Napier AI Appoints Kenneth Paqvalén as Chief Financial Officer

Napier AI has appointed Kenneth Paqvalén as Chief Financial Officer as the RegTech firm prepares for its next phase of international growth. His arrival follows the company’s recent acquisition by private equity firm Marlin Equity Partners, a move that signals increased momentum behind Napier AI’s push to scale its anti-money laundering (AML) technology across global markets.

Paqvalén brings over two decades of financial leadership experience, including senior roles at Nokia, MariaDB, and most recently as CFO at Matillion. During his three-year tenure at Matillion, he played a key role in growing the business from $150 million to $1.5 billion. His background includes embedding scalable financial systems and leading high-growth companies through complex international expansions.

At Napier AI, his focus will be on building financial infrastructure to support sustained growth. This includes reinforcing existing systems to help scale the company’s core platform—Napier AI Continuum—as demand for financial crime prevention technology continues to rise.

Expansion into the US and Asia-Pacific regions is a key part of that strategy. Paqvalén will lead efforts to strengthen Napier AI’s presence in these markets by building local teams and ensuring operational readiness to support a broader customer base.

In discussing his new role, Paqvalén said: “What drew me to Napier AI was the opportunity to contribute to something that has real ethical weight. Financial crime is a complex and ever-evolving challenge and being able to play even a small part in tackling it feels genuinely meaningful. It’s an exciting time to be joining the company and I’m very much looking forward to what’s ahead.”

He added: “For companies like Napier AI, while the sophistication of criminals in their use of AI continues to become more innovative, this rapidly evolving issue provides huge opportunity for businesses to address demand and make significant strides to preventing financial crime.”

The backing from Marlin Equity Partners is expected to accelerate platform development and support a more global operating model. Marlin is known for its collaborative approach and long-term investment philosophy, particularly in software and data-driven businesses.

Napier AI CEO Greg Watson noted: “We are thrilled to welcome Kenneth on board as our new CFO at such a pivotal moment in Napier’s journey. His expertise will be key as we continue to scale operations, strengthen our financial foundations and continue investing in the evolution of our platform. With global expansion already underway, his leadership will ensure we continue to grow in a sustainable and strategic way and his deep financial acumen will undoubtedly make him an invaluable addition to our leadership team as we navigate this next stage of growth.”

Kaizen Appoints Michael Leach Chief Revenue Officer

Kaizen has appointed Michael Leach as its new Chief Revenue Officer. Leach joins from the London Stock Exchange Group, where he was instrumental in building UnaVista—now LSEG Regulatory Reporting Solutions—into a global brand. As one of UnaVista’s original founders, he brings deep expertise in regulatory reporting and sales leadership. In his new role, Leach will lead Kaizen’s sales strategy and business development to drive revenue growth and support market expansion.

On taking up his new appointment, Leach commented: “I’m excited to join the Kaizen team and contribute to the company’s continued growth. I’ve seen firsthand the value and innovation the company brings to the regulatory reporting and compliance space. I look forward to working with the talented team here to accelerate our market presence and deliver exceptional value to our clients.”

Dario Crispini, CEO of Kaizen, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Mike to our executive team. His extensive background at LSEG, combined with his deep understanding of our industry and proven track record in building successful sales organisations, makes him the ideal leader to drive our revenue growth strategy. Mike’s leadership and industry expertise will be instrumental in helping us achieve our ambitious growth and market expansion goals.”

This appointment comes as Kaizen continues to broaden its presence in the regulatory compliance market.

Validus’s CTO Hire Signals Push for Scalable, Integrated Risk Solutions

Validus Risk Management is deepening its technical leadership as it extends its footprint across Asia, Europe and North America. In June 2025 the firm appointed Daniel Johnson as Chief Technology Officer, charging him with shaping a unified technology strategy to support rapid scale-up and feature development. This move follows a $45 million growth equity injection from FTV Capital in February, earmarked for go-to-market acceleration and bolstering product innovation across Validus’s risk-management platform.

Daniel Johnson joins from Hargreaves Lansdown, where he spent four years as Chief Digital Platforms Officer, and brings over 15 years of experience guiding both fast-growing software businesses and established online platforms toward greater efficiency and resilience. “I’m delighted to be joining Validus at such an exciting time for the business. I look forward to working with the team to continue driving product innovation and leading the firm’s ongoing development from a technology perspective,” he said.

