A CeriFi Company
ACFCS Bahamas Chapter is equipping its members to combat tomorrow’s financial crimes through innovative learning platforms, continuing education, certification and strategic partnership with relevant stakeholders.
ACFCS Bahamas Chapter is creating innovative training, certification, and cross-cutting programs for its members designed to strategically combat financial crimes and equip them to navigate the regulatory landscape.
The mission of ACFCS Bahamas Chapter is to promote world-class, innovative learning today by creating a cadre of highly-qualified professional members equipped to mitigate tomorrow’s financial crimes.
ACFCS Bahamas Chapter seeks to strengthen the local framework for combatting financial crime by forging meaningful relationships between highly-trained financial services professionals, regulators and other relevant stakeholders.
ACFCS Bahamas Chapter will seek to create and sustain a formidable organization known for dismantling financial crime through world-class training, certification and awareness programs.
ACFCS Bahamas Chapter strives to become a formidable pillar in the local financial crimes mitigation strategies through visionary training, certification and ongoing awareness programs.
Dana Munnings-Gray (Co-Chair) serves as the Deputy Superintendent of Insurance at the Insurance Commission of The Bahamas. She is a former Manager of the Supervision Department at the Securities Commission of The Bahamas with carriage of the relevant units, namely the Securities Industry (SIA), Financial and Corporate Service Providers (FCSPA) and Digital and Registered Exchanges (DARE) where she served from April 2019 – February 2022.
Mrs. Munnings-Gray was called to the Bar of England and Wales as a member of the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn, and to the Bahamas Bar as an Attorney in 2014. She has 20+ years in the financial services industry with specialisation in Trust and Company Management and Administration, Compliance and Risk Management. Dana holds both a Bachelor of Science and Arts in Political Science and Business Management from the College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota, and obtained a Bachelor of Law – LL.B (Hons) from The University of Buckingham in England, while completing her Bar Professional Training Course at City University in London, England.
Dana is a Member of the Bahamas Bar Association, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialist and the International Compliance Association where she holds the designation of CFCS and MICA respectively. She also acquired a designation as a Certified International Risk Manager (CIRM), a Specialist Certification in Financial Crime Risk in Global Banking and Market and currently occupies an observer status with The Bahamas Association of Compliance Officers (BACO). Dana has also completed regulatory and management training and certification with the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and Harvard Law School, as well as with the London School of Economics. She is currently enrolled in a Management course with Wharton School of Business – Securities Industry Institute and pursuing her ACAMS certification.
Dana is a Financial Assessor with the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), one of the regional bodies of FATF, from 2021 and is expected to complete her first mutual evaluation assessment in 2022.
Acquilla A. Aranha (Co-Chair) is a Senior Trust Manager at Rhone Trustees (Bahamas) Limited, with responsibility for managing a portfolio of Trust and Corporate structures in the Trust Services Department. She recently served as an Assistant Manager at The Securities Commission of The Bahamas, attached to the Financial & Corporate Service Providers Act (FCSPA) Unit.
Acquilla has over 10 years’ experience in the legal, trust and compliance field through her employment as Corporate Manager at one of The Bahamas’ leading law firms, and 17 years in a boutique law firm.
Acquilla holds a BA in Administration from Omega College and a BA in law from the University of Huddersfield, England. She obtained a Certificate of Legal Education from the Eugene Dupuch Law School in Nassau, The Bahamas, and was called to the Bahamas Bar in November 2013. Acquilla also holds a Diploma in Trust and Estate Management (STEP), and is a member of ACFCS, also currently being enrolled in the ACAMS programme.
Marcia Meeres (Programming Director) is an Anti-Money Laundering and Regulatory Compliance professional with over fifteen (15) years of experience in the financial service industry and regulatory sector in The Bahamas. She has specialized training in AML/CTF/CPF, Regulatory Compliance, Fraud Prevention, Risk Management, Corporate Governance and Securities and Investments. Marcia is currently employed with Acetop Global Markets Limited as their Chief Compliance Officer and MLRO. Prior to joining Acetop, she was previously employed with the Securities Commission of The Bahamas, where she held various positions in the Supervision Department overseeing the compliance function across multiple financial sectors including securities, investment funds and financial and corporate services.
