Hannah Puganenthran

Hannah is the Head of Compliance at Independent Reserve Singapore, the country’s first licensed cryptocurrency exchange. A seasoned leader in compliance and risk management, she takes a collaborative, user-focused approach to navigating regulatory landscapes. A recognised leader in the space, Hannah was nominated as a Women in Payments Rising Star and featured in the Wirex 2021 Rising Women in Crypto Power List. In 2023, she was named among Singapore’s Regulatory and Compliance Fintech 65, reinforcing her influence in the sector.

What makes you a Risky Woman?

Hannah works with a strong awareness of the priorities of the business, and has an acute sense of what matters most. She is great at balancing important risks with business interests, and knows what to prioritise for urgent attention and what to accommodate. Her approach is always risk- based and she does a great job educating us on material dangers and risks to the business interests our day to day operations.

Name your top 3 achievements

1. Hannah was instrumental in building one of the most successful customer and merchant onboarding systems across Southeast Asia for one of the biggest regional ride hailing companies.
2. Obtained a digital lending license pre-approval for the Grab Finance business in Malaysia within a week from application submission.
3. Transformed the compliance function at Independent Reserve to improve global and cross-functional collaboration for more operational efficiency, improving the organization’s state of compliance.

What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career?

Moved from a legal career in oil and gas to a fintech without any knowledge or experience in the industry.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

Hannah moved to Singapore to start a career in photography production because she did not want to become a lawyer after she completed her bar exams.

What is the best quality for successful leaders in Risk?

The ability to view things from different perspectives and understand how decisions impact others.