Our Professionals

Malessa Arias-Babineaux, CAMS, Managing Director at Ankura (previously Chartwell), brings over 20 years of experience in building and maintaining effective BSA/AML compliance programs at several companies in the Money Services Business (MSB) industry. She began her career as a Compliance Analyst specializing in transaction monitoring and regulatory reporting at Bancomer Transfer Services.  Subsequently, Malessa headed up compliance programs at several MSBs including TransNetwork Corporation, Noventis, Inc. (f/k/a PreCash), and FTGlobalPay LLC (a Sigue Corporation affiliate).

Over her career, Malessa has gained extensive experience in developing and maintaining effective regulatory compliance programs for different MSB products such as money transmission, prepaid access, and bill payments both as a principle and agent of other MSBs. In addition to BSA/AML, her expertise includes developing programs for OFAC, consumer privacy (“GLBA”), CFPB remittance transfer rule (“Reg E”), consumer fraud, anti-bribery (“FCPA”), elder abuse, sanctions screening including PEPs, and transaction monitoring and reporting. She also has extensive knowledge in building agent oversight and foreign correspondent programs, training programs, customer due diligence processes, risk assessments and writing regulatory policies and procedures. During her career, she has also established working relationships with federal and state regulators and law enforcement. Lastly, she has also created, established, and managed Money Transmitter compliance programs internationally, namely in Mexico and several Central American countries.

While at Chartwell, Malessa has used her expertise to consult and assist a variety of clients such as MSBs, fintechs, third party payment processors, virtual currency firms, and banks by leading and assisting in BSA/AML independent reviews, Consumer Compliance reviews (including Reg E, GLBA and UDAAP), NY 504 reviews, developing regulatory compliance programs (BSA/AML, Reg E, Privacy, Consumer Fraud, etc.), developing and enhancing risk assessments, drafting regulatory policies and procedures, creating training programs, remediation and tracking of compliance program deficiencies, reviewing and enhancing customer KYC/CDD/EDD policies, and assisting with sanctions screening, to name a few.

Malessa has a BBA in Business Management from the University of Houston and is fluent in Spanish. She has also been CAMS certified since 2007.

Malessa is originally from Los Angeles but lives in Houston, TX with her husband, 3 kids and parents. She enjoys spending time with her family playing cards, watching old movies, having family game nights and anything to do with superheroes and Star Wars. She also loves traveling, listening to music, dancing, and football. Last, but certainly not least, she is also a passionate and devoted Jazzercise instructor.