John Byrne Named Executive Vice President of ACAMS

Career AML Expert to Head Leading Association

MIAMI, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) has named John J. Byrne as Executive Vice President. Byrne is an original ACAMS Advisory Board member and has served as the board's Chairman since 2007. Byrne was the Global Regulatory Relations Executive for Bank of America, and, prior to that, was the Director of the American Bankers Association's Center for Regulatory Compliance. In that role, Byrne was instrumental in crafting many of the United States' anti-money laundering laws and regulations. He was the first private sector recipient of the Director's Medal for Exceptional Service for the United States Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. For his career work in serving the banking industry, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Bankers Association in 2006.

"We are thrilled about John joining ACAMS to lead the association in its next phase of global growth," said Ted Weissberg, ACAMS' CEO. "John is a world-renowned AML expert who has dedicated his career to stemming money laundering and all financial crime, and we look forward to him expanding on that mission at ACAMS."

Byrne, who will be based in the Washington D.C. area, said, "We have an unprecedented opportunity to take this great organization forward and serve our broad and diverse membership as they grapple with economic strain, regulatory changes, and the clear need to address financial crime beyond money laundering."

Byrne joins ACAMS as Gregory Calpakis, the association's former Executive Director, moves on to pursue other opportunities, which will be announced shortly.

"Gregory did a wonderful job building ACAMS' global presence by ensuring the high quality of our training and certification," Weissberg said. "We're very grateful for his professionalism and accomplishments, and we look forward to continuing to work with him in his future endeavors."

During Calpakis' 4 years at ACAMS, the association nearly tripled in size, adding members in 150 countries around the world.

Byrne said, "I have been fortunate to work closely with Gregory while Chairman of the ACAMS Advisory Board and am excited to build on his excellent work."

Calpakis said, "I had a great few years at ACAMS, and I look forward to continuing to support the association in its important work. Now is a good time for me to explore other opportunities; my difficult decision to move on was made easier by knowing that ACAMS is being left in John's very capable hands."

About the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists

ACAMS is an international membership organization dedicated to enhancing the knowledge and skills of AML professionals from a wide range of industries. It serves 10,000 members in 150 countries with extensive resources designed to develop and sharpen the skills required for superior job performance and career advancement. Its CAMS® certification is the most widely recognized AML certification among compliance professionals worldwide. Visit the ACAMS website at www.ACAMS.org.

SOURCE Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists