Greater Buffalo Chapter

Matthew Haslinger is the Chief BSA/AML and Sanctions Compliance Officer for M&T Bank.  Matthew started his AML career with U.S. Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Bank Integrity Unit as a Senior Trial Attorney where he was involved in the investigation and prosecution of complex, national and international money laundering, and sanctions-related matters.

In 2012, Matthew returned to his hometown of Buffalo, NY to become the Head of the Financial Investigations Unit (FIU) at M&T Bank.  As Head of the FIU, he was responsible for day-to-day operations and strategic decision-making for enterprise-wide transaction monitoring, customer investigations and suspicious activity report filing for the bank.  Matthew later took on the role of BSA/AML Officer for M&T Securities Inc.

In 2020, Matthew was appointed Chief BSA/AML Officer for M&T Bank.  As Chief BSA/AML Officer, Matthew is now responsible for oversight, implementation, and strategic direction of the enterprise-wide programs for Bank Secrecy Act, anti-money laundering and governmental sanctions compliance.  Matthew is an active member of the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists, was awarded ACAMS AML Professional of the Month in October 2020, and is a licensed attorney in Virginia and New York.

Chris Nowak serves as the Director of Enterprise Risk Management at Five Star Bank, where he leads the development, execution, and oversight of the Bank’s enterprise wide risk strategy and framework. He returned to Five Star Bank in 2024 as the BSA/AML & OFAC Officer, overseeing the Bank’s financial crimes compliance program before being promoted into his current leadership role. Chris’s work supports the Bank’s commitment to strong risk governance, regulatory alignment, and operational resilience.

Chris brings more than fifteen years of banking experience, having served in strategic leadership roles across institutions ranging from $1B to $112B in assets, with oversight of BSA/AML/OFAC, Fraud, and Risk programs. His prior experience includes positions at First Niagara Bank, Evans Bank, and USAA Bank. He also spent several years as an executive in the RegTech and FinTech sectors, advising on complex U.S. regulatory requirements and industry leading technologies.
Chris was the Founder and CEO of Augmenta Prime, a regulatory compliance advisory and consulting firm based in the Buffalo, New York area. In this capacity, he provided strategic direction, regulatory expertise, and leadership across the firm’s consulting engagements.

Chris earned his Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Buffalo State University and holds multiple professional certifications through the Association of Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialists and the American Bankers Association. He currently serves as Co Chair of the Greater Buffalo Chapter of ACAMS and remains an active participant in professional organizations including the National Academy of Finance, FBI InfraGard, and the Buffalo Cyber Fraud Task Force.

Christine Hoffman is an Operations Senior Department Manager at KeyBank, managing the AML Detection department. She has over 20 years’ experience in banking/financial services with over 19 years in management. Christine has almost nine years of AML experience and became CAMS certified in 2020.  Prior to leading the AML Detection team, she managed in the Due Diligence and AML Investigations areas. Christine received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with a concentration in Financial Analysis from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Priyank Patel currently serves as the Financial Crimes Risk Surveillance Director at KeyBank. He is part of the second-line financial crimes governance team of compliance and is responsible for BSA/AML and OFAC risk surveillance, analytics, and controls assessments. He has 14+ years of experience in banking and financial crime. Before joining KeyBank, Priyank worked for First Niagara, where he played an instrumental role in setting up the bank's BSA/AML, OFAC, and Fraud program. Priyank holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communication, an MBA in Marketing, an MS in Finance, and a Graduate Diploma in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. He is a member of the ACAMS, a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), and a Certified Financial Crimes Specialist (CFCS).

Denise holds a position as Senior Vice President, Compliance Sanctions Sr. Officer within the Global Legal Affairs and Compliance Function at Citi.

As a member of the Independent Compliance Risk Management, Global Sanctions Advisory, Controls and Execution Team, she is the Project Implementation Lead responsible for the management of sanctions screening alerts from client, transaction, markets, securities services, and trade finance screening against regulatory authorities such as OFAC, EU, and OFSI. Additionally, Denise is responsible for the strategic review and implementation of screening operations team processes, current and potential future regulatory sanctions program impact, assessing and advising on risk factors and potential violations (system or human error), and ensuring all products, businesses, branches, and teams adhere to Citi’s Global Sanctions Policy and internal risk appetite. Denise also manages sanctions alert workflow technology enhancements to promote effective risk management controls and operational efficiency efforts.

