Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Languages
Awards
Timeline
Generic

Heela Sarsam

Lisbon

Summary

Having spent five years working in compliance at fintech companies, I have built a strong commitment to regulatory compliance and fostering a culture of integrity. I believe in going beyond meeting regulatory requirements by embedding ethical behaviour into everyday practices. I am motivated by the challenges of complex regulations, problem-solving, and clear communication. I am eager to join a company that values both compliance and ethics, where I can apply my skills to support organizational integrity and growth.

Overview

7
7
years of professional experience

Work History

Compliance Officer

Pleo Financial Services AS
08.2023 - Current
  • Established and maintained a comprehensive compliance policies framework covering whistleblowing, anti-bribery and corruption (ABC), conflicts of interest (COI), complaints, outsourcing, and incident management.
  • Designed and delivered company-wide compliance training on ABC, COI, whistleblowing, and UK modern slavery regulations.
  • Established annual compliance monitoring plans and conducted monitoring activities on topics such as incident management and complaints.
  • Improved oversight and reporting for ABC, COI, whistleblowing, and complaints through tailored compliance frameworks.
  • Prepared compliance reports for the board and the Governance, Risk and Compliance Committee.
  • Contributed to the successful preparation and submission of a UK Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence application.
  • Developed an outsourcing framework with risk assessments aligned to regulatory expectations for critical third parties.
  • Assisted first line teams Security in implementing DORA controls, including ICT risk and third-party oversight.
  • Co-developed a regulatory risk control matrix with internal control, enhancing oversight of compliance risk.
  • Collaborated with and supported internal departments and external stakeholders for compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

Compliance Officer

Mollie B.V.
  • Monitored and identified regulatory obligations in national and EU laws and regulations, as well as gaps in policies and procedures;
  • Implemented and updated policies and frameworks such as customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, organizational integrity, and whistleblower procedures;
  • Collaborated with and supported internal departments and external stakeholders for compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
  • Conducted compliance monitoring activities, including developing a monitoring plan for integrity risk controls as part of the SIRA and conducting monitoring;
  • Developed and maintained a company-wide compliance awareness training program;
  • Prepared reports for management and the supervisory board;
  • Conducted quality assurance checks on first-line customer due diligence and transaction monitoring assessments; and
  • Conducted product assessments and approvals to ensure compliance with relevant regulations.

Legal & Compliance Officer

WEBB Traders B.V.
05.2018 - 12.2020
  • Monitored and identified regulatory obligations in national and EU laws and regulations;
  • Monitored and identified gaps in policies and frameworks and implemented and updated policies and frameworks relevant to the trading firm, such as the Market Abuse Regulation;
  • Conducted compliance monitoring activities, including drafting and coordinating the annual compliance monitoring plan on topics such as market abuse, insider dealing, AML/CFT, and sanctions;
  • Developed and maintained company-wide compliance awareness training; and
  • Developed reports for management and the Supervisory Board.

Education

LL.M. - International Law

University of Reading
United Kingdom
12.2016

LL.B. - Law

HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht
The Netherlands
11.2014

Minor - Criminal Justice

California State University Long Beach
United States
01.2014

Skills

  • Regulatory compliance across EU and UK financial regulations
  • Compliance policy development and implementation
  • Compliance monitoring and risk assessment
  • Internal training and compliance awareness programs
  • Governance reporting and stakeholder engagement i,e, firs tline of defense teams
  • AML, CDD, and transaction monitoring oversight
  • Third-party and outsourcing risk management

Languages

Dutch, English, Dari and Hindi

Awards

Stichting de Fundatie van de Vrijvrouwe van Renswoude I received a scholarship for my minor program at California State University of Long Beach, based on my academic performance, work experience, and volunteer service., Excellence star: internationalization Earned an excellence star from my home university for the minor program abroad at California State University of Long Beach.

Timeline

Compliance Officer

Pleo Financial Services AS
08.2023 - Current

Legal & Compliance Officer

WEBB Traders B.V.
05.2018 - 12.2020

Compliance Officer

Mollie B.V.

LL.M. - International Law

University of Reading

LL.B. - Law

HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht

Minor - Criminal Justice

California State University Long Beach

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Heela Sarsam