Analysts observe that leaders with a track record in digital-platform scale-up can shorten development cycles and improve system robustness—capabilities especially valuable as financial-services firms demand more integrated, cloud-native risk tools. Alongside Daniel’s arrival, Validus has opened a new office in Singapore and named Shawn Koh as Head of Asia Client Coverage, underscoring its commitment to on-the-ground support amid rising compliance and market-risk requirements in the APAC region.

DTCC Appoints New Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has appointed Laura Deaner as its new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Deaner, who will report directly to Chief Information Officer Lynn Bishop, brings over 25 years of experience managing information security and cybersecurity programs.

In her new role, Deaner will oversee DTCC’s comprehensive cybersecurity strategies designed to protect the organization’s information and technology systems. Her responsibilities will include developing and enhancing DTCC’s cybersecurity frameworks, integrating cyber resilience into strategic initiatives such as technology upgrades, AI-driven innovations, and cloud technology adoption.

Deaner previously held senior cybersecurity roles at Northwestern Mutual and S&P Global, and earlier at PR Newswire, where she successfully implemented large-scale cybersecurity transformations. Her approach has consistently involved adopting innovative security practices and architectures, significantly advancing cybersecurity maturity within her organizations. Her extensive financial industry experience also includes roles at Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase, and Citigroup.

She currently serves on the Financial Services Information Sharing Analysis Centre (FS-ISAC) board and is a member of the NYU Tandon Cyber Fellows Advisory Council.

Bishop emphasized that Deaner’s extensive experience would be integral as DTCC enhances its cybersecurity strategies. “As we continue to strengthen our technology infrastructure to protect against cyber-threats, Laura’s expertise and leadership will enable us to drive a more holistic program to further upgrade our defence capabilities,” Bishop said.

Commenting on her appointment, Deaner highlighted the critical role DTCC plays in maintaining the security and stability of global financial markets. “DTCC plays a vital role in safeguarding the global financial system, and I’m proud to contribute to that mission by advancing a resilient, adaptive and risk-aligned cybersecurity posture,” Deaner said. “This work is deeply collaborative, and I’m looking forward to partnering closely across teams to protect what matters most: trust, stability and market integrity.”

Qomply Taps Veteran Sales Leader Steven Stewart to Steer US-UK Growth

RegTech firm Qomply has hired Steven Stewart as its new Strategic Commercial Director, tasking him with sharpening the company’s expansion strategy across the United States and the United Kingdom.

Stewart brings 25 years of international sales leadership, most recently as Executive Vice President at Trading Technologies, where he helped build a platform used by many of the world’s largest financial institutions. Earlier roles include senior positions at FutureSource, now part of Interactive Data.

“We are so excited to welcome Steven to our team,” said Michelle Zak, Co-founder at Qomply. “His industry experience speaks for itself, and his leadership and vision will play a pivotal role as we continue to grow and innovate in the RegTech space.”

Stewart framed the move as a chance to pair robust technology with regulatory know-how: “I’m delighted to be joining Qomply at such an exciting period of its growth trajectory. Qomply’s leading tech coupled with its deep industry and regulatory expertise present a unique opportunity to drive innovation and deliver exceptional value to clients. I look forward to working with the team to build on this momentum and help shape the future of compliance solutions.”

Consulting Meets Law: Squire Patton Boggs Adds Financial Crime Specialists Taccogna & Webb

Squire Patton Boggs has expanded its Financial Services Practice Group in London by welcoming two seasoned professionals, Federica Taccogna and Nigel Webb, both formerly co-heads of the Governance, Risk and Regulation practice at Interpath Advisory. Taccogna joins as a principal, while Webb takes on the role of senior advisor.

Taccogna brings over two decades of experience in regulatory compliance and financial crime prevention. She has held senior compliance roles at institutions such as Credit Suisse, Royal Bank of Scotland, and ICICI Bank in the UK. Her expertise includes leading investigations into complex financial crime schemes across various jurisdictions, advising regulators and law enforcement agencies, and serving as a strategic advisor to the Malta Financial Services Authority and the Malta Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit.

Webb offers a 40-year career spanning senior roles in industry and consulting across all major continents. His experience includes serving as a partner at Andersen and Deloitte, Global CIO at Interdealer Broker ICAP, and Head of Risk and Technology for JP Morgan’s Global Derivative Services. He has also held senior positions at Interpath Advisory, where he co-led the Governance, Risk and Regulation practice.

Both Taccogna and Webb specialize in advising financial institutions, regulators, and governments on conduct matters, particularly in sectors such as gambling, online gaming, crypto, and payments. Their expertise encompasses financial crime regulation, including anti-money laundering, sanctions, market abuse, fraud, and anti-bribery and corruption, as well as product and client governance.