Marcia holds a BA in Management from Nova Southeastern University. She is a Certified Financial Crimes Specialist (CFCS), Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and a Certified International Risk Manager (CIRM). She is also a member of The Bahamas Association of Compliance Officers (BACO).
Outside her professional life, Marcia enjoys reading, swimming, fine dining and spending time with her family.
Dimitri N. Wilkinson (Programming Director) is a Senior Analyst with the AML Analytics Team at the Central Bank of The Bahamas where he performs data analysis of financial crime related data in order to assess trends and impacts to the financial services industry. He also monitors and assess the financial crime risk and compliance of its regulated entities to ensure compliance with laws, regulations, guidelines, and international best practice. Prior to joining the Central Bank, Dimitri was the Accounting Supervisor for one of the leading Insurance Agents and Brokers within The Bahamas.
Dimitri received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from The University of The Bahamas and has always found new ways to further his education as a lifelong learner. He is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS), Certified Financial Crime Specialist (CFCS) and Certified Advanced AML Risk Management Specialist (CAMS-RM). Dimitri is currently pursuing the Certified Advanced AML Audit Specialist (CAMS-Audit) and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) having passed level 1.
Moreover, Dimitri is a member of the Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists (ACFCS), Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS), Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and has Observer status with The Bahamas Association of Compliance Officers (BACO).
Dimitri was a recipient of the certification scholarship from the ACFCS as a part of its Quarterly Focus Scholarship Program.
Sgt. George Rodgers (Events Manager) is currently a Sergeant within the Royal Bahamas Police Force, detached to the Financial Crime Investigations Branch. Sergeant Rodgers is also a part of the Financial Crime Branch Task Force where their aim is to target prolific offenders who have benefited from the proceeds of their criminal activity and ensure these assets are forfeited to The Crown. He is an experienced investigator with numerous convictions that resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars being forfeited to the crown.
Sergeant Rodgers initially began his career as a member of the Royal Bahamas Defense Force between the periods of 2004 through 2008. After approximately five years, he transitioned his service and committed himself to the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
George obtained his Associates of Arts Degree with concentration in Accounting from the Bahamas Baptist Community College in 2013. Further, he also obtained his Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in concentration in accounting (hons) from the University of Bahamas in 2017. In 2019 he was certified by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force and European Union in Financial Investigations and has since completed numerous other courses offered by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Additionally in 2019 he was the recipient of the Commissioner’s Commendation award.
George is an experienced financial crime professional. He also devotes himself to his community and is a part of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and Toastmasters Club 1600 Branch.
Ciji Smith-Curry (Events Manager) is an Associate at BRF Chambers specializing in the litigation of criminal and civil matters before the Courts of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Prior to joining BRF Chambers, Ciji was the Senior Legal Officer at the Financial Intelligence Unit of The Bahamas responsible for drafting internal and external policies to comply with local, regional, and international financial crime legislations and recommendations.
Ciji has over 13 years’ experience in investigation, analysis, and prosecution of financial crimes while serving as a law enforcement officer in the Royal Bahamas Police Force. During her time of service to her country she worked as an Analyst at the Financial Intelligence Unit, a Pupil at the Office of The Attorney General of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, and an investigator at the Business Technology and Crimes Unit, now Financial Crimes Unit, of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
Ciji holds an Associate of Arts Degree in Biology/Chemistry from the College of The Bahamas, now the University of the Bahamas, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice – Crime Analysis from the University of New Haven, a Bachelor’s in Law Degree from the University of the West Indies and was called to the Bahamas Bar in 2017. She also obtained numerous diplomas and certifications in investigation, financial crime, anti-money laundering, and compliance inclusive of the ICA International Diploma in Compliance, the ICA International Diploma in Anti Money Laundering, and the Financial Intelligence Specialist Certification.
