Catalog Continuing Education ISFB Senior Compliance Officer Certificate – Advanced AMLA

ISFB Senior Compliance Officer Certificate – Advanced Anti-Money Laundering (AML)

Context

As a follow-up to the ISFB Compliance Officer Certificate, this certificate program develops the skills of an AMLA expert capable of contributing to the design and oversight of a banking institution’s anti-money laundering risk management framework, analyzing complex situations, making well-documented decisions, interacting with authorities, and anticipating new threats.
The program follows the timeline of a business relationship, from risk analysis and onboarding through reporting to MROS and the enforcement process. Each module combines targeted content, examples, and practical case studies to train participants to analyze, make decisions, and document their actions.

Key objectives

Upon completion of the certificate program, participants will be able to design a coherent AML risk framework, handle a complex case, formalize a defensible decision, and respond in a structured manner to the expectations of regulatory authorities and auditors. The final module is devoted to an integrative case study solved collaboratively. The final assessment takes the form of an applied written analysis that includes a reasoned recommendation and supporting documentation.

Target audience

Professionals currently working in compliance roles who have completed the ISFB Compliance Officer Certificate or who can demonstrate an equivalent level of expertise: compliance officers, AMLA specialists, KYC specialists, and specialists in investigations and monitoring, as well as internal and external auditors involved in banks’ AMLA compliance programs. Admission requires prior mastery of the fundamentals of the AMLA and the CDB, as well as relevant practical experience.

Reviews

Defend an AMLA decision (acceptance or rejection of a client relationship, closure or escalation of a red flag, or whether or not to report to MROS) before management, the auditor, or FINMA, based on a documented analysis.

Price

General Admission: CHF 4,615.00
Member : CHF 3'550.-

Admission requirements

Based on application

LBA+1

M01 - Advanced AMLA Governance: Risk Analysis, Risk Appetite, and Institutional Strategy

Content: Develop the bank’s risk model based on its risk analysis and draw conclusions regarding risk criteria, resources, strategy, and reporting to the board of directors. Illustration and practical case study of how to translate a risk analysis into governance decisions.

Possible speakers: ORDOLLI Stilliano

LBA+2

M02 - Complex Onboarding: Onboarding Procedures, KYC Framework, Challenging CBD Cases, and Transparency Register (LTPM)

Content: Identity verification and identification of the beneficial owner in complex structures, forms, and coordination with the transparency registry as well as EAR/FATCA rules. Examples and practical cases of complex onboarding.

Possible participants: AVDIJA Taulant

LBA+3

M03 - Complex Structures and High Net Worth: PEP, Source of Wealth, and High-Risk Arrangements

Content: Definition and handling of PEPs, including their family members and close associates: eligibility criteria, level of exposure, aggravating factors, and enhanced due diligence. Analysis of the source of wealth and funds, the economic rationale behind the structures, and the risks of corruption, tax issues, and geopolitical risks. Illustrations and practical case studies.

LBA+4

M04 - Transaction and Relationship Monitoring, Handling of High-Risk Events, Tools, and Artificial Intelligence

Content: Scenarios, handling of hits, additional clarifications, and documentation. Scope of periodic reviews and expected documentation. Calibration and governance of tools; contributions and limitations of AI. Illustrations and practical examples of analyzing, escalating, and closing alerts.

LBA+5

M05 - International Sanctions and the Anti-Money Laundering Act (LBA)

Contents: Definitions, screening, ownership and control, circumvention schemes, the relationship between asset freezes, AMLA-based blocking, and reporting. Illustrations and practical examples of how to assess and handle exposure to sanctions.

LBA+7

M07 - AMLA Enforcement: FINMA On-Site Inspection, Prudential Audit, and Remediation

Content: The process of an on-site audit and an enforcement proceeding; the auditor’s expectations; implementing corrective actions; and the compliance officer’s individual responsibility. Illustrations and practical examples of preparing for an audit and developing a corrective action plan.

Possible contributors: BAYAT Nezam Alexandre

LBA+6

M06 - Reporting to MROS and Criminal Justice Authorities

Content: Deciding on and drafting a report; managing writer’s block; responding to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, asset freezers, and mutual legal assistance requests. Illustrations and practical case studies on decision-making, drafting, and managing the follow-up to a report.

LBA+8

Integrative Case Study: From Onboarding to Enforcement

Content: Collaborative resolution of a comprehensive case study covering the entire process—from onboarding to enforcement—followed by preparation for the applied written assessment.

Possible participants: AVDIJA Taulant

LBA+EXA

Review

Stilliano ORDOLLI

After obtaining a doctorate in law from the University of Geneva in 2007, Stiliano Ordolli passed the diplomatic service exam and worked at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). He then headed the Money Laundering Reporting Office (MROS) until 2018. In early 2019, he took over as head of a self-regulatory body, which has since become a supervisory body (SB). Since September 1, 2021, he has been head of the Compliance Department at BCGE Group.

Taulant Avdija

Taulant Avdija is a licensed attorney, partner, and head of the Regulatory & Compliance department at BDO in Geneva and Zurich, where he has been practicing for 10 years. He assists financial institutions with audits, investigations, and advisory mandates, particularly in the areas of anti-money laundering, governance, sanctions, cross-border compliance, and investor protection.
He also holds a CAS in Digital Finance Law (University of Geneva) and a CAS in Financial Regulation (Universities of Bern and Geneva).

Nezam Alexandre BAYAT

After studying law at the Universities of Fribourg and Durham (UK), Nezam Alexandre Bayat qualified as a lawyer. He has been working at FINMA since 2012. Since 2025, he has been Co-Head of the group responsible for enforcement proceedings, particularly those concerning French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. Given his responsibilities and experience, he has been a privileged witness to the evolution of financial markets, the risks faced by banks and other institutions subject to FINMA, and changes in the legal and prudential framework. Nezam Alexandre Bayat has also developed expertise in corporate governance, risk management, and compliance. He is a graduate of the Swiss Board School and the University of Cambridge in sustainable finance and holds a trader's license from SIX.