Jim Barresi, global head of the Financial Services Practice Group at Squire Patton Boggs, stated, “Having held senior positions at some of the world’s leading consultancies, Federica and Nigel bring extensive experience assessing and remediating financial crime concerns for institutions, regulators, and governments around the world. Their arrival brings together consulting and legal services under one roof to help us provide a full range of services to resolve disputes and inquiries our clients receive from industry regulators.”

European managing partner Jonathan Jones added, “Federica and Nigel’s experience and wealth of connections are synergistic with the work of our regulatory, Public Policy and Government Investigations and White-Collar teams, and their arrival will help us develop our offering across a number of practices.”

This move follows several senior hires into the firm’s Financial Services Practice Group this year, including Global Trade Finance partners Philip Prowse and Jameel Tarmohamed in London, and senior advisors Daniel Rudder and Nathan Romano in New York. Additionally, financial services lawyer Mona Ma was promoted to partner.

Rimes Appoints New Chief People Officer

Rimes has appointed Kelly Samrai as Chief People Officer, bringing her extensive experience in scaling teams and driving organizational culture in high-growth environments. Her role will focus on aligning talent strategy with business objectives, leadership development, and fostering an inclusive, high-performing workplace.

Samrai previously served as Chief People Officer at Luno, where she played a key role in global team expansion and improving employee engagement. Her leadership experience also includes roles at WorldFirst and Stemcor, where she contributed to major organizational transformations.

Brad Hunt, CEO at Rimes, highlighted the significance of her appointment: “I am thrilled to welcome Kelly to Rimes. Kelly brings a unique approach that blends a human-centric mindset with commercial outcomes, which will be invaluable to us as we continue to grow around the world.”

Reflecting on her new role, Kelly stated: “I’ve heard incredible things about Rimes, and I am hugely excited to join as they embark on their next stage of growth. I am a big believer in aligning people strategies with business goals through teams that are engaged, motivated and set up for success – I see this in action at Rimes and look forward to helping to drive our performance and expansion globally.”

This appointment underscores Rimes’ commitment to building a strong people-focused culture as the company continues its global expansion.

Muinmos Appoints Powerful Advisory Board to Drive KYC Growth

Digital onboarding and perpetual KYC solutions provider Muinmos has created an Advisory Board comprising four highly experienced professionals known for their work across RegTech, Big Data Analytics, and Digital Transformation. Each brings a record of scaling businesses and supporting growth, particularly in financial services. Their combined expertise is expected to inform Muinmos’ development of its client onboarding platform.

New Advisory Board Members

Sander Daniels (Chair) has previously helped design and launch Salesforce Financial Services Cloud in EMEA, creating a new revenue stream. He focuses on scaling companies, with specialized knowledge in Cloud Platforms and Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy. Having sold a Big Data platform to JP Morgan in 2013, Daniels will guide Muinmos on its ‘customer first’ strategy and help build relationships with larger financial services prospects.

Liz Hughes has over 20 years of experience in financial services and fintech, providing compliance and operational transformation expertise through her consultancy, The Other Consultancy. Her background includes senior roles at Kantar and the London Stock Exchange Group, as well as advisory positions at ionStar, Kaupthing, Singer & Friedlander, Lehman Brothers, and Alliance Bernstein. She will advise on operational excellence and strategic initiatives, especially in the MENA region.

Edward Lane brings 28 years of experience in sales and sales leadership, focused on providing technology solutions to financial institutions. Currently serving as SVP of Global Sales at Kantata, Lane has also held leadership positions at nCino Inc, Salesforce, Oracle, BEA Systems, and Computer Associates. His approach emphasizes challenging the status quo and devising creative strategies, drawing on a proven background in client-facing and GTM roles.

Thomas Vollmer leads sales for the Nordics at Boost.ai. His career spans roles at Salesforce, Google, Capgemini, Microsoft, and Dell, reflecting a focus on sales leadership, business growth, and key account management within technology. With a particular interest in AI-driven innovation, Vollmer aims to contribute to Muinmos’ success in an evolving digital landscape.

Executive Comments

Muinmos Founder & CEO, Remonda Kirketerp-Møller, explains how the Advisory Board will strengthen the company’s global potential: “This is a significant development for the business. We have strengthened our exceptional team with an outstanding Advisory Board who will help us to capitalise on the extensive market potential for our client onboarding platform. All members of the team have been carefully selected for their strong track record in scaling tech businesses, their expertise in go-to-market strategies, and their customer-centric focus.”