Wilfred Bain (Communications Director) is currently employed as an Assistant Manager in the Digital Assets and Registered Exchanges Unit of the Supervision Department at the Securities Commission of The Bahamas, the jurisdiction’s primary regulator for securities business, investment funds, financial and corporate services and digital asset business.
Prior to his employment with the Securities Commission of The Bahamas, Wilfred was employed as an associate attorney with Bethell Legal, a local boutique law firm which focused on civil litigation, financial services, corporate management and commercial transactions.
He obtained his Associate Degree in Law and Criminal Justice from the then College of the Bahamas (now University of The Bahamas) in 2006, and completed his Bachelor’s Degree of Law from the University of the West Indies in 2009 and obtained a Certificate of Legal Education from the Eugene Dupuch Law School in 2011. He obtained his Master of Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University in 2016.
Wilfred was admitted to the Bahamas Bar in 2011. He obtained the Chief Compliance Officer’s Certificate in 2013, Series 6 Certificate in 2014 and the CFA Investment Foundations Certificate in 2017.
With over 6 years of regulatory experience (10 years overall), Wilfred has established himself as one who is knowledgeable in areas such as AML, law, statutory interpretation, enforcement, digital asset regulation and much more.
In his personal life, Wilfred is a man of faith and has been involved in many areas in his church such as the praise team and the youth group. Regarding his everyday life, Wilfred enjoys many creative and lifestyle-based activities inclusive of reading, playing the piano, exploring languages, writing, dancing, travelling and wine tasting just to name a few.
Monita Varence (Communications Director) is a Financial Investigations Supervisor with the Royal Bahamas Police Force trained in cryptocurrency crime investigations and is experienced in assessing financial crime risk. She is a member of the Tracing and Forfeiture Task Force in the Financial Crime Investigations Branch. She is tasked with investigating complex money laundering, fraud, corruption, stealing and identity theft matters, utilizing highly specialized investigative techniques while complying with relevant legislation. She is presently an RBPF observer for CFATF regulatory meetings for the Bahamas delegation as it relates to the AML/CTF regime of the country. She has had numerous successful investigations and convictions of money laundering and fraud related offences in the jurisdiction.
She is the holder of an Associates of Arts in Office Administration (Honors) from the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute, Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics (Honors) from Omega College, and is presently pursuing the Bachelor of Laws at the University of the Bahamas. She holds numerous financial crime certifications including those from the United States Secret Service – Investigating Cryptocurrencies Course – (ILEA) and Certified Financial Investigator – (CFATF & European Union). She also holds numerous insurance designations from the Life, Management Institute including: FLMI, Level 1; Associate, Life Management Institute; Associate, Customer Service; and holds an Underwriting Certificate. She also has training from United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in financial crime investigations and FATF Standards Training.
Lizzette M. McKinney (Membership Director) is a performance driven professional with a background spanning AML/CFT Compliance, commercial banking and accounting. She has over thirteen years’ experience in the financial services industry where she began her career in an entry level position and progressed through the ranks to Deputy Compliance Officer. Before transitioning to financial services, Lizzette worked as Retail Accountant and previously, with the Ministry of Finance on secondment to the Royal Bahamas Police Force where she held various positions including Payroll Officer and Trainee Accountant.
In April 2021, Lizzette commenced employment with the Securities Commission of The Bahamas as a Senior Officer with oversight of monitoring activities of market participants.
Lizzette holds diplomas in Anti-Money Laundering and Governance, Risk & Compliance from the International Compliance Association, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Administrative and Commercial Studies with a concentration in Economics and Finance from the University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada, and an Associate of Arts degree in Accounting from the College of The Bahamas (now University of The Bahamas). She is a graduate of St. Augustine’s College, Nassau, Bahamas.
Lizzette is the Membership Chair for the Rotary Club of Nassau (2021 -2022) and Membership Chair elect for the 2022 -2023 Rotary year. She is a member of the International Compliance Association and Bahamas Association of Compliance Officers. She is also a former aerobics instructor, fitness competitor and public speaker. She strives for excellence in all of her endeavors and ascribes to the mantra that the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others (Ghandi).
