june 4th / HELSINKI
aml arena united against fINANCIAL CRIME
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WELCOME TO AML ARENA
Join us on June 4th in Helsinki for a day dedicated to advanced insights, innovative strategies, and dynamic discussions in anti-money laundering. AML Arena 2025 brings together compliance officers, regulators, industry leaders, and technology innovators to explore the latest trends, challenges, and solutions in financial crime prevention.
Whether you're looking to upgrade your AML strategies, stay ahead of evolving regulations, or harness cutting-edge technology, AML Arena is your gateway to actionable insights and unparalleled networking opportunities.
first speakers
Augustas Glinskis
Director of AML & KYC at Saldo Bank
Lithuania
Salla Saastamoinen
Deputy Director-General at OLAF (European Anti-Fraud Office)
Belgium
Evelin Ruus
AFC Operations EE Unit Manager
Estonia
Chris Rasmussen
Adjunct Lecturer at University of New Haven
Denmark
Anu Torkkeli
Head of Financial Crime Prevention at Aktia
Finland
Nora Ilmoni
Head of Compliance PC & BC, & Regulatory Engagement at Danske Bank
Denmark
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agenda
8:30
connect
DOORS OPEN
- Networking & Breakfast
9:00
OPENING WORDS
- Welcome to AML Arena 2025
track 1: Risk & KYC
9:05
The Evolving Landscape of Financial Crime
- Global trends in AML enforcement and policy
- Rise of cyber-enabled laundering and real-time fraud
- The impact of geopolitical instability and sanctions
- The future role of financial institutions in crime prevention
9:25
CTF in 2025: Tackling Evolving Terrorist Financing Channels
- How terrorist financing differs from money laundering – and why it requires unique responses
- New typologies: online fundraising, abuse of fintech/payment platforms, and crypto wallets
- Indicators of terrorist financing in customer behavior and transactions
- Practical steps for integrating CTF into AML risk frameworks without overburdening operations
9:40
De-risking Strategies & Unintended Consequences
- The business and reputational risks of de-risking
- How it impacts financial inclusion and global development
- Alternatives to exiting high-risk customers
9:55
panel
Customer Due Diligence (CDD) & Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD)
Evelin Ruus
AFC Operations EE Unit Manager at Luminor
Kateryna Shapran
Foreign Associate at Dittmar & Indrenius
- Implementing new compliance frameworks: Best practices
- Adapting to Regulatory Complexity
- PEP Risk Management
10:25
Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) Transparency
- The latest on UBO registries in the EU and globally
- Verification challenges and red flags
- How criminals hide behind complex ownership structures
- Integrating UBO data into onboarding and monitoring
10:40
connect
NETWORKING BREAK
track 2: Compliance & Supervision
10:55
The Future of AML Regulation & Compliance
- The latest global regulatory changes and their impact on financial institutions
- Key takeaways from the EU AML Package and Corporate Transparency Act
- The role of regulators in shaping financial crime prevention
11:15
The Role of European Central Bank in AML
- Supervisory Role
- Cooperation with AML Authorities
- Data Sharing & Risk Analysis
11:30
Adapting to Regulatory Complexity
- Understand key shifts in EU AML regulation (AMLA, AML package, UBO rules)
- Align compliance frameworks with both global and local expectations
- Stay agile: build internal processes that can adapt to constant regulatory change
- Break silos: ensure legal, risk, and compliance teams are working from the same playbook
11:45
Financial Crime Compliance in Crypto & Digital Assets
- How crypto is used for laundering through mixers, DeFi, and NFTs — and what red flags to look for.
- What MiCA, the FATF Travel Rule, and other global frameworks mean for compliance programs.
- Why banks, fintechs, and crypto platforms must share intelligence to detect and disrupt illicit activity.
