Kiran Varma Tirumalaraju
Senior Risk and Compliance Expert
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.
