Aptus.AI’s Compliance Talks, episode 5: interview with Pietro Odorisio
For the fifth episode of our Compliance Talks series we remain in the area of financial compliance with Pietro Odorisio, Financial Crime Data Analyst at SGR Compliance and protagonist of this interview. Thanks to the perspective on the world of regulatory analysis and compliance related to his role, the fifth interviewee of our column also added several very interesting insights on the current situation of Italian compliance, with a particular focus on the technological aspect.
Pietro, tell us more about who you are and what you do for your company.
«I am a Financial Crime Data Analyst at SGR Compliance, a company specializing in the creation of databases and software for anti-money laundering. In particular, I work to identify reports of financial crimes and other criminal events occurring in specific locations in Italy, gathering information on those involved in order to constantly update our databases. In short, I work to ensure that financial institutions have access to accurate and up-to-date information to prevent illicit activities and maintain transparency in their operations».
What do you enjoy most about your job and what do you find most difficult?
«There are many aspects I appreciate in my work. In particular, the investigative and research aspects. My role allows me to be constantly informed about news events and political developments in Italy. The idea that the information I gather can help financial intermediaries establish working relationships based on security is inspiring. I also like the fact that I use my analytical skills to solve complex problems. Turning to challenges, sometimes the amount of information to be analyzed can be challenging, but the IT nature of the company allows us to constantly implement new technologies to streamline or automate certain parts of the process. This allows us to focus more on data analysis».
What’s your typical day like?
«My typical day starts with reading the main sources of information, both print and online. During this phase, I scan the news for crime-related events or other information relevant to our work. Then I extract and enter this information into our database, ensuring that it is accurately recorded. Throughout the day, I carry out further research and analysis to enrich and update our dataset».
What are the main skills a Compliance Officer must have in your opinion?
«If I had to make a list, I would say:
- regulatory knowledge: a thorough understanding of the laws, regulations and standards relevant to the sector in which the company operates;
- effective communication: the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively with employees at all levels of the company to ensure that they understand compliance rules and procedures;
- risk management: the ability to identify, assess and mitigate non-compliance risks to protect the company from legal and reputational consequences;
- ethics and integrity: to be an example of integrity, to promote an ethical corporate culture;
- analysis and interpretation: the ability to analyze and interpret laws and regulations and apply them to business operations to identify potential violations.
These five skills are fundamental to the success of a Compliance Officer in order to ensure corporate compliance».
What is the main problem or limitation in the area of compliance?
«Rather than problems or limitations, I would speak instead of complexities. The main one we identify in the area of compliance is the continuous evolution of laws and regulations. This factor can present significant challenges for companies and practitioners».
Do you think there are sufficient resources dedicated to compliance in Italy?
«The adequacy of resources allocated to compliance functions depends on the company, the sector and the size of the organization. However, it is a global trend that in recent years there has been an increasing focus on compliance, including in Italy. This is due to a number of factors, including increasing regulations, growing attention from regulators and risk management challenges. Equally important is the training of resources and the company's ability to provide them with suitable and efficient tools».
In which steps of compliance processes would you most need the support of innovative solutions?
«Innovative technology solutions can play a crucial role in several steps of the compliance process, helping to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of compliance activities. Here are some of the steps in which technological support is particularly valuable:
- data collection and analysis: the use of automated data collection tools and advanced analytics can enable companies to monitor compliance-relevant information, such as financial transactions or customer data, in real-time (a key step in correctly identifying who needs to be audited and intercepting potential violations at an early stage);
- real-time monitoring: daily or real-time monitoring technologies can be used to detect suspicious activities or anomalies in financial transactions or increased risk exposure of customers, enabling prompt action to be taken in the event of potential violations or increased risk;
- alerts automation: technology solutions can automate the generation and presentation of internal alerts to highlight changes in the risk level of one's customer base, allowing resources to focus attention where it is needed, in a more targeted manner;
- risk analysis: advanced data analysis tools can help identify trends and patterns in compliance risks, enabling companies to take preventive measures proactively (the information we provide is highly structured so that compliance teams can easily adapt the analysis to their internal policies);
- data protection: encryption, advanced access controls and other IT security solutions help protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with privacy regulations;
- document management: electronic management and storage of documents - including contracts, company policies and internal communications - simplifies the retrieval of information needed to demonstrate compliance; and document management solutions can also automate approval and review processes.
Overall, the implementation of innovative technology solutions can greatly simplify compliance management, enabling companies to identify and address risks more effectively and reduce the risk of regulatory violations. However, it is important to select the most appropriate technology solutions for the company's specific needs and ensure that they are configured correctly».
Do you currently use technology tools to support your work?
«Yes, I use several technological tools to support my work as a financial data analyst. The most specific tools are developed in-house to fully adapt to our processes and security requirements at all stages of data collection and processing. Attention is paid to the most advanced technologies and Artificial Intelligence. The integration of these solutions has greatly optimized my work, allowing me to spend more time on in-depth data analysis and risk identification, thanks to the automation of mechanical and repetitive tasks».
What do you think about the possibility of applying Generative AI like ChatGPT to compliance or, more generally, to regulatory analysis?
«The application of Generative AI, such as the ChatGPT model, to the area of compliance and regulatory analysis presents interesting opportunities and challenges to consider.
Benefits:
- automation of repetitive processes: Generative AI can automate many of the repetitive, text-based tasks associated with regulatory analysis, such as searching for and extracting information from legal or regulatory documents;
- rapid document analysis: Generative AI models can analyze large quantities of regulatory documents much faster than a human analyst, speeding up compliance assessment;
- decision support: they can help provide quick answers to specific compliance and regulatory questions, contributing to informed decision-making;
- natural language processing: Generative AI can understand and generate natural language, making it useful for interpreting and explaining complex regulations in a more accessible way;
- error reduction: automation reduces the risk of human error in the interpretation of regulations.
Challenges:
- need for training: Generative AI models require adequate training and refinement to be effective in the specific area of compliance, thus requiring a significant investment of time and resources;
- ensuring accuracy: it is essential to ensure that the responses generated are accurate and compliant with applicable laws and regulations in order to avoid potential costly errors;
- understanding context: Generative AI may have difficulty understanding the specific context of a company or situation, which may affect the interpretation of regulations;
- technological limitations: despite advances, Generative AI models may still have limitations in understanding the nuances of language and complex regulations;
- data privacy: the management of sensitive and regulatory data is critical for compliance, and sharing such data with a Generative AI system must be carefully considered to ensure privacy and security.
In summary, the application of Generative AI to compliance and regulatory analysis offers advantages in terms of automation and speed, but requires attention to training, accuracy and contextual understanding. It is an evolving field that can significantly improve the efficiency of compliance activities, but it must be used wisely and with adequate human oversight to ensure the correctness of regulatory interpretations. Also... this response was generated entirely by ChatGPT, so I leave you to judge!».
In the last year there have been several crises, including of major players such as SVB and Credit Suisse: how do you comment on these episodes? What impact are they having on the financial ecosystem?
«These events have involved important realities and are very complex, making commentary or interpretation difficult. They have shown how delicate the balance is at all levels within and with the ecosystem in which one is embedded and how much constant work is needed».
Crypto and fintech are fast-growing sectors, but they have also shown low financial stability (see FTX bankruptcy, sanctions at N26, etc.): how much will the expected increasing regulation affect these sectors?
«They are both interesting sectors; complexity and the risk of instability can find a powerful ally in regulation».
