Compliance Influencer of the Month of April
Robin Lee
Head of APAC for Napier Technologies
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Robin Lee and I’m the Head of APAC for Napier Technologies. Napier is a new breed of AML tech provider. We build cutting-edge compliance technology to help companies in any sector comply with money laundering regulations, our AI powered platform empowers compliance teams detect suspicious transactions, screen potential customer & business partners and helps analysts predict customer behaviour.
Why did you choose a career in compliance?
I would say that I didn’t choose a career in compliance but that it chose me! After a journey that involved some time working in both Wall Street and Silicon Valley, I found my way into compliance and have been involved with this amazing community ever since. Compliance is full of amazing, genuine, driven and inspiring individuals and it’s an honor and a privilege to work with and assist them.
What has been the most important skill set you believe is necessary for a role in compliance?
I think it’s crucial to have a willingness to learn. With an industry that is changing so much there is always something new to learn, new regulations to understand and new technologies to evaluate. Having good people skills and some emotional intelligence is also important, working in compliance often means you have to deliver news that others don’t want to hear, so the way you position yourself and your points is important in maintaining healthy working relationships. Beyond that I would say it’s very important to have integrity in this space, without it you’ll face a rocky road ahead.
What is the best thing about your job?
Liaising with the compliance community and the software team! I get a real sense of satisfaction interacting with compliance officers to understand their needs, pain points and requirements and then feeding that back into the Napier team so that we can build the best product possible. It’s especially rewarding when I see these things work their way into the product and start making a difference to compliance teams and the fight against financial crime.
We all have learning experiences during our careers, what was your greatest learning experience (something you worked on, a career move or even something someone said)?
A professor called Steve Corio once said to me “a manager makes you want to do something, a leader makes you want to be somebody” it’s resonated with me throughout my career and helped me instigate change in my professional life when it’s been needed. It’s something to continually aspire to as I’ve grown teams in the businesses I’ve worked within.
What has been your proudest moment(s)/achievement(s)?
I think I’d be a bad parent if I didn’t mention my kids here and how proud of them I am. On a professional level, launching and selling my start-up was a big achievement that I’m very proud of and being invited to work with the US Department for Justice on their FinTech Sector Public Dialogue was a moment that also gave me great pride.
What is the biggest risk you've taken in your career?
Launching a start-up and moving away from the secure pay check at the end of each month. Having to move apartments and run a business out of my living room while surviving on cheap street food and working all sorts of crazy hours. In the end it all paid off and my efforts were rewarded, but this was not guaranteed and it certainly felt like a very big risk at the time.
Who has been your role model(s) during your career?
Rocky Balboa during Rocky 1-3 (to me) epitomizes the struggles we experience in life and the resilience we need to develop to overcome them. Part 1 teaches us to go the distance (he didn't even win the fight), Part 2 on making it to the top and Part 3 on being too complacent and recognizing that staying on top actually requires just as much work as getting there.
In the real world, I would say it's a combination of family, friends, educators and colleagues who have really inspired me throughout (too many to list here!).
What inspires you?
I get a lot of inspiration from life experiences. Making great memories for the future is really important to me and creating a bit of a legacy, so I can feel I made a difference and my kids have got something to look up to.
Compliance can be a 24/7 job. How and what do you do to make sure you switch off?
I try to get in some exercise but I also consume a lot of media - books, tv shows, movies, podcasts and music. I’m a massive film fan, especially those movies which have it all (action, romance, drama, comedy intellectual stimulation) – Star Trek 2, Coming to America, Boyz n the Hood, Terminator 2 and Once Upon a Time in China being among my all-time favorites.
What advice would you give to aspiring compliance officers?
Always try to do the right thing, maintain a growth mindset and learn how to read people
What is something people don't know about you?
I was a professional songwriter in another life!
Anything else you would like to add?
Thank you to the Raw Compliance team for this prestigious recognition and thank you to the many members of the compliance community who have accepted me into your world and for making me feel so welcome. I know our industry has many obstacles and challenges that have left many of us disheartened but to quote Rocky Balboa "The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!" Thank you all again and let's keep moving forward.
