Abi-gail Marshman joins FTI as Head of Financial Crime for MENA

FTI Consulting has welcomed a new Senior Managing Director to its ranks, with Abi-gail Marshman installed as Head of the firm’s Financial Crime practice across the Middle East and North Africa.

Marshman, who is based in Abu Dhabi, brings more than two decades of financial crime control experience to the role, including expertise in regulatory compliance, anti-money laundering, counterterrorist financing and sanctions.

Commenting on her move, Marshman said that she was attracted by FTI Consulting’s deep expertise and platform for growth in the domain. “I consider it a privilege to lead the Financial Crime practice and help build out its position in the MENA region.”

Prior to joining the global management consulting firm (over 7,000 employees in 30+ countries), Marshman worked at the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, where she established and led the Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism Supervision department.

During her tenure, she helped introduce robust compliance processes and frameworks across the region, implemented supervisory and cloud-based technology, and lead the adoption of a swathe of new guidance being issued to the banking sector.

Marshman has been an active member of a number of industry bodies and authorities in the Middle East, including the UAE’s delegation to the Financial Action Task Force, where she participated in the financial sector components of the country’s mutual evaluation process.

Prior to her work at the regulator side, Marshman spent years with South Africa’s largest bank, where she latterly headed Money Laundering Control with a remit across 17 jurisdictions. She also was involved in establishing a dedicated AML/CFT Supervision function within the South African Reserve Bank.

“Abi-gail brings substantial knowledge from both a regulatory compliance and practitioner perspective on how to combat financial crime risks,” said Richard Grint, Senior Managing Director and EMEA Head of Financial Crime at FTI Consulting.

The appointment comes at a time of heightened demand for financial crime services, as financial services institutions and regulators tighten their grip on illicit financial activity. According to a recent benchmark from Refinitiv, investment in the domain is nearly double its value from three years ago, and “it has never been more important” for compliance leaders to plan strategically and counter threats.

To help meet demand, FTI Consulting earlier this year also added Zarik Nawaz and Dan McWilliams to its Financial Crime practice in the region.