regularly contributes to regulatory reforms through the Association of Cyprus Banks. She represented the Association in Roadshows in the USA promoting compliance reforms in the banking sector.

Demetra Kalogerou is a Financial Advisor and serves as a non-executive director on the boards of local and international companies. She advises boards and senior management across banking, fintech, financial services, and other regulated industries in Europe and beyond on regulatory strategy, governance, and risk management. Previously, she served as Chairwoman of the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) from 2011 to 2021, where she led the supervision of the investment services sector and contributed to strengthening the integrity and development of Cyprus’ financial markets. During this period, she also represented Cyprus on the Board of Supervisors of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). She has more than 25 years of experience in financial regulation, capital markets supervision, AML/CFT frameworks, and corporate governance, supporting organisations in navigating complex regulatory environments.