Hiring an MLRO for a Global Marketplace Platform

As part of this shift, the business required a UK MLRO, responsible for building out the entire local AML/CTF and KYC function while ensuring a seamless regulatory migration of 10 million+ users.

The organisation needed a leader with a rare blend of strategic oversight, hands on operational capability and strong stakeholder management across both regulators and internal product teams.

A multi functional leadership requirement

They needed someone who could serve simultaneously as MLRO and Head of AML/CTF & KYC, with responsibility for regulatory compliance, customer duty and governance.

Few candidates in the market have the breadth to cover all three from day one.

Expertise across payments, PSP models and marketplace risk

The role required:

• Deep payments compliance knowledge
• PSP regulatory experience
• Familiarity with C2C / e commerce operating models
• Clear understanding of how AML/KYC design impacts user experience and growth

This combination is extremely niche.

Urgency and scale

The client needed someone who could:

• Design and implement the UK AML/CTF and KYC frameworks
• Build and lead the new UK compliance team
• Oversee complex regulatory reporting
• Support the migration of 10 million+ users
• Operate in a matrixed, remote first environment with HQ based in another country

All within the first 12–18 months.

Discovery and role scoping

We ran an in depth briefing with the COO, Chief Risk Officer and Global Head of Talent to clarify:

• Regulatory decision rights
• Current compliance gaps
• Business model nuances
• Key leadership behaviours such as decisiveness, candour, empathetic leadership and ability to co create with product and engineering

This allowed us to refine a targeted search strategy with clear alignment to their operating reality.

Targeted market mapping

We mapped senior AML, MLRO and Head of Compliance leaders across:

• High growth fintechs including payments, e money, FX and banking as a service
• PSPs supporting e commerce and marketplace platforms
• UK entities of global technology businesses going through regulatory scaling

The long list was narrowed to 12 profiles with:

• Proven MLRO experience
• Ability to build AML/CTF frameworks from scratch
• Experience leading regulatory interaction with the FCA
• Track record of managing high scale KYC/AML operations

Assessment and shortlist

We designed a selection framework mirroring the client’s leadership markers:

• Taking ownership and bias for action
• Balance between regulatory rigour and product innovation
• Stakeholder alignment across business, engineering and operations
• Ability to work cross border and lead remotely

A shortlist of four candidates was submitted within three weeks.

• Led AML/CTF transformation programmes for regulated payments firms
• Built and scaled UK compliance teams
• Managed senior regulatory relationships with the FCA
• Delivered AML/KYC frameworks aligned to both rapid growth and operational excellence
• Operated alongside product and engineering teams to balance risk and user experience

The client described the hire as “business critical” and credited the placement as a key factor in their successful market launch.

• Deep understanding of payments, fintech and marketplace risk models
• Strong network across senior AML, financial crime and compliance leaders
• Ability to assess both technical capability and leadership behaviour
• Speed and precision in navigating niche, high impact searches