KordaMentha strengthens its financial crime team
The appointment bolsters its capacity to act against money laundering and terrorism financing across Australia and New Zealand.
KordaMentha has strengthened its financial crime team through the appointment of two experienced professionals.
Chris Faherty and Megan O’Donnell-Lace have been appointed as partner and executive director respectively – the former joining from the TSB bank in New Zealand where he was the head of compliance and Ms O’Donnell-Lace from ANZ.
KordaMentha financial crime partner Alice Saveneh-Murray said he is pleased by the appointments and the added capability they bring to the firm.
“This is an area of increasing need and complexity, not only due to sophisticated criminal activity, but also to proposed legislative change,” said Ms Saveneh-Murray.
“Chris and Megan bring highly specialised skills. They have worked in a variety of different environments and that diversity really strengthens our team.”
The firm said the two appointments are a part of the move to grow its trans-Tasman financial crime practice so it could meet the demands of clients as governments continue to evolve their anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regimes.
Mr Faherty joins with expertise in working with clients to design and implement fit-for-purpose financial crime frameworks and helps organisations improve their operational performance, conduct independent audits, create effective remediation plans and build and assess control environments, according to KordaMentha.
Before working at the TSB Bank in New Zealand, Mr Faherty spent almost a decade at EY in New Zealand, where he led the firm’s forensic and integrity services practice.
The firm said Ms O’Donnell-Lace joins with over 20 years of experience in financial services, which includes leading the design and implementation of integrated financial crime operating models, developing and driving group risk offshore services strategy, and leading the business change implementation of upgrading AML systems.
She joins the firm from ANZ, where she spent over nine years in roles such as head of group compliance strategy, senior strategy and change manager and governance and control manager - financial crime operations.
The firm said Mr Faherty will be based in New Zealand while Ms O’Donnell-Lace is to take up her role in its Melbourne office.
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