Hello, my name is Charlotte. Thanks to my studies I am a criminal lawyer. I am the CEO and founder of AML Factory. AML Factory is a RegTech that aims to offer software to manage regulatory constraints in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.
RegTech & Development
I've been working on this subject since 2005, first at the Ministry of the Interior. Then I was a consultant in charge of compliance for different companies, internal and external. I created my own consulting firm in 2011 and in 2018, I said to myself that if I could put my head into software to help more clients because this is a regulation that is difficult, that moves all the time and that has huge operational impacts. Then, if I manage to absorb this regulatory burden, it would give the compliance officer more time to carry out investigations to identify clients and transactions that would constitute a money laundering or terrorist financing operation.
Regulations & Perspectives
It's a little difficult for us to really project ourselves in the long term because it's like this regulatory subject that we deal with. We are never in the shoes of the regulator or the legislators, so we never really know how the regulations will evolve. Afterward, there are various scandals that come up every four mornings and that allow us to anticipate regulatory changes. In any case, what we do know is that, apart from the obligations as such and the constraints imposed on these companies, there is a real trend toward harmonization of regulations. Already at the European level, because it is our primary market, we have European regulations. But then also at the level of the different jurisdictions which either adopt the European directives as they stand in their legislation, or which are members of the FATF, which is the international body that publishes the minimum standards required at the international level. So, this trend towards harmonization and globalization of the subject allows us to anticipate an international development outside of Europe rather quickly.
Values & Entrepreneurship
The values to become an entrepreneur, the first thing I think is to say that nothing is impossible and that if you want, you can. Despite the obstacles, despite all the difficulties you may encounter, it is a real challenge and it is vibrant to live this type of adventure. But it is also necessary to define the values of the company to be able to constitute a team that shares these same values, to also share these values with our customers. At AML Factory, in any case, we have put in place four values that drive our behavior and our way of acting which are excellence, respect, serenity, and creativity.
RegTech, FinTech & Co
The advice for FinTech entrepreneurs and the like would be to not be afraid to roll up your sleeves because it's a real challenge to be able to set up a tech company, especially if you're not tech yourself. You'll also be asked to wear fifteen hats when you start a company. You will have to manage HR, accounting, finance, legal, and so on. Sales, of course, is not necessarily the core business at the beginning. And therefore to be able to absorb, to learn, to want to learn, to know how to surround oneself very well, whether it is at the level of investors, at the level of the team, at the level of the ecosystem, in order to be able to benefit from advice, support, during difficult moments. And then, to keep smiling and having fun. It's a great adventure.
