Our Team
Gabriele Dunker
Gabriele Dunker
Gabriele Dunker, founding partner of Financial Transparency Advisors, is managing all aspects of the company’s operations.
She received a Magistra Iuris from the University of Vienna and an LLM in International Legal Studies from New York University. She is admitted to practice law in the states of California and New York.
Experience
Legal advisor for e.g. International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Council of Europe, United Nations Office on Combating Drugs and Crime
Participation in numerous IMF and World Bank led country assessments
Technical assistance projects with AML/CFT focus for e.g. Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Central and Southeast Asia
Co-author of the Study on Barriers to Stolen Asset Recovery, published 2011 by the World Bank
Deputy Counsel to the Independent Inquiry Committee into the UN Oil-for-Food Program
Regional and national AML/CFT and anti-corruption seminars and workshops
Michael Stellini
Michael Stellini
Michael Stellini, Partner at Financial Transparency Advisors, is responsible for management and coordination of the company’s technical assistance projects.
He received a LL.D and Master of Arts in Financial Services from the University of Malta. He is admitted to practice law in Malta.
Experience
Deputy Executive Secretary of MONEYVAL
Lead of AML/CFT country assessments against the FATF Recommendations
Trainings for countries, international organisations, assessors and experts on the FATF Recommendations and Methodology
Senior Legal and International Relations Officer at the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit of Malta
Legal advisor at an international Trust and Corporate Service Provider based in Malta
Elaine Duignan
Elaine Duignan
Elaine Duignan, Senior Advisor at Financial Transparency Advisors, advises and supports supervisory authorities in the development and implementation of effective AML/CFT supervisory frameworks.
She holds a BBL from University College Dublin and a LLM from Trinity College Dublin. She is a qualified lawyer and member of the Bar of Ireland.
Experience
Senior AML/CFT Specialist in the Anti-Money Laundering division of the Central Bank of Ireland
Member of the European Supervisory Authorities Sub-Committee on Anti-Money Laundering
Member of the Irish delegation to the FATF
Provided support to international organisations, including the Council of Europe and the European Commission
Elisabeth Florkowski
Elisabeth Florkowski
Elisabeth Florkowski, Senior Advisor at Financial Transparency Advisors, focuses on supervision of AML/CFT obligations in the financial sector.
She holds a Magistra Iuris from the University of Salzburg and completed the Financial Analysis and Programming Training of the IMF. She is also a Certified Compliance Officer in Austria.
Experience
Worked for the UNODC, the Council of Europe, the USAID’s Ukrainian Financial Sector Transformation, Transparency International, and other public and private sector clients
Head of Compliance and MLRO for Vienna’s LGT Bank branch
Head of Group Compliance for Raiffeisen Bank International
Head of the FATF Delegation of Austria while working at Austria’s Financial Market Authority
Mutual Evaluation assessor and technical assistance provider to intergovernmental organizations.
Tamar Goderdzishvili
Tamar Goderdzishvili
Tamar Goderdzishvili, Senior Advisor at Financial Transparency Advisors, focuses onadvising supervisory authorities in developing and implementing effective AML/CFT supervisory frameworks for the financial and non-financial sectors.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Law and an LL.M. in Business Law from the University of Groningen. She is also a member of the International Compliance Association and holds Diploma in Governance, Risk, and Compliance.
Experience
Deputy Head of the Legal Department of the Central Bank of Georgia, member of the Georgian delegation to the MONEYVAL
Deputy Head of the Methodology Department of the Financial Intelligence Unit of Georgia
Chief Compliance Officer for Bank of Georgia
Mutual Evaluation Assessor for the Council of Europe
Richard Gould
Richard Gould
Richard Gould, Senior Advisor at Financial Transparency Advisors, focuses on advising and assisting governments and national agencies on capacity and capability issues related to the use of financial intelligence, money laundering investigations, and confiscations.
Experience
UK Customs and the Serious Fraud Office
Head of the Financial Investigation Profession and the Senior Responsible Officer for the Money Laundering Expert Witness cadre at the National Crime Agency
Worked with the Council of Europe, the UK’s Joint Money Laundering Intelligence Taskforce, and the UNODC’s Anti-Money Laundering Working Group
Assessor for the 4th round of Mutual Evaluation Reports
Guest lecturer at the University of Western England
Elisabeth Lees
Elisabeth Lees
Elisabeth Lees, Senior Advisor at Financial Transparency Advisors, focuses on topics related to law enforcement agencies and prosecution.
She holds an LLM in Public International Law from Queen Mary, University of London. She is a door tenant at the Chambers of 23 Essex Street, London.
Experience
Cayman Islands’ National Coordinator to the Anti-Money Laundering Steering Group
Criminal barrister in London
Crown Counsel in the Cayman Islands
Legal expert in both 4th Round Assessments and Technical Compliance Re-ratings
Member of the Joint Group of the Americas
Awarded the Badge and Certificate of Honor for Legal Services rendered to the Cayman Islands Government in January 2022
Simon Lord
Simon Lord
Simon Lord, Senior Advisor at Financial Transparency Advisors, specializes in providing expert advice, guidance, and training on money laundering and financial crime matters from a law enforcement perspective.
