Mara WESSELING
Senior Financial Crime Expert
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.
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.
Senior Intelligence Analyst
Acuminor
May 2022
to November 2023
- 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).
President and Founder
WES Consulting
2017
to May 2022
- 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.
Post-doc Researcher
Sciences-Po
2013
to 2016
- 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.
PhD Candidate in the Department of Political Science & Lecturer in the Department of European Studies
European Studies University of Amsterdam
2008
to 2013
- 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
Research Assistant
Security policies European Institute of Public Administration
2007
to 2008
- Research on EU internal and external security and terrorism
- Training European officials on Justice and Home Affairs policies
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