12:00
connect
NETWORKING lunch
13:00
Building a Compliance-First Culture
Nora Ilmoni
Head of Compliance PC & BC, & Regulatory Engagement at Danske Bank
- What makes a strong compliance culture stick
- Empowering employees across departments
- Avoiding checkbox mentality in AML practices
- Leadership’s role in setting the tone and accountability
track 3: Monitoring & Reporting
13:20
Regulatory Reporting & SAR/STR Best Practices
Dennis Rasmussen
Director, Head of Risk at Mastercard Open Banking
- How to draft clear, actionable SARs/STRs that actually support investigations
- Collaboration between front-line staff, analysts, and legal/compliance for timely reporting
- Leveraging feedback from FIUs and regulators to improve future reporting quality
13:35
False Positives & Reducing Alert Fatigue
- Why most AML alerts are false positives — and the cost to investigators, customers, and compliance outcomes
- How segmentation, smarter rule tuning, and feedback loops can sharpen detection systems
- The role of AI and behavioral analytics in prioritizing high-risk alerts and reducing noise
- Strengthening case triage, analyst workflows, and escalation logic to improve efficiency and reduce burnout
13:50
Challenges in Monitoring Cross-Border Transactions
- Why most AML alerts are false positives — and the cost to investigators, customers, and compliance outcomes
- How segmentation, smarter rule tuning, and feedback loops can sharpen detection systems
- The role of AI and behavioral analytics in prioritizing high-risk alerts and reducing noise
- Strengthening case triage, analyst workflows, and escalation logic to improve efficiency and reduce burnout
14:05
Behavioral Analytics & Anomaly Detection / Monitoring innovations
- From static rules to dynamic behavior: Why traditional monitoring struggles with evolving typologies — and how behavior-based models adapt better
- Understanding the customer baseline: Using behavioral patterns to detect anomalies in transactions, logins, and usage over time
- Smarter detection, fewer false positives: How anomaly detection improves precision without overwhelming investigators
- Real-world use cases: Examples of spotting mule accounts, layering tactics, and insider threats through behavioral signals
14:20
connect
NETWORKING BREAK
TRACK 4: Advanced aml & Analytics
14:50
panel
Public-Private Collaboration in Fighting Financial Crime
Anu Torkkeli
Head of Financial Crime Prevention at Aktia
Tarja Välsi
Head of Tax Crime at Finnish Tax Administration,
- How public-private partnerships enhance financial crime investigations
- Strengthening cross-border cooperation to disrupt illicit networks
- The role of data-sharing initiatives in AML efforts & how to safely share data across institutions
- What holds back intelligence sharing in practice
- Data Privacy & Compliance in AML Investigations
15:20
Crypto, DeFi, and Emerging Money Laundering Risks
- Monitoring financial crime in crypto forums and markets
- Tools and techniques for deep/dark web surveillance
- The rise of decentralized finance (DeFi) and money laundering risks
- Using blockchain analytics for financial crime investigations
15:35
A threat or a possibility? AI, Machine Learning, and Automation in AML
- How AI is transforming transaction monitoring and risk assessments
- Real-time fraud detection: Use cases and best practices
- The impact of digital identity verification and biometrics
15:50
Rolling the Dice: How Gambling Is Used to Launder Money
Chris Kronow Rasmussen
Adjunct Lecturer at University of New Haven
- How gambling operators are used to launder money
- Detecting fraud in the laundering lifecycle → match-fixing, detection, collaboration across sectors
- Emerging threats (crypto-funded gambling platforms)
16:05
wrap up
ticket options
financial institutions
pre ticket
pre ticket
495€
normal price 895€
Full day event program
Access to the meeting tool
Food and beverage all day
Access to the event recording
vendors
pre ticket
pre ticket
795€
normal price 1395€
Full day event program
Access to the meeting tool
Food and beverage all day
Access to the event recording
TEAM TICKET
895€
1x Standard ticket
4x Access to the conference recordings on the Digital Banking Academy (Online access only)
want 10 tickets or more? get in touch
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