Heather Smith
Head of AML Services (Cayman)
Cayman Islands
Heather Smith is the Head of AML Services (Cayman) at Walkers Professional Services (WPS).
She provides outsourced compliance services to suit clients' needs and also leads the AML audit and testing function. In addition she provides support in respect of defining and implementing WPS' strategies for the mitigation of key legal and operational risks.
Heather possesses over 30 years of experience in the area of financial services regulation in the Cayman Islands, with a focus on investment funds (including direct involvement in the creation and implementation of the supervisory framework for private funds), fund administration and securities investment business. She has also had extensive involvement in the enhancements to the AML/CFT framework in the Cayman Islands, having participated in the first national risk assessment of the jurisdiction, as well as subsequent reviews by the Financial Action Task Force, and the creation of the supervisory framework for Registered Persons.
Heather possesses over 30 years of experience in the area of financial services regulation in the Cayman Islands, with a focus on investment funds (including direct involvement in the creation and implementation of the supervisory framework for private funds), fund administration and securities investment business. She has also had extensive involvement in the enhancements to the AML/CFT framework in the Cayman Islands, having participated in the first national risk assessment of the jurisdiction, as well as subsequent reviews by the Financial Action Task Force, and the creation of the supervisory framework for Registered Persons.
Experience and recent work
Prior to joining Walkers Professional Services, Heather was the Head of the Investments Supervision Division (ISD) of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), from June 2014 to July 2022. During her twenty-five years at CIMA, she held various roles within the ISD, including Deputy Head of the ISD, and also served as Interim Head of the Securities Supervision Division, which was established in 2017 to supervise securities investment business in the Cayman Islands.
Qualifications
Education:
- BSc, Business Economics, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
- LLM, University of Liverpool, UK
Heather is a Director of the CICSA Co-operative Credit Union Limited
Certified Anti-money Laundering Specialist (CAMS)
Associate of the Securities Institute (ACSI)
Associate of the Securities Institute (ACSI)
Team Members
Other team members with related expertise
Dorothy Scott
Managing Director, Americas
Cayman Islands
Bridget Carty
Vice President
Cayman Islands