26 Apr First CAMS Live Prep Course completed in Nicosia

The Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS), the leading global professional membership organization for AML Compliance professionals, has formed a local training partnership with the European Institute for Management and Finance (EIMF) to support Cypriot AML Compliance professionals preparing for the Certified Anti­-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS®) qualification. The CAMS® is regarded as the gold standard for AML certifications and recognised internationally by financial institutions, governments and regulators. The first live prep class for CAMS® took place in Cyprus on 16­-17 March with a great success. The course was attended by 25 AML professionals coming from investment firms, banks, accountancy, legal, and consulting sector.

This first seminar was presented by Mr Holger Pauco-Dirscherl CAMS, of UBS Deutschland AG, a very experienced Financial Crime professional. Holger, who is an ACAMS certified instructor and the Co-Chair of the ACAMS Germany Chapter, presented the CAMS qualification structured training course and engaged with participants on all topics relevant to their upcoming examinations. The 2-day course was furthermore designed to advance the professional knowledge, skills and experience of those dedicated to the detection and prevention of money laundering around the world, promote the development and implementation of sound anti-money laundering policies and procedures and prepare eligible candidates to sit the CAMS examination.

Holger Pauco-Dirscherl said “It was a great experience to see so much motivated and competent AML professionals together. We had two great days and discussions. It also showed me that the importance and need for well educated AML professionals is taken very serious in Cyprus. Marios and his team at EIMF did a great work organizing the course. ACAMS made a good choice with this cooperation. Also meeting the ACAMS Cyprus Chapter and participating at one of their events, was great. I am much looking forward to hear more from ACAMS in Cyprus.”

Vasilis Ioannou, AML officer at the Bank of Cyprus, who took the live prep course and also passed the exam a week later said “I am glad I choose this professional qualification and that I also took the live course as well. This allowed me to meet with other exam takers and of course ask my own questions and discuss the content with Mr Holger during the two days. The material presented was extremely relevant and it truly helped me in passing the exam. During the course, I had the opportunity to answer several practice questions and discuss the answer with the tutor and other course participants. Based on my experience, ACAMS is highly regarded among AML professionals and offers world class training to build skills for tomorrow’s challenges in the sector. Holding the CAMS certification, helps me obtain the immediate trust from the other AML professionals I interact with, since they recognize its value. Furthermore, the ACAMS Cyprus Chapter provides important networking and professional development opportunities for experts to remain updated to the current AML and ATF standards.”

Mr Marios Siathas, General Manager of EIMF, said that “it has been a great initiative and we are pleased with the results so far. We are glad to be able to offer the CAMS qualification to local professionals and so far the interest has been great. This shows the commitment of local organizations and individuals to implement better AML and compliance procedures and standards in their operations. A total of 25 people attended our first live course and we already have a great interest for the coming course in June”. He also mentioned that he is pleased with the overall support and collaboration with ACAMS and the local ACAMS chapter.

Mr Gregory Dellas the ACAMS Cyprus Chapter in an effort to support the participants was also present during the two-day seminar and, being CAMS qualified himself, he was happy to answer any questions regarding the exam during the two days of the course.

ACAMS had partnered up with the EIMF in October 2015 with a local launching event in November, presenting the partnership and the local chapter to the Cyprus Financial Services Sector, offering the chance to local professionals to participate in Cyprus in courses that lead to the globally respected CAMS® qualification.

NB: The next CAMS live preparation course in Cyprus will take place on 14-15 June, again organised by the EIMF. For more information, please visit here.