Abhinav Raj
Summary
Highly skilled Financial Crime professional with extensive experience in risk assessment, KYC due diligence, and financial crime investigations within a regulated banking environment. Proven track record of mitigating financial, regulatory, and reputational risks through comprehensive risk evaluations, enhanced due diligence (EDD), and suspicious activity reporting (SAR). Adept at utilizing data analytics and investigative techniques to identify financial crime risks, ensuring compliance with FCA regulations and internal policies. Recognized as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in financial crime, with a commitment to driving operational excellence, policy enhancements, and team development.
Overview
2
2
years of professional experience
1
1
year of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work History
Customer Due Diligence Manager
Barclays Bank UK PLC
Exeter, United Kingdom
01.2023 - Current
- Conducted risk assessments and KYC due diligence on 3,600+ corporate clients, including sole traders, unincorporated partnerships, CACS entities, and limited companies, ensuring compliance with FCA regulations.
- Played a key role in a high-profile due diligence project for 86,000 corporate clients, directly preventing a potential FCA fine of £72 million by strengthening risk assessment frameworks and regulatory adherence.
- Reviewed and investigated 20+ high-risk client profiles, conducting EDD and raising SARs for entities linked to money laundering, tax evasion, and sanctions violations.
- Monitored financial crime escalations and assessed referrals from the Risk Assessment Unit (RAU), overseeing 10+ risk-based client exits in line with Barclays’ risk appetite.
- Provided SME-level guidance to relationship teams to streamline review requirements, reducing case backlog and ensuring efficient onboarding.
- Developed and delivered training sessions for compliance professionals on financial crime screening policy, leveraging the Kirkpatrick model to evaluate training effectiveness and improve risk awareness.
- Recognized for excellence in financial crime mitigation, receiving 8,000+ BUK recognition points for supporting ‘Risk and Control in Business Operations’ and enhancing Barclays' compliance culture.
Graduate Peer Mentor
The University of Exeter
Exeter, England
10.2022 - 01.2023
- Led structured peer learning sessions and 1:1 mentorship to support student academic development and career readiness.
- Delivered workshops on employability, academic excellence, and work-life balance, ensuring student success.
- Collaborated with university stakeholders to design learning pathways and improve student engagement accounting for LEAD model of behaviour.
Education
Master of Science - Human Resource Management
University of Exeter Business School
Exeter, Devon 01.2022 - 01.2023
Skills
- Financial Crime Risk Assessment & Investigation
- KYC & AML Compliance (EDD, SARs, PEP Screening)
- Regulatory Adherence (FCA, POCA 2002, UK Sanctions Act)
- Fraud & Sanctions Monitoring
- Data Analysis & Risk Mitigation Strategies
- Stakeholder Management & Decision-Making
- Policy Implementation & Process Optimization
- Training & Colleague Development
Certification
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
Languages
English
Native
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Customer Due Diligence Manager
Barclays Bank UK PLC
01.2023 - Current
Graduate Peer Mentor
The University of Exeter
10.2022 - 01.2023
Master of Science - Human Resource Management
University of Exeter Business School
01.2022 - 01.2023
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
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