Could a career in compliance be for you?

As our Compliance Assistant, Chantelle Oliviera’s role focuses on Anti-Money Laundering regulations, meaning she ensures employees are up to date with their training, performing checks on new clients and staying up to date with any changes in laws and regulations.

In this team story, we learn more about Chantelle and her journey to her current role, including where she started, where she would like to go with her career, and her advice to anyone looking to start a compliance related role!

Tell us about yourself

I’m Chantelle, most of the team will know me from Gerald Edelman’s Compliance Team. I’m originally from South Africa and I’m an animal lover!

What did you do before you worked at GE?

I started off working at law firms as an apprentice. After a few years, I moved into the corporate world where I joined my first compliance role. This role was focused on VAT and business-to-business VAT reclaim rather than Anti-Money Laundering (AML).

What do you do now?

Now my role is mainly focused on compliance of AML regulations. This ranges from making sure our new starters are up to date with AML training when they join GE, to performing AML checks on new clients that we’re onboarding. Every year, I do annual reviews to ensure our AML policies are being put into practice throughout the firm. I know everyone looks forward to my Quality Assurance Monitoring updates! Other than AML, I’m also involved in helping our trainees with things like registering as apprentices and enrolling onto courses.

Where do you want to go with your career?

I’d like to continue growing, learning and gaining exposure to become well-rounded in terms of AML and compliance.

What is your favourite thing about working at GE?

GE has been invaluable! Due to the nature of my role, I’ve already had a lot of exposure to Anti-Money Laundering regulations through webinars, being involved with Quality Assurance Monitoring visits and the various real-life AML scenarios I deal with daily, among other things. I’ve learned so much in the time that I’ve been here, and I’ve received a lot of support from my team and the partners.

Through my role, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know many different people at GE! The ever-changing regulations also keep me on my toes.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

When I was younger, I wanted to be a teacher or a vet!

What would be your advice to anyone trying to get into your profession?

To work in compliance you need to have an eye for detail, people skills, organisation skills and patience. Having a legal background has been a big advantage as there are many AML laws and regulations that are constantly changing. However, having legal qualifications isn’t a strict requirement to get into this career either. If you have a degree in business, accounting or law and are willing to learn, you can definitely join the world of compliance!

Want to learn more about the GE team? Read more of our team stories here.