Juarkena Pitts

Innovative and transformational thought leader. AML / Compliance / Risk / Audit Expert. Strategic Planner and Organizational Change Consultant.

What makes you a Risky Woman?

Incredible capacity for transformational change – passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion and empowering other women and minorities to stand in their light and speak their truth.

Name your top 3 achievements

1. Starting and leading my organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion council.
2. Successfully established and implemented compliance and risk programs, including a risk survey and assessment process and high risk customer due diligence program for the first line treasury management, merchant services and casino/gaming first line risk officers.
3. Using my authenticity and passion for people empowerment to leverage my organization’s principles of volunteerism and creating opportunities to start a virtual volunteer program to support and empower minority youth reading programs.

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

Becoming vocal about social injustice, the need for criminal justice reform, and racism and the needful impact for corporate social responsibility initiatives in the most under-served, under-represented and under-banked communities.

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

I am a descendant of civil rights leader Dr. Joseph Lowery, founding executive committee member and past vice president of the SCLC alongside Dr. Martin Luther King.

What is the best quality for successful leaders in Risk?

Being a knowledgeable advisor with courageous integrity.