She adds: “We are fully committed to delivering excellence to clients, expanding our global client base and providing an unrivalled platform which not only empowers the Compliance function but also immensely benefits Sales and Operations. It’s a huge endorsement for Muinmos that industry experts of this calibre have chosen to join our team.”

Looking Ahead

According to Sander Daniels: “Muinmos offers an exceptional platform for continuous compliance of Financial Institutions. There’s huge potential for global growth and I am very pleased with the team we were able to attract.” The Advisory Board’s combined knowledge is expected to support Muinmos in refining its platform, targeting new market segments, and ensuring a resilient approach to long-term growth.

Senior Leadership Appointments at CSC Funds and Capital Markets Division

CSC has taken a step to strengthen its global compliance and risk management capabilities by appointing two seasoned leaders to key roles. With extensive experience in compliance, logistics, and regulatory strategy, Mark Calandra will now lead CSC’s Corporate and Legal Solutions (CLS) division, while Ian McConnel becomes the company’s chief legal officer overseeing Legal, Risk, and Compliance.

Calandra brings two decades of experience within CSC, most recently growing the Digital Brand Services division into a recognized provider of domain security. Industry observers suggest his blend of operational expertise and deep understanding of regulatory demands will help CLS navigate a complex compliance landscape.

On the legal front, McConnel’s background spans private practice, public service, and senior corporate roles. His appointment, according to company representatives, signals CSC’s continued focus on robust legal and compliance frameworks. Over his tenure at CSC, McConnel has cultivated a reputation for balancing governance requirements with practical solutions—experience that positions him to guide the Legal, Risk, and Compliance teams effectively.

“We’re dedicated to helping clients navigate an ever more challenging regulatory landscape,” says Rod Ward, president and CEO of CSC. “These two leaders will be instrumental in that effort. Both appointments reflect our commitment to delivering exceptional value and creative, pragmatic answers to our clients’ biggest business challenges.”

These leadership changes follow similar moves in CSC’s newly combined Funds and Capital Markets (FCM) division in December, with John Hebert expanding his responsibilities to lead the FCM business, while Venkat Srinivasan has been named global head of funds and enterprise capabilities.

These changes come on the heels of CSC’s integration of the Intertrust Group—originally acquired in November 2022—and its incorporation into the CSC brand. With a global presence spanning more than 140 jurisdictions and a team of over 8,000, CSC aims to deliver broader services to fund managers, asset owners, lenders, and advisors under a unified FCM structure.

In his new role as executive vice president and president of FCM, Hebert will direct CSC’s worldwide offerings across multiple asset classes and geographies. He previously oversaw CSC’s Global Capital Markets business and led initiatives that saw a 250% increase in capital markets and funds revenue over five years.

Srinivasan, appointed as global head of funds and enterprise capabilities, is credited with more than two decades of experience in private equity and the funds sector. He co-led the funds business at Intertrust Group prior to its acquisition and will now focus on developing integrated, centralized solutions for clients navigating an increasingly complex financial landscape.

“We are excited to welcome John and Venkat into their new roles as we continue to drive growth across our core markets,” Ward noted on the December appointments. “They have already demonstrated exceptional leadership capabilities at CSC and together will be invaluable in setting the strategic direction for our FCM business.”

By strengthening its leadership bench, CSC appears poised to develop new approaches for clients aiming to stay ahead of global compliance demands.

Corlytics Names Graham Howell as Chief Financial Officer

Global RegTech consolidator Corlytics, has appointed Graham Howell as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to support its ongoing global expansion. This move follows the company’s recent growth in the United States and strategic acquisitions, including Deloitte UK’s RegTech platform, ING’s SparQ, and Clausematch. These developments aim to enhance Corlytics’ capabilities in addressing the increasing complexity of global regulatory requirements.

With 35 years of experience in finance within the software industry, Howell has served as CFO for various SaaS companies, including Nextlane, TraceOne, and Ullink, all backed by private equity firms. His expertise in managing acquisitions and integrations is expected to be instrumental as Corlytics continues its growth trajectory.

CEO John Byrne highlighted Howell’s extensive experience, stating that his background in high-growth software companies will be a valuable asset to Corlytics.

Howell expressed enthusiasm about joining Corlytics, noting the company’s mission to leverage analytics beyond compliance and risk management to provide business advantages for clients.

This appointment is part of Corlytics’ broader strategy to strengthen its leadership team, as evidenced by the recent addition of three C-level executives: Steve Barnes as Group Technology Officer, Dr. Oisín Boydell as Chief Data Officer, and Ray O’Donnell as Chief Tech Architect.