Denise joined Citi in 2000 as a Customer Account Balancing Representative for Citi’s Global Transaction Worldlink FX clients. In 2009, she joined the Global Payment Operations Sanctions Screening Team within Citi’s Global Funds Transfer Department, responsible for managing a team of analysts conducting sanctions alert review to ensure compliance with OFAC and AML-related regulations.

In 2014, Denise joined the Global Sanctions Compliance Team as the first Officer located in Citi’s Buffalo (Getzville) Office where she was responsible for all aspects of the regulatory compliance function, including fulfilling OFAC reporting obligations, investigation, and disposition of alerts for OFAC issues identified across all product lines globally, and drafting of sanctions-related communications.

Prior to joining Citi, Denise worked for M&T was a Corporate Registered/Bearer Bond Specialist.

Denise attended Buffalo State College, completed Banking, Economics and English courses thru AIB (American Institute of Banking) and has obtained CAMS certification thru the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) organization, and Association of Certified Sanctions Specialists (ACSS) OFAC, EU and UK Essentials Certifications Courses.

Mike Jozwiak currently serves as the Senior Director of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation's ("Freddie Mac") Multifamily Financial Crimes Team. This team is embedded in the first line and is charged with running an Anti-Financial Crimes program capable of detecting, deterring, and prevent mortgage fraud in the multifamily space (i.e., properties with 5+ units). Prior to joining Freddie Mac in 2025, Mike spent 10+ years in the banking industry, serving in various Anti-Financial Crimes roles for three different financial institutions, including specialized investigations, quality control, high-risk customer oversight and BSA Officer.

Before his career in Anti-Financial Crimes, Mike served on active duty with the U.S. Army as a Military Intelligence Officer for the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). Though a Pennsylvania native, Mike obtained his undergraduate degree from the University at Buffalo and has lived in WNY for more than a decade. Mike received his CAMS designation in 2015 and maintains that his primary goal, regardless of his role, is to turn information into actionable intelligence.

Brian currently serves as the Bank Secrecy Act and OFAC Officer at Lake Shore Bank where he is responsible for the BSA/AML, Fraud and physical security programs.  Prior to his current role, he spend 27 years at M&T Bank, with the last 19 years in the BSA/AML space where he managed multiple teams in the Quality Assurance, Training, Regulatory and Audit handling, SAR and Customer Exits Teams.  Brian holds a Bachelors and MBA in Business Administration. He is a member of ACAMS and holds the CAMS (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist) designation.

Chris Rickerson currently serves as the Manager of Regulatory Compliance at ESL Federal Credit Union in Rochester, NY. Chris brings over 10 years of financial industry experience, all of which has been spent in BSA/AML, fraud, Cannabis, and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining ESL Federal Credit Union in 2026, Chris worked in BSA/AML and fraud roles at Canandaigua National Bank, Five Star Bank, Santander Bank, and Evans Bank. Chris most recently was with Canandaigua National Bank after spending seven years at Evans Bank in Buffalo, NY, as BSA Officer. In those roles, Chris was responsible for the oversight of the bank’s BSA/AML/OFAC and fraud programs. In his current role, Chris is responsible for overseeing the Credit Union’s compliance with applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and supervisory guidance. Chris is passionate about Financial Crimes and helping to fuel financial institution growth through managed risk. Chris received a Bachelor of Science in Economic Crime Investigation from Utica University and has been CAMS certified since 2019.

Kelly Sheffield is the Senior Vice President / BSA Officer for CNB Bank, responsible for the oversight of the AML and Fraud operations for the bank. Prior to joining CNB Bank in 2019, Kelly worked in BSA/AML at KeyBank, First Niagara Bank and HSBC. She began her banking career in 2006, transitioning into AML in 2007. Kelly received her Bachelor of Science degree from Hilbert College majoring in Economic Crime Investigation and has been ACAMS certified since 2017.

Jeff Kasarjian is a VP of Compliance Advisory at HSBC, specializing in the Global Payment Solutions product suite.

Jeff has worked in Financial Crime Compliance at HSBC with over 13 years of experience in AML, Sanctions, Fraud, AB&C and Tax Evasion at HSBC; holding US and global roles covering the Correspondent Banking/Multi-National Corporate Customer groups as well as Wholesale Payments/Transactional Banking product lines.  His responsibilities included support and oversight to the regional FC Product Advisory teams and Global Product Managers in his global roles as well as support to Relationship and Product Managers in his domestic roles.

In his current role at HSBC, Jeff provides oversight, challenge, and advisory support, for a diverse set of products covering Payments and Receivables, Liquidity Management, Commercial Cards programs and Embedded Banking/Banking as a Service. He also supports the coverage of high-risk client segments such as Correspondent Banking and & NBFIs.

