Esteban Tapia
Dubai
Summary
Professional with 20+ years in the financial sector, specializing in compliance, risk management, and business development. Established Compliance Operations for a fintech startup in DIFC, overseeing global operations across 100+ countries. Expertise in regulatory reporting, KYC, client onboarding, and STR/ISTR reporting. Developed automated client verification and transaction monitoring systems with jurisdiction-specific rules.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Compliance Operations Team Lead (KYB)
Rapyd
Dubai
09.2022 - Current
- Led a team of seven compliance analysts across different regions to ensure adherence to AML, CTF, and regulatory requirements.
- Oversaw the onboarding process, completing enhanced due diligence for an average of 80 high-risk merchants, and due diligence for an average of 2,100 medium/low merchants monthly.
- Monitored daily onboarding queues to meet service level agreements while maintaining compliance standards. I managed to reduce the responses from 72 hours to 48 hours per case.
- Served as an escalation point for complex cases involving high-risk entities and adverse media, achieving a total of $9.5 million in sales on high-risk merchants for 2024.
- Collaborated with legal, product, risk, compliance, and sales teams to streamline onboarding processes. Improved the Back Office portal to facilitate the understanding of the analysts.
- Enhanced team performance through regular training sessions and quality assurance reviews, achieving 90% quality overall the team during 2024.
- Designed standard operating procedures and automated workflows to improve operational efficiency.
- Developed dashboards to track key performance metrics on onboarding and enhanced due diligence cases.
Compliance Operations Analyst (KYB)
Rapyd
Tel Aviv , Israel
10.2020 - 09.2022
- Investigated AML alerts and potential sanctions violations related to high-risk clients.
- Conducted EDD for onboarding and periodic reviews of corporate entities, on an average of 40 high-risk merchants per month.
- Acted as an SME for onboarding processes, aligning with regional regulatory requirements and training different analysts
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to streamline workflows and improve productivity.
Compliance Operations Risk Analyst (AML – KYC/KYB)
Citi Bank
San Jose, Costa Rica
08.2017 - 08.2019
- Achieved 100% QA scores, averaging 25 records monthly.
- Monitored data integrity and documentation accuracy for AML compliance.
- Supported integration of operational changes to meet compliance mandates.
- Served as SME for VP accounts on customer networks averaging $10 million.
Collections Analyst
Thermo Fisher Scientific
San Jose, Costa Rica
08.2016 - 08.2017
- Improved billing accuracy by 20% through targeted process improvements.
- Designed suitable repayment plans for overdue corporate accounts.
- Managed collections processes for USA government client accounts (Navy, Air Force, Veterans Administration), and ensured timely follow-ups.
- Assisted clients in understanding payment terms and resolving disputes promptly.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Human Nutrition
Universidad Hispanoamericana
Costa Rica11-2009
BBA - Marketing
U.L.A.C.I.T
Costa Rica04-2006
BBA - Business Administration
U.L.A.C.I.T
Costa Rica11-2004
Skills
- AML and sanctions investigations
- Enhanced due diligence
- KYC and KYB onboarding
- Regulatory compliance advisory
- Team leadership and quality assurance
- SOP development and process optimization
- Training and induction programs
- Risk analysis and reporting
Languages
Spanish
First Language
English
Proficient (C2)
C2
Portuguese
Intermediate (B1)
B1
Affiliations
LexisNexis, ComplyAdvantage, Trulioo, Factiva, KYC, , VMSS (Visa), Mastercard MATCH, Looker, Credit Safe, MS-Office (MS-Excel, MS-Word, PowerPoint), Gemini AI Google, Notebook AI Google.
Certification
- Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (ACAMS) – ER 005172538
- Citi Lean Certificate (Six Sigma equivalent)
- Intermediate Accounting I (Udemy)
Accomplishments
- Part of a KAIZEN group to improve the collection process, Thermo Fisher Scientific, 2017
- Awarded for being a top 10 performer and top site maker at Citibank, Costa Rica, 2018
- I was selected to be part of the program as a mentee for QA, Citibank, Costa Rica,2018
- Awarded best team leader, Rapyd, Dubai, 2024
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Compliance Operations Team Lead (KYB)
Rapyd
09.2022 - Current
Compliance Operations Analyst (KYB)
Rapyd
10.2020 - 09.2022
Compliance Operations Risk Analyst (AML – KYC/KYB)
Citi Bank
08.2017 - 08.2019
Collections Analyst
Thermo Fisher Scientific
08.2016 - 08.2017
Bachelor of Science - Human Nutrition
Universidad Hispanoamericana
BBA - Marketing
U.L.A.C.I.T
BBA - Business Administration
U.L.A.C.I.T
Similar Profiles
Sarah RosenfeldSarah Rosenfeld
Compliance Operations Specialist at RAPYDCompliance Operations Specialist at RAPYD
Sagi TufmanSagi Tufman
Backend Developer / Full-stack Developer at PayU (Rapyd)Backend Developer / Full-stack Developer at PayU (Rapyd)
Niranjan SharmaNiranjan Sharma
Hosting Support Engineer (Tier 2) at RAPYD – FZCO (rapyd.cloud)Hosting Support Engineer (Tier 2) at RAPYD – FZCO (rapyd.cloud)
ERICK SAIMON MMBAGAERICK SAIMON MMBAGA
Ramp Operations Team Leader at Dnata, The Emirates GroupRamp Operations Team Leader at Dnata, The Emirates Group
Asma ShaabanAsma Shaaban
Social Media Manager at KcalSocial Media Manager at Kcal