Association of Certified Sanctions Specialists

International Sanctions Conference

Past Conference Agenda

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16, 2019

Pre-Conference Seminar: Certified Sanctions Specialist (CSS) Exam Prep Seminar (Separate Registration Required)
Location: Club Quarters Midtown- 40 W 45th St, New York (Two blocks from the Princeton Club)

9:45 – 10:00 Registration & Networking Coffee
10:00 – 10:15 Welcome Remarks and Introductions
10:15 – 11:30 Regime Types, Goals, Sanctions Imposers and Targets
11:30 – 12:00 Sanctions Evasion: Typologies and Schemes
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch Break
1:00 – 2:00 Essential Pillars of a Sanctions Risk Management Program
2:00 – 2:45 Role of Technology and List Screening
2:45 – 3:00 Coffee Break
3:00 – 3:45 Other Operational Processes: Licenses, Blocking and Reporting
3:45 – 4:30 Government Investigations and Enforcement
4:30 – 5:00 What to Expect on the CSS Exam, Sample Questions
5:00 – 5:15 Wrap Up and Q&A

THURSDAY OCTOBER 17, 2019: CONFERENCE DAY 1

8:00 – 9:00 Registration & Networking Coffee
9:00 – 9:15 Welcome Remarks by Saskia Rietbroek, ACSS Executive Director, and Clay Stevenson, Chairman of ACSS Advisory Board
9:15 – 9:45 KEYNOTE: Lessons from an Oligarch: How to Dodge EU Sanctions
9:45 – 10:00 Morning Networking Break
10:00 – 10:50 GENERAL SESSION: Government Panel – Regulatory Expectations and New Sanctions on the Horizon

  • Regulatory expectations from bank regulators, such as: OFAC, NYDFS and others
  • Learn about potential new sanctions restrictions on the horizon
  • How to coordinate the rules from multiple government agencies efficiently, including BIS
10:50 – 11:05 Networking Break
11:05 – 12:00 GENERAL SESSION: Shock Treatment: How to Do an Impact Assessment of a New Sanctions Regime

  • How to assess the impact of a new sanctions regime on your business
  • How to proactively update your policy in response to a changing regulation
  • Dealing with change from an operational perspective
12:00 – 1:00 Networking Luncheon
1:00 – 2:30 Breakout Round Tables

Back by popular demand – the ACSS Conference break out Round Tables! Ask practical questions and problem solve with your peers. Attendees will have a choice of moderated roundtable topics where they can engage in detailed discussions and benefit from a more topic-specific networking opportunity. There are two back-to-back sessions of 40 minutes each. After session one, attendees can go to the next topic of their choice. These roundtables will take place both on day one and on day two—giving attendees the option to choose four different topics.

Topics:

  1. Essential Pillars of an OFAC/Sanctions Compliance Framework
  2. Lead Like a Legend: How To Master Your Influence as a Chief Sanctions Officer
  3. Iran Sanctions: the JCPOA, EU Blocking Statute, and Beyond
  4. Russia, Venezuela and Other Sectoral Sanctions
  5. OFAC Compliance for Domestic/Regional Banks
  6. Sanctions Risk in Correspondent Banking and Trade Finance
  7. Sanctions Compliance for Corporations: Commercial Insurance, Maritime Shipping, Manufacturers, Telecom, and more.
  8. What to Know About the Latest EU Sanctions
  9. Canadian Sanctions
  10. What Enhanced Due Diligence, Technology and Screening is Right for your Business
2:30 – 3:15 GENERAL SESSION: Lessons Learned from the Latest Enforcement Actions

  • Dissection of root compliance missteps in OFAC settlement agreements and other cases
  • Insights required to ensure compliant and effective controls in a vigorous enforcement environment
  • Enforcement trends
3:15 – 3:30 Coffee Break
3:30 – 4:15 GENERAL SESSION: Going Global – Practical Considerations in Dealing with Sanctions Conflicts

  • Delve into the challenges of staying compliant with the EU Blocking Statute on Iran
  • Handling other conflicts of law
  • Global organization trade compliance and sanctions considerations
4:15 – 4:30 Afternoon Networking Break
4:30 – 5:15 GENERAL SESSION: Sanctions Evasion Whack-a-Mole: Detecting Complex Networks of Front Companies, Illicit Shipping Practices, and Cryptocurrency Schemes

  • Ship to ship transfers and other sanctions red flags from OFAC Shipping Advisories
  • Schemes from UN Panel of Expert Reports you need to know NOW!
  • Latest typologies using cryptocurrency
5:15 – 5:30 Closing Remarks Day 1
5:30 – 6:30 Networking Reception

FRIDAY OCTOBER 18, 2019: CONFERENCE DAY 2

8:00 – 9:00 Networking Coffee
9:00 – 9:45

GENERAL SESSION: Government Panel: Latest Federal and State Investigations into Sanctions Violations

  • Analysis of root causes of apparent violations of US economic and trade sanctions programs identified during investigations
  • How the government agencies follow the money to detect potential sanctions violations
  • Lessons from cases
9:45 – 10:00 Morning Networking Break
10:00 – 10:45

GENERAL SESSION: Cross-Sectional Sanctions Exposure – Are you Connecting the Dots (Sanctions, AML Surveillance, High-Risk PEP Program) to Ensure Compliance

  • How to Leverage Compliance Tools and Resources across departments
  • Using a “Financial Intelligence Unit” for AML – Sanctions – PEP – Screening
  • Sanctions and FCPA Compliance Framework – Connecting the Dots
10:45 – 11:00 Morning Networking Break
11:00 – 11:45

GENERAL SESSION: Is This Legal? Interactive Hypothetical Scenarios

  • Is this legal?– ask an attorney
  • Test your knowledge on OFAC 50% ownership guidance
  • Get answers on complex facilitation and sectoral sanctions issues
11:45 – 12:45  Networking Luncheon
12:45  – 2:15 Breakout Round Tables (Repeat from Day 1)
2:15 – 2:30 Networking Break
2:30 – 3:15

GENERAL SESSION: 21st Century Sanctions Screening: Instant Payment Screening, Artificial Intelligence,  and Other Emerging Technology Trends to Stay Compliant

  • Speed Challenge! Instant Payment Screening- How to meet time constraints and stay compliant?
  • Use of Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Sanctions Compliance
  • Other latest trends every sanctions officer needs to know
3:15 – 3:30 CLOSING REMARKS
3:30 End of Conference