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Mara WESSELING

Senior Financial Crime Expert

Mara WESSELING
44 years old
Lille France
Professional Status
Employed
Open to opportunities
About Me
I’m a Senior Financial Crime expert with a PhD in Political Science focusing especially on combating the financing of terrorism, risk and effectiveness.

Well-versed in both academic and professional (qualitative) research methodologies, I am a critical thinker, with strong analytical skills.

My research background (10+ years) has given me a unique and comprehensive insight in the ever-evolving financial crime landscape and the international efforts of public and private stakeholders to fight financial crime.
Resume created on DoYouBuzz
  • Contributing to risk and threat assessments for the company's Business Wide Risk Assessment and Threat Library solutions.
  • Conducting research into threats and risk indicators. Presenting the findings via workshops (Stockholm, London) and in three White Papers.
  • Member of the Supervisory Boards for the Dutch National Risk Assessment on CT (2019, 2022) & the Evaluation of the Dutch Counter Terrorism Strategy (2020).
  • Member of the Ethics Committee of the Transaction Monitoring partnership of ABN AMRO, ING, Rabobank and Triodos Bank (2022).
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  • Providing independent research, training and advice on financial crime and AML-CFT policies for public and private clients.
  • Key areas of interest include: risk identification and mitigation, assessing effectiveness, public-private cooperation, the use of ethical AI and technology for AML/CFT, terrorism financing.
  • 2-year CFT policy evaluation for Dutch Ministries of Finance and Justice.
  • Expert consultant for two AML/CFT studies for the European Commission.
  • In-house training and consulting for banks, compliance start-ups, money transfer services, trust companies, gambling sector, public sector...
  • Technical assistance commissioned by the Council of Europe for projects on regulating Virtual Asset Service Providers in Ukraine and Serbia.
  • Research and reporting on de-risking of Non-Profits and emerging tech (AI, ML) commissioned by the ECNL.
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  • Conducting research on combating terrorism financing, with a particular interest in (1) risk-based approaches; smart technology/data-led solutions (2) compliance and the efforts and challenges of private actors.
  • Teaching courses on financial surveillance, terrorism financing and big data
    Sciences Po and the Catholic University of Lille.
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  • Writing a PhD thesis entitled ‘The European Fight against Terrorism Financing: Professional Fields and Governing Practices’
  • Teaching courses on the EU’s AML/CFT policies
  • Organizing and participating in (international) conferences and seminars
  • Visiting researcher at Durham University (UK) for 3 months in 2009
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  • Research on EU internal and external security and terrorism
  • Training European officials on Justice and Home Affairs policies
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PhD Political Science

University of Amsterdam

2013

Master (MSc) Political Geography

University of Amsterdam

2006

ERASMUS exchange Human Geography

University Paris IV - La Sorbonne

2001 to 2002

French course for foreign students

University of Burgundy

February 1998 to February 1999
Skills

EXPERTISE

  • ALM/CFT Compliance
    Expert
  • Risk Management
    Expert
  • Qualitative Research & Analysis
    Expert
  • International Relations
    Expert
  • Political Science
    Expert
  • Policy Analysis
    Expert
  • Writing & Presenting
    Expert

SOFT SKILLS

  • Self Organisation
    Expert
  • Team Player
    Advanced
  • Independance
    Expert
  • Entrepreneurship
    Advanced
  • Eternal Student
    Expert

LANGUAGES

  • Dutch (native speaker)
    Expert
  • English (full proficiency)
    Expert
  • French (full proficiency)
    Expert
  • German (basic notions)
    Notions
  • Spanish (basic notions)
    Notions

COMPUTER SKILLS

  • Internet research
    Advanced
  • Microsoft Office
    Advanced