My name is Robin Lee and I’m the Head of APAC for Napier Technologies. Napier is a new breed of AML tech provider. We build cutting-edge compliance technology to help companies in any sector comply with money laundering regulations, our AI powered platform empowers compliance teams detect suspicious transactions, screen potential customer & business partners and helps analysts predict customer behaviour.
Why did you choose a career in compliance?
I would say that I didn’t choose a career in compliance but that it chose me! After a journey that involved some time working in both Wall Street and Silicon Valley, I found my way into compliance and have been involved with this amazing community ever since. Compliance is full of amazing, genuine, driven and inspiring individuals and it’s an honor and a privilege to work with and assist them.
What has been the most important skill set you believe is necessary for a role in compliance?
I think it’s crucial to have a willingness to learn. With an industry that is changing so much there is always something new to learn, new regulations to understand and new technologies to evaluate. Having good people skills and some emotional intelligence is also important, working in compliance often means you have to deliver news that others don’t want to hear, so the way you position yourself and your points is important in maintaining healthy working relationships. Beyond that I would say it’s very important to have integrity in this space, without it you’ll face a rocky road ahead.
What is the best thing about your job?
Liaising with the compliance community and the software team! I get a real sense of satisfaction interacting with compliance officers to understand their needs, pain points and requirements and then feeding that back into the Napier team so that we can build the best product possible. It’s especially rewarding when I see these things work their way into the product and start making a difference to compliance teams and the fight against financial crime.
We all have learning experiences during our careers, what was your greatest learning experience (something you worked on, a career move or even something someone said)?
A professor called Steve Corio once said to me “a manager makes you want to do something, a leader makes you want to be somebody” it’s resonated with me throughout my career and helped me instigate change in my professional life when it’s been needed. It’s something to continually aspire to as I’ve grown teams in the businesses I’ve worked within.
What has been your proudest moment(s)/achievement(s)?
I think I’d be a bad parent if I didn’t mention my kids here and how proud of them I am. On a professional level, launching and selling my start-up was a big achievement that I’m very proud of and being invited to work with the US Department for Justice on their FinTech Sector Public Dialogue was a moment that also gave me great pride.
What is the biggest risk you've taken in your career?
Launching a start-up and moving away from the secure pay check at the end of each month. Having to move apartments and run a business out of my living room while surviving on cheap street food and working all sorts of crazy hours. In the end it all paid off and my efforts were rewarded, but this was not guaranteed and it certainly felt like a very big risk at the time.
Who has been your role model(s) during your career?
Rocky Balboa during Rocky 1-3 (to me) epitomizes the struggles we experience in life and the resilience we need to develop to overcome them. Part 1 teaches us to go the distance (he didn't even win the fight), Part 2 on making it to the top and Part 3 on being too complacent and recognizing that staying on top actually requires just as much work as getting there.
In the real world, I would say it's a combination of family, friends, educators and colleagues who have really inspired me throughout (too many to list here!).
What inspires you?
I get a lot of inspiration from life experiences. Making great memories for the future is really important to me and creating a bit of a legacy, so I can feel I made a difference and my kids have got something to look up to.
Compliance can be a 24/7 job. How and what do you do to make sure you switch off?
I try to get in some exercise but I also consume a lot of media - books, tv shows, movies, podcasts and music. I’m a massive film fan, especially those movies which have it all (action, romance, drama, comedy intellectual stimulation) – Star Trek 2, Coming to America, Boyz n the Hood, Terminator 2 and Once Upon a Time in China being among my all-time favorites.
What advice would you give to aspiring compliance officers?
Always try to do the right thing, maintain a growth mindset and learn how to read people
What is something people don't know about you?
I was a professional songwriter in another life!
Anything else you would like to add?
Thank you to the Raw Compliance team for this prestigious recognition and thank you to the many members of the compliance community who have accepted me into your world and for making me feel so welcome. I know our industry has many obstacles and challenges that have left many of us disheartened but to quote Rocky Balboa "The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!" Thank you all again and let's keep moving forward.