Binance has announced the appointment of its former global head of corporate compliance Kristen Hecht as its new deputy chief compliance officer (CCO) and global money laundering reporting officer (GMLRO).

As Deputy CCO, Kristen will work with Binance’s chief compliance officer, Noah Perlman, in continuing to enhance the company’s industry-leading compliance program by utilising innovative technology while upholding core AML/CFT principles and practices. 

As GMLRO, Kristen will be responsible for overseeing country and regional MLRO teams, equipping them with necessary compliance risk-management tools and executive support to adhere to jurisdictional requirements and international best practices to continue identifying and mitigating financial crime risk.

As part of the immediate goals of her new role, Kristen will proactively engage with regulators, intergovernmental organisations, and industry bodies to contribute to the dialogue on how to develop best-in-class compliance programs in the crypto industry. She will also be collaborating with Binance’s business leaders to further the organisation’s commitment to user protection and robust compliance with regulatory requirements. Her long-term goal is to have trusted partnerships and collaboration with regulators, industry bodies, and business partners to identify and mitigate financial crime risk through innovative technology.

Out of total of 17 years of experience, Kristen spent nearly a decade supporting the US government’s efforts to combat terrorism and illicit financial activity as a senior policy advisor in the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes in the U.S. Department of the Treasury. 

Before Binance, Kristen worked with Meta’s first crypto digital asset wallet project, Novi Financial as the CCO. HSBC is another organisation where she served previously.

“Before joining the industry, I saw that blockchain technology had opened up an entirely new way to transfer assets in an open and transparent manner, which continues to propel technological advances making it easier to provide access to individuals and businesses currently excluded from the global financial system,” said Kristen. “Like with any new industry, I knew there would be significant challenges from criminals who seek to exploit global financial services, including crypto digital asset services. I’m leveraging my professional background to continue evolving our compliance controls to outpace illicit actors.”

“With her seasoned background, she understands the importance of collaborating with governments and international organizations that are critical to making sustainable advancements and fighting financial crime in the crypto ecosystem,” said Noah Perlman.