AML, Sanctions, Bribery & Financial Crime Prevention in a Changing Regulatory World (DIFC Compliance Series 2025)

Nikhil Gandesha Head of Training at Themis LinkedIn Nikhil Gandesha is the Head of Training at Themis, where he leads the firm’s global financial crime learning strategy. He is responsible for the design and delivery of role-specific training programmes across banking, fintech, and public-sector clients — including in areas such as AML, sanctions, proliferation finance, and virtual assets. Nikhil currently oversees multi-year FCC training projects in partnership with regulatory authorities, tailoring content to the UAE’s risk landscape and supervisory priorities. He brings over a decade of experience leading advisory and in-house compliance functions across the UK, UAE, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Prior to joining Themis, Nikhil was a subject matter expert at RUSI, and held senior roles at EY, Deutsche Bank, and HSBC — where he supported the design of AML controls, risk models, and CPF surveillance frameworks. In the UAE, he served as a regional manager within HSBC’s Financial Intelligence Unit, delivering strategic investigations and regulator-facing insight. His work bridges strategic design and real-world implementation — with a strong focus on embedding data, behavioural insight, and evolving typologies into impactful training solutions.

Kiran Varma Tirumalaraju Senior Risk and Compliance Expert at Themis LinkedIn Kiran is a seasoned compliance professional with over 12 years of extensive experience across regulatory, banking, fintech, and consulting sectors, having served at leading institutions including the Central Bank of the UAE, HSBC, EY, and PwC. He possesses deep expertise in AML/CFT/TFS frameworks, financial crime compliance, and the design, implementation, and management of automated compliance and transaction monitoring systems. With solid knowledge of financial institution payment processes including transaction settlements, payment flows, and messaging standards such as SWIFT, Kiran effectively bridges regulatory requirements with operational practices. He excels in stakeholder engagement and cooperation, applying a solution-oriented and forward-looking approach to complex compliance challenges. Throughout his career, Kiran has reported over 1,000 STRs/SARs, with many cases involving drug trafficking and sophisticated trade/service-based money laundering schemes. Notably, he led an investigation into a drug trafficking ring after receiving a tip through social media, working closely with law enforcement to dismantle the network successfully. Additionally, he has experience working with Know Your Transaction (KYT) tools and reporting STRs within the virtual asset space, including cases involving sanctioned entities such as the Hydra network. Kiran holds a master’s degree in law and is currently advancing his expertise in AI and AML at a top-tier university. He also holds key certifications in Anti-Money Laundering, Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Anti-Corruption, Blockchain, and Cryptocurrency from prestigious institutions including Oxford University, University of Nicosia, ICA, UNODC, and the Basel Committee.