New FATF Executive Secretary

Violaine Clerc became the Executive Secretary of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on 1 June 2022.

Ms. Clerc, takes the lead of the Secretariat at an important time, as the FATF works to regulate virtual assets and virtual asset service providers, enhance asset recovery, and ensure countries implement effective beneficial ownership rules to prevent criminals from hiding their dirty money and illicit activities behind anonymous shell companies. As Executive Secretary, Ms. Clerc will lead the FATF Secretariat, advise the FATF President and Vice President and be responsible to the FATF Plenary, the FATF’s governing body, and the FATF President. She will work closely with the FATF’s 39 members and the nine FATF-Style Regional Bodies, whose members help make up the FATF Global Network of over 200 countries and jurisdictions.

Ms. Clerc will also work with other international bodies, including the IMF, World Bank, United Nations, Egmont Group and the G20. Ms. Clerc will oversee the completion of the current cycle of FATF mutual evaluations and will ensure that the Secretariat supports the membership in the next cycle of evaluations.

Ms. Clerc, a French national, has more than 25 years of experience in prudential and anti-money laundering (AML) and counter terrorist financing (CFT) supervision through different positions at the French Central Bank and, in particular, at the French financial supervision authority (ACPR). At the European level, she was a member of the AML standing committee of the three European supervisory authorities. Ms. Clerc has been a senior member of the French delegation to the FATF for many years, as well as co-chair of the Evaluation and Compliance Group of the FATF for 8 years.

Ms. Clerc succeeds Mr Vincent Schmoll, who has been the Acting Executive Secretary of the FATF Secretariat since December 2021. Mr. Schmoll will continue to be part of the senior leadership of the FATF Secretariat as its Deputy Executive Secretary.