BALAJI MANIKUMAR PALISETTY
Sharjah
Summary
Strategic and technically proficient Financial Crime Systems Analyst with over 8 years of global banking experience (UAE, UK, India) bridging IT transformations and regulatory compliance. Backed by a Master's in IT Management, excels in gathering business requirements, conducting gap assessments, and driving system enhancements across AML, KYC, and Sanctions platforms. Proven track record of executing rule tuning to drastically reduce false positives and coordinating complex UAT/SIT testing for transaction monitoring solutions. Adept at partnering with cross-functional technology, data, and operations teams to optimize risk detection and resolve production incidents. Locally based in Sharjah and available for immediate onboarding.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Compliance Officer
EMIRATES NBD
Sharjah
07.2025 - 05.2026
- Collaborated cross-functionally with Operations, Data, and Change Management teams to seamlessly integrate updated regulatory guidelines into transaction monitoring workflows.
- Performance: Consistently exceeded monthly productivity targets by 110% while maintaining 100% Quality Assurance (QA) score throughout 2025. Gather and Analysis process improvements, Identify & verify the provided relevant documents and escalate to respective desks for further guidance e.g.: PEP desk, Sanctions desk for potential matches.
- Partnered with technology and compliance analytics teams to execute rule tuning and threshold optimization, successfully reducing false-positive alert volumes while maintaining stringent risk coverage.
- Conducted gap analyses and process reviews on existing financial crime systems, documenting business requirements to drive enhancements across AML, KYC, and Sanctions screening platforms.
- Analyzed complex system outputs, performance metrics, and data trends to identify control gaps and recommend continuous improvements for detection effectiveness.
- Complex Entities: Conducted deep-dive analysis on multi-layered corporate structures, ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO), and high-net-worth SME accounts to uncover hidden financial crime risks. Collaborated with Local Authorities (Police/CID) and the Central Bank on fraud-related issues, ensuring systematic tracking of all shared information. Served as the primary point of contact for Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA), responding to queries via email and specialized portals.
- Cross-Border Flows: Monitored and investigated high-risk correspondent banking and cross-border transactions, ensuring strict adherence to the UAE Central Bank AML/CFT regulations.
Fraud Detection and AML Investigations Analyst
OBJECTWIN TECHNOLOGY INDIA
Remote
08.2024 - 12.2024
- Leadership: Served as a Subject Matter Expert (SME), managing a team of 12 new hires and guiding them through complex on-boarding and training. Conduct daily reviews of suspicious transactions using fraud detection and prevention systems. Communicate with financial institutions or internal departments to gather supporting documentation.
- Training: Up-skilled 10+ team members on advanced fraud detection tools and investigative techniques, improving overall team performance by 15%. Efficiency: Identified compliance gaps and proposed process solutions that improved fraud prevention efficiency by 25%.
- Assisted lead investigators in identifying money and business assets linked to fraudulent activities through meticulous data analysis. Remediation & Backlog Management: Played a key role in clearing legacy alert backlogs, maintaining a steady output of 30 cleared cases per week without compromising quality or audit standards.
Senior Fraud and AML Investigator
LLOYDS BANKING GROUP
Newport
03.2021 - 01.2024
- Achieved a rapid promotion to Senior Investigator within 6 months, surpassing the corporate average.: Achieved promotion to Senior Investigator within 6 months, significantly faster than the 12-month corporate average. False Positive Reduction: Collaborated with the compliance analytics team to provide feedback on Dynamic Risk Engine alerts, aiding in scenario tuning that reduced false-positive rates by 39%.
- Fraud Mitigation: Utilized Dynamic Risk Engine alerts to identify behavioral anomalies, reducing first-party fraud incidents by 30%. ATO Prevention: Collaborated with Cyber Fraud and Law Enforcement on Account Takeover (ATO) cases, resulting in a 40% drop in successful takeovers.
- Conducted complex financial investigations into fraud cases, focusing on the identification and seizure of fraudulently obtained assets. Gathered, recorded, and securely retained forensic evidence in strict accordance with FP&I Division guidelines and data privacy standards.
- Reviewed real-time fraud alerts from Enterprise Fraud Management (EFM) module to identify and mitigate potential financial risks.
- Coordinated with internal teams and external agencies to expedite fund recalls and safeguard bank interests.
- Conducted User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and System Integration Testing (SIT) for compliance tool upgrades, validating technical solutions against business and regulatory requirements.
Senior Process Executive-Fraud Operations
COGNIZANT TECH SOLUTIONS
HYD
09.2018 - 01.2020
- Utilized Case Management Systems (CMS) to accurately document all investigative actions, ensuring a comprehensive audit trail for every alert. Collaborate with risk, legal, and compliance teams on complex fraud cases and charge-back disputes.
- Performed Customer Due Diligence (CDD) and validated documentation for high-risk onboarding and remediation, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Executed complex data processing and transaction monitoring analysis to identify red flags and suspicious patterns, enhancing fraud detection efforts.
- Developed strategic initiatives to enhance client engagement and satisfaction. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to streamline project workflows and communication. Led training sessions for new staff on company policies and operational procedures.
Phone Banking Officer
HSBC
VIZAG
06.2016 - 08.2018
- Acted as the first line of defense by identifying potential identity theft and verification failures during initial customer interactions. Knowledge Sharing: Developed and disseminated updated desk instructions and cheat sheets on emerging fraud trends in the Indian market, enabling team to respond effectively to new threats. Security Awareness: Educated customers on safe digital banking practices and phishing awareness, strengthening their defenses against fraud.
- Managed customer inquiries regarding account balances and transaction details. Assisted clients with setting up and accessing online banking services. Processed loan applications and provided information on various financial products.
Education
MASTERS - IT AND MANAGEMENT
Cardiff Metropolitan University
UNITED KINGDOM02-2021
B. TECH - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
M.V.G.R College of Engineering
INDIA05-2013
Skills
- Tuning and Testing
- AML & Transaction Monitoring
- Business and Data Analysis
- Advanced Excel skills for data analysis
- Fraud Prevention & Detection
- Process Mapping and Improvements
- Compliance Operations
- Fraud Risk Assessment
- SQL & Advanced Data Visualization Tools (powerBI/Tableau)
- Alert & Case Management
- KYC / CDD / EDD
- FATF-VARA-Travel Rule-Global AML/CTF Frameworks
- Stakeholder Communication
Accomplishments
- Certified Fraud Examiner candidate and member of ACFE 2026
- Globally Certified KYC Specialist – Go-AKS (Global Association of KYC Specialists), May 2025.
- Master's Degree with Merit, Completed Dissertation university-project in DEVSECOPS for building security in the DevOps Software Development.
- Achieved a PTE (English Language) score of 59/90, demonstrating strong communication skills necessary for client and stakeholder interactions.
Timeline
Senior Compliance Officer
EMIRATES NBD
07.2025 - 05.2026
Fraud Detection and AML Investigations Analyst
OBJECTWIN TECHNOLOGY INDIA
08.2024 - 12.2024
Senior Fraud and AML Investigator
LLOYDS BANKING GROUP
03.2021 - 01.2024
Senior Process Executive-Fraud Operations
COGNIZANT TECH SOLUTIONS
09.2018 - 01.2020
Phone Banking Officer
HSBC
06.2016 - 08.2018
MASTERS - IT AND MANAGEMENT
Cardiff Metropolitan University
B. TECH - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
M.V.G.R College of Engineering