Experience
National Crime Agency as a financial investigator and a strategic intelligence analyst
Deputy head of the NCA-led money laundering expert witness program
Provided expert evidence in complex money laundering investigations in the UK and internationally
Delivered advice, assistance, and training on behalf of UNODC, INTERPOL, GIZ and other private sector and law enforcement bodies
Working group leader and author or contributor to FATF reports
Pedro Gomes Pereira
Pedro Gomes Pereira
Pedro Gomes Pereira, Senior Advisor at Financial Transparency Advisors, advises public prosecutors and law enforcement agencies on money laundering and financing of terrorism investigations, prosecutions, convictions and asset recovery cases.
He graduated in Law in Brazil and holds a post-graduate degree in Constitutional Law. He is admitted to practice law in Brazil.
Experience
Senior Asset Recovery Specialist at the International Centre for Asset Recovery of the Basel Institute on Governance
Assists law enforcement and prosecutorial authorities in devising their investigation and international cooperation strategies related to the seizure, confiscation and return of proceeds of crime
Develops, prepares and implements tailor-made training sessions in the investigation and prosecution of money laundering and its predicate offences
Acting and Deputy General Coordinator for Asset Recovery and Mutual Legal Assistance at the Ministry of Justice of Brazil
John Ringguth
John Ringguth
John Ringguth, Senior Advisor at Financial Transparency Advisors, provides specialist advice and assistance on AML/CFT and prosecutorial issues.
He holds an LLB from the University of Birmingham and is a UK barrister.
Experience
Scientific Expert to MONEYVAL
Co-chair of the MONEYVAL Working Group
Executive Secretary of MONEYVAL
Executive Secretary of the Warsaw Convention Monitoring Mechanism
Specialist Criminal Legal Adviser to the Attorney General and Solicitor General of England and Wales in the Law Officers’ Chambers
National Head of Prosecution Policy for England and Wales
Drafted the original UK Proceeds of Crime (POCA) legislation
Kevin Stephenson
Kevin Stephenson
Kevin Stephenson, Senior Advisor at Financial Transparency Advisors, focuses on advising law enforcement agencies, including FIUs, on ML/TF aspects, including investigations, financial intelligence, and confiscations.
He holds an MS in Criminal Justice and a BA in Political Science from the University of Tennessee.
Experience
AML/CFT Resident Advisor in Seychelles and an Investigator of the Anti-Corruption Commission Seychelles
Director of the FATF Training and Research Institute
Executive Secretary of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units
Worked at the World Bank, supporting the UNODC/World Bank StAR initiative
FIU director, criminal investigator, and undercover agent
Distinguished Lecturer of the MA in Financial Integrity at Case Western Reserve University Law School
Trainer for the World Customs Organization
A. Garzon Vargas
A. Garzon Vargas
Andrea Garzon Vargas, Senior Advisor at Financial Transparency Advisors, specializes in the development of national, sectorial and topical risk assessments.
She holds an MA in Transnational Organized Crime form Staffordshire University of the United Kingdom.
Experience
Provided extensive technical assistance to Latin American countries on developing national risk assessments
Financial Action Task Force of Latin America – GAFILAT
Secretariat of GAFILAT’s Asset Recovery Interagency Network
UNODC at the field office in Bogota
Jan Bellenghi
Jan Bellenghi
Jan Bellenghi, Advisor at Financial Transparency Advisors, focuses on targeted financial sanctions related to terrorist financing and proliferation financing.
He holds an LLM in International Law with International Relations from the University of Kent’s Brussels School of International Studies, an MA in Global Political Economy from City University, London and a BSc in Geography with Economics from Queen Mary, University of London.
Experience
Corporate Governance Consultant at Nestor Advisors – a Morrow Sodali Company
Senior Consultant at the Forensic & Integrity Services Department of Ernst & Young
Suzanna van Es
Suzanna van Es
Suzanna van Es, Advisor at Financial Transparency Advisors, supports supervisors in the development and implementation of effective AML/CFT supervisory frameworks.
She holds an MSc in Criminal Justice and a BSc in Criminology from Leiden Law School.
Experience
Policy Advisor for AML/CFT Supervision at the Central Bank of the Netherlands
Member of the FATF Delegation of the Netherlands
Legal Assistant for MONEYVAL
Member of the Assessment Teams for AML/CFT country assessments against the FATF Recommendations
Worked in compliance at the European Investment Bank
Contributor to legal and criminological research projects at Leiden University and UC Berkeley
Elisabeth Foltyn
Elisabeth Foltyn
Elisabeth Foltyn, Office Manager at Financial Transparency Advisors, supports FTA’s partners and advisors in all essential administrative, financial and organizational matters and functions.
Experience
PricewaterhouseCoopers in Vienna
PwC Academy
Centron Technische HandelsgmbH
Ysselbach Umwelttechnik GmbH
Joachim Kappel Management Consultants GmbH
Anjana Acharya
Anjana Acharya
Anjana Acharya, Assistant Office Manager at Financial Transparency Advisors, supports FTA in all essential administrative, financial and organizational matters and functions.
Experience
Embassy of Nepal, Vienna
Voestalpine, Linz
United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), Vienna
