Spotlight with Kirsty Coughlan
Senior Compliance Manager, UK
Lauren Coughlan
December 7, 2017
How long have you been with Cambridge and how long have you worked in the industry?
I started Cambridge in January 2016 after having worked in foreign exchange since 2008 and in Compliance since 2010.
What is your role and how does this position support Cambridge’s mission, goals and success?
My role as Senior Compliance Manager in the UK office is to support the company and management from an anti-money laundering and regulatory perspective, whilst ensuring we are up to date with EU and UK law and regulations. It is important that I am knowledgeable and commercially aware of all engagement of the business which includes private clients and companies that we at Cambridge work with. I do this by engaging the business globally and making sure we are aligned to support the clients and that most importantly we are on side. I support the global management of Cambridge, as ultimately if something goes wrong it is our heads on the block. My team and I are the mind behind the management!
Can you describe your responsibilities and what are the biggest challenges you face?
I am responsible for ensuring that the day to day running of the compliance department in the UK and supporting the business with this globally. The biggest challenges I face are response times however, I have a good relationship with the teams who support this so I usually get a response within 24 hours and most of the time instant.
Can you give us an insight into your role and a typical day?
At Cambridge, no two days are the same – every day something new or different happens, in terms of workload. Although we are faced with different issues every day, we do our best to work together to resolve them. The compliance department has a role to resolve the problems and issues that we may face. Any issues are limited and changed with the right procedures and processes, which makes me feel happy that I can be of help to my colleagues and clients and ultimately protecting the business.
How did you join Cambridge and can you describe your working environment?
After speaking to a former colleague of mine who currently works for Cambridge, he expressed how happy he was in his role here; he then explained to me that there was a potential opportunity for someone with my position to start at Cambridge. At the time, I was working with a competitor as a Compliance Manager, however, I was interested to learn more about and potentially join Cambridge due to the fact it was a fast growing company in the UK. After this I met with the executive director, and line managers, who work in our Toronto office. I was intrigued by their vision for compliance in the UK and EU and excited about what I could bring to support Cambridge.
Working in compliance means we need to get work done diligently; the work is fast paced and ever changing but is done in a balanced and controlled environment. The people at Cambridge make it fun, and I have never worked with such a supportive group of people from both a UK and global perspective. Everyone around the world that works for Cambridge is encouraging and supportive, I truly believe we are like one big happy family!
What do you like most about your job?
When I first started at Cambridge it was a small team of people who were mostly within the sales roles. The regulatory environment and business in the UK are constantly changing which brings its challenges, however I have a great team supporting me. Cambridge UK and our EU presence has grown so much over the time I have been here. Not only in sales staff have we grown but also in terms of operation staff, client support and compliance which has doubled in the last 2 years. I am quite excited about the future as I have a lot of experience working with European countries and I can’t wait to put this into play.
What have you learnt at Cambridge and what have you learnt in your department?
Coming into Cambridge and being part of management and the decision-making team has helped me grow in managing people at all levels of the business. It has also taught me how to work in a business that is constantly growing, and work within a global environment, due to most of my colleagues and immediate reports being based in different locations and time zones around the world.
What motivates you and inspires you to succeed?
Seeing the success of the business in such a short amount of time makes me feel proud to be a part of the team. It also motivates me to be successful for the business and I strive knowing I am helping to create this success. I also believe I am a very positive and motivated individual and I bring that into the office every day.
What is one thing you wish you knew before working at Cambridge and is there anything you would change in your role here at Cambridge?
Nothing, I have enjoyed it from the moment I started, I love my job. However, I have a long commute, so I would change getting up at 5am in the morning every day!
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I love to spend time with my family, to travel on family holidays and love to read.
What are your aspirations and where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
European Director of Compliance, everyone’s got a dream! To be successful and I aspire to continue to take my career to the next level which I truly believe Cambridge will support.
To learn more about opportunities at Cambridge visit Cambridgefx.com/Careers
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