Jo Jenkins

Jo Jenkins

Jo is a leading authority on compliance and money laundering. As the Global Compliance Director at Railsbank, the leading global BaaS platform, Joanna heads an executive team responsible for new country licensing. A member of Railsbank’s founding team, she was key in building the company’s unique open finance platform.

What makes you a Risky Woman?

Jo embraces the cause of Risky Women: she brings women together from around the globe, to create a network where they can freely exchange ideas and learn from each other. She has made some great contacts via the platform and events, and has started working with some of these women in various different capacities.

Name your top 3 achievements

She co-led the industry call for regulatory change following the collapse of German fintech Wirecard, which was widely covered by the fintech media, including a recent article in Forbes.
Jo was instrumental in the game-changing acquisition of Wirecard Card Solutions last September by Railsbank, which provided an orderly transition from chaos and the unknown for Wirecard customers in the UK and Europe. This deal was also key to protect the fintech industry’s reputation.
In May and June 2020, she worked with the National Crime Agency as part of the codenamed operation: Aidant; focusing on labour and sexual exploitation. It led to 111 arrests in the UK and encountered some 130 people considered as victims.

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

It has to be joining Railsbank when it was just a concept, an idea in the cofounders' head which needed to be coded and converted into the BaaS platform it is today. I joined when it was four of us and now we’re over 300 and valued at 500 million USD. A risk worth taking I would say .

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

I’ve been Head of Compliance and MLRO for different jurisdictions - UK, Europe, Singapore and soon in Australia - that’s a lot of different regulatory landscapes to digest! I also speak 5 languages; Spanish being my first - which has come in handy!

What is the best quality for successful leaders in Risk?

To have trust in your conviction. Make sure it’s backed by facts and evidence but also trust your instinct. After 15 years in the industry I know when to trust my gut feel.

Podcast | S2E7 New Age Compliance Officer – Compliance Meets Tech: Joanna Jenkins https://www.riskywomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Risky-Women-Joanna-Jenkins_1920x1080sm.jpg 1920 1080 Risky Women Risky Women https://www.riskywomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Risky-Women-Joanna-Jenkins_1920x1080sm.jpg 6 November 2019 1 April 2021

Risky Women Radio Podcasts

Podcast | S2E7 New Age Compliance Officer – Compliance Meets Tech: Joanna Jenkins

It’s all about technology! Joanna Jenkins, Head of Compliance at Railsbank, on the future of Regtech and what it means for the industry and compliance officers.