Leading UK anti-money laundering specialist SmartSearch has appointed a new in-house general counsel to provide expert guidance on legal issues affecting the business.

Nicola Gifford has joined the rapidly growing regtech specialist, and will oversee the firm’s corporate governance. With over 28-years working at companies such as Johnson & Johnson and HSBC, Gifford brings a vast amount of experience to the role.

SmartSearch’s industry-leading product ensures compliance for regulated businesses in the UK and internationally, therefore Gifford’s expertise is essential to ensure SmartSearch is ahead of the constantly evolving data protection and money-laundering legislation.

Part of Gifford’s responsibilities will be to help further enhance the SmartSearch team’s knowledge so they can have informed conversations with clients. By putting on regular training sessions, each member of the SmartSearch team will improve their knowledge so they can speak to clients on areas such as GDPR and data protection.

Gifford explained: “Being part of SmartSearch in this new role that has been created, means I can integrate myself fully in the business and find innovative solutions to problems.

“Working in-house means I’m available to be involved in conversations day-to-day, for example helping the team deal with customer queries, developing contracts for suppliers and clients, and supporting on the development of new products.

“One of the parts of my role I enjoy most is upskilling and equipping everyone in the business to prepare them with the knowledge they need to do their roles more effectively.

“In addition to the improving the overall expertise of everyone in the business, I also want to start consulting with other compliance professionals so we can have a voice on codes of conduct and the direction digital verification takes in the future.”

For more information about anti-money laundering solutions in the UK, please visit www.smartsearch.com