In the spirit of International Women’s Day, we have decided to celebrate some of our leading female consultants at Contineo FRS who are paving the way across Financial Crime detection. We catch up with Bruna and Vijaya to discuss their professional journey in FinCrime so far.
Vijaya Venkatramani, Senior Manager – Anti Financial Crime (AFC) Consulting at Contineo FRS is currently working on a screening model at a large European Bank.
Tell us about your professional background?
I am naturally drawn towards solving problems and challenges, this led me to choose to study Engineering. I started my career in the field of IT applications and gained wide experience across regions. Having been fascinated by Anti-Financial Crime consulting, I found the challenges highly motivating.
Why the Financial Crime sector?
To be honest, I did not intend to pursue a career in Anti-Financial Crime. One of the companies I worked for also specialised in products in the AML space. This was how I was introduced to the world of FinCrime and that piqued my interest. I requested to be transferred and a decade since then, there has been no turning back.
I enjoy the technical challenges the AML sector poses and its real world impact, so I take immense pride in resolving them.
Favourite WFH playlist?
I have been juggling working from home and being a mum, so the only music I’ve been listening to is the Frozen soundtrack on repeat! However when I am not forced to listen to ‘Let it go’ on a loop, I like to listen to Coldplay.
Favourite motivational quote?
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s the power of using your voice.” – Michelle Obama
Bruna Rodrigues, Senior Anti Financial Crime (AFC) Consultant at Contineo FRS, is currently working on a screening model at a large European Bank.
Tell us about your professional background?
I’m originally from Brazil where I completed my Bachelor of Business Administration degree and worked in the ‘Institutional Affairs and Standard’ department in the Pulp and Paper industry, facilitating certifications such as ISO9001, ISO14001, OHSAS18001 but mainly in FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Chain of Custody.
In 2013 I decided to move to England to do a master’s degree in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship and in 2015, I got a job at Barclays Bank in Poole (Dorset) to work with investigation and screening of international payments identified as a potential match to Sanctions Policy. I stayed in Barclays for five years and managed to move into three different areas, the last one being the Tuning Team where I stayed for three and a half years, working closely with the FircoSoft implementation.
Why the Financial Crime Sector?
I find it fascinating to think that our work actually contributes to a ‘better world’ and that is what I’m most proud and passionate of about my work. But I must admit, it was a bit of a coincidence to end up working in Anti Financial Crime.
A day in the life at Contineo FRS ?
Everyday is different at Contineo FRS. As I am still quite new here, there is a lot of learning at the moment! There are many processes that I knew already which are done in a completely different way. I spend my time trying to upskill myself by working on new programs and systems as well as dealing with ongoing daily requests.
Favourite WFH playlist?
I love listening to a lot of different styles of music, but I always end up going back to my roots. MPB (Brazilian songs!) keeps me upbeat and motivated everyday.
Favourite Motivational Quote?
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving” – Albert Einstein
