Our Head of Financial Crime Compliance and MLRO, Maja Andreevska-Blazhevska, participated in two events which brought together distinguished names from the financial landscape, shedding light on topics such as AML and KYC practices amid evolving AI technologies, as well as the importance of the MLRO amidst ongoing shifts in regulatory requirements.

The NextGen Payments and RegTech Forum took place on the 20^th of February 2026 at the Hilton Hotel, bringing together local and international payments and RegTech experts for a full day of networking, keynote speeches, fireside chats and panel discussions.

In the panel session titled ‘AML/KYC 2.0: Risk-Based Compliance in High Velocity Markets’, MLROs and Compliance Executives discussed the aspects of smart onboarding and continuous KYC, whilst safeguarding the loyalty of honest customers and easily detecting suspicious behaviours. With artificial intelligence playing a big part in this process, particularly in the banking, fintech and iGaming spheres, Compliance Specialists ought to ensure a correct, timely, and efficient procedure.

Maja delved into the evolution of the onboarding process from an in-person verification procedure with hard-copy documents, manual approvals, and periodic reviews, to a procedure in which automation is seen as a fundamental requirement. Highlighting the importance of vigilance in both manual and automated processes, Maja discussed the importance of the electronic identity (eID), as well as the need of a unified approach by the EU when it comes to corporate clients:

‘’Customers expect a seamless digital experience, and institutions need to verify identity without compromising security or compliance. This is where electronic identities (eIDs) become crucial. By leveraging government‑issued or trusted digital identity frameworks, institutions can authenticate users instantly, with higher assurance and less manual intervention. eIDs don’t just speed up onboarding—they improve accuracy, reduce fraud, and create a reusable identity layer that benefits both customers and providers. The same should be reflected at least across EU for the corporate clients, aligning the content of the extracts of the constitutional documents and providing access to the beneficial owner registries.

The Governance, Risk, Compliance and ESG Conference, co-organised by the Malta Stock Exchange and the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), took place over 2 days in March 2026, at the Hilton Hotel. In Day 1 of the conference, Maja also took part in the dialogues about ‘The Role of the MLRO in Managing AML Risks’ alongside local and foreign Financial Crime professionals. The panel discussion highlighted the steady evolution of the duties which fall under the MLRO role in light of increasing regulatory reporting and intricate financial crime risks. A recurring point, addressed by the majority of the panellists, was the development of AML regulation across Europe, pushing the MLRO to look beyond AML/CFT and into aspects such as corporate strategy, risk, fraud, and cybercrime.

“The role of the MLRO will completely shift from a reactive to a proactive one, further engaging them into product and business strategy, thus inevitably positioning this role on a more senior and executive level with influence equal to COO, CRO etc.”, said Maja.

The panel further touched upon the 6^th Anti-Money Laundering Directive, which will bring forth strengthened supervision across the EU, requiring detailed overview of AML operational implications.

‘’The 6^th AML Directive will shift the regulatory requirements towards stronger harmonisation – which will be the first challenge for MLROs when it comes to regulatory requirements imposed by local supervisory authorities. With EU’s Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLA), supervisory expectations are going to increase, thus increasing the MLRO’s responsibility and accountability. Here, it is important for proportionality to be implemented. […] When it comes to AML/CFT, one size does not and shall not fit all.’’

We commend Maja for partaking in discussions which actively shape our industry and provide invaluable insights for both practicing and aspiring MLROs.