Sharon Simmons (Membership Director) is a Senior Officer in Supervision Department – under the Financial and Corporate Service Providers Act (FCSPA) of Securities Commission of The Bahamas.
Sharon has over 22 years’ of industry experience in Offshore Banking (operations and fund investments) and 14 years’ experience as a Regulator.
She maintains ICA certifications in Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) and is a member of the Association of Certified Financial Crimes Specialists (CFCS).
Jamie Bethel (Secretary) is a financial services professional who has worked in the industry for over 11 years. She was previously employed at a local trust company, where she held various positions including the Compliance Officer. Jamie is currently employed at the Securities Commission of the Bahamas.
In 2013, she graduated from the College of the Bahamas (now the University of The Bahamas) with a Bachelor of Business Administration and Management Degree. Jamie is a Professional member of the International Compliance Association and a former member of the Bahamas Association of Compliance Officers. She holds an Advanced Certificate in Cyber Security from the International Compliance Association that was attainted in 2014. She also received an international diploma in Anti-Money Laundering in 2015 and an international diploma from the International Compliance Association (ICA) in Governance, Risk and Compliance in 2016. To further her professional career, she is currently studying for the for her ACFCS certification.
Outside of her professional life, Jamie is very passionate about her hobbies which are baking, cooking, and working as a manicurist in her spare time. Jamie also enjoys travelling when time allows her, to explore the sights the world has to offer.
Princess Bethel (Secretary) started her career at one of the leading Commercial Banks in the Bahamas where she has about 12 years’ experience, operating in various positions within the bank. These include back office, client facing and project management. In 2017, Princess transitioned to the Securities Regulator of the Bahamas, The Securities Commission of The Bahamas. She is a Senior Officer within the Risk Analytics and Examinations Unit.
In 2008, Princess obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Information Systems, at the University of the Bahamas, formerly known as The College of the Bahamas. She then pursued and attained her Master of Business Administration, with a Concentration in Finance at Nova Southeastern University in 2010. Princess is also CAMS certified and has participated in multiple training and seminars centered on Regulatory Strategies, Anti-Money Laundering and Countering of Terrorist Financing.
Scymont Fountain (Treasurer) is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) and a Certified Financial Crime Specialist (CFCS). He has also completed the Canadian Securities Course and holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Dalhousie University. Additionally, Scymont has recently completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Law with BPP University. He has over 8 years of experience working in the financial services industry.
Additionally, Scymont is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and has served as the worshipful Master of Royal Victoria Lodge #443 E.C., for the term of 2019 – 2021. Scymont is currently the Chief Compliance Officer and MLRO of TradeZero, Inc.
Daniel Strachan (Treasurer) is an Assistant Manager at the Securities Commission of the Bahamas which has responsibility for regulating and overseeing investment funds, securities and the capital markets in The Bahamas.
His Educational background includes a MBA with a concentration in International Business from the University of Miami in Coral Gables FL, and a BA with a concentration in Accounting from Northeastern University in Boston MA, with over 20+ years in the financial services industry. Dan is also a Certified Financial Crime Specialist (CFCS) and has obtained the Series 7 (General Securities Representative Exam).
Stephen Thompson (Chapter Advisor) is a financial expert in the field of regulation, risk and compliance with particular emphasis on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) for Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions. Having spent almost three (3) decades in the compliance arena, Stephen has had oversight for hundreds of on-site examinations of financial institutions, facilitated AML/CFT training for thousands of persons in The Bahamas and three (3) Caribbean jurisdictions. Beyond his participation as a Financial Expert on three (3) Mutual Evaluations for the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force, perhaps, the highlight of Mr. Thompson’s career in the financial services sector has been his tenure as National Anti-Money Laundering Coordinator for The Bahamas. He has served as a lecturer in Anti-Money Laundering and Governance, Risk and Compliance for the International Compliance Association since 2013. His inspiration- “criminals should not benefit from their criminal activities.”
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