Jeff’s interests are in the identification, and mitigation, of risks posed by the innovative products and emerging payment solutions created for the digital payments landscape.

Before starting his career, Jeff earned a Bachelor’s in Business Administration at Ithaca College and a Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University in Boston Massachusetts.

Adam Gibson is currently the BSA/AML Manager for Community Bank N.A headquartered in Dewitt, New York, where he is responsible for managing the BSA/AML Department staff and day-to-day operations.  Adam began a career in Law Enforcement as a Deputy Sheriff for the Union County Sheriff’s Department in Monroe, North Carolina. During his tenure, he held a number of roles  that included Jail Division, Court Bailiff, Patrol/Investigations and the Civil Bureau Unit. Working in the Civil Bureau Unit Adam formed a deeper understanding  about Trusts, Wills, Estates, Court Documents and Foreclosures.

In 2014, Adam returned to Buffalo, NY and began working as a BSA Compliance Specialist at M&T Bank. Based on the knowledge he gained in law enforcement, Adam joined the Wealth Division of M & T to investigate activity relative to complex customer Trust accounts. After developing expertise in that role, Adam advanced to the position of Litigation Liaison, where he travelled around the country and testified in courts on behalf of M & T Bank, representing the bank’s foreclosures at mediation hearings and non-jury trials. In 2020 Adam was again promoted at M & T Bank to manage the Direct Credit Fraud Team resulting in a one million dollar risk avoidance for that fiscal year.

Adam received his degree from the State University of New York at Brockport in Criminal Justice and holds his Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the State of North Carolina.

Patrick A’Hearn is currently the Financial Crimes Model Manager for Tompkins Community Bank headquartered in Ithaca, NY, where he is responsible for managing all AML and Fraud models which includes managing associated model risk, change management, validation work, testing, and model tuning. Patrick began his career with M&T Bank shortly after graduating from the University at Buffalo School of Law and passing the bar exam. He worked as an EDD investigator before moving over to support the QA function.  In 2018, he left to become the BSA/AML/OFAC Compliance Officer at Bank of Akron in Akron, NY.  In 2020, Bank of Akron was purchased by CNB Bank/Bank on Buffalo and Patrick quickly joined Bank of Holland for a brief stint as their BSA Officer before accepting the same position with Tompkins Community Bank in 2021.  He is a licensed attorney in the State of New York and has been a member of ACAMS since 2018.

Lenny Wiza is SVP and Senior Manager at KeyBank, leading the Financial Crimes Reporting and Intelligence team.  With 15 years of banking experience, including a decade in BSA, AML, and OFAC data analytics, he earned his CAMS certification in January 2023.  Previously, he worked at First Niagara in retail banking and operations, and holds a BS in Information Systems from SUNY Empire State University.

Brian Borawski is a banking risk and compliance director with nearly two decades of experience leading large-scale BSA/AML, Know Your Customer, payments, and fraud risk programs within major U.S. banks. He is recognized for building pragmatic, forward-looking risk frameworks that enable innovation in high-growth areas such as fintech partnerships and embedded banking, while maintaining strong regulatory alignment and operational integrity. 

Throughout his career, Brian has overseen the transformation of KYC and onboarding practices, directed global compliance operations, and partnered with regulators, auditors, and senior leadership to strengthen enterprise governance and risk culture. His leadership approach combines strategic vision with hands-on operational expertise, ensuring that risk management supports and fosters business growth. 

A frequent industry speaker and recognized thought leader in AML and KYC innovation, Brian has presented at events hosted by ACAMS, American Bankers Association, Risk Management Association and other leading professional groups, and has contributed as a subject matter expert for emerging professional certification programs. He holds Certified Anti-Money Laundering (CAMS) and Certified Anti-Fraud Specialist (CAFS) certifications. 

Areas of focus: BSA/AML Strategy & Governance | KYC Transformation | Payments & Fraud Risk | Fintech Partnership Oversight | API Banking, Stablecoin & Emerging Payments | Risk Frameworks & Strategy | Regulatory Engagement | Leadership & Culture

Anthony Cissell currently serves as First Vice President, BSA/AML & OFAC Officer at Five Star Bank, bringing more than 10 years of combined experience in BSA/AML compliance, financial crimes, fraud, and law enforcement. In his role, Anthony oversees the bank’s enterprise-wide financial crimes compliance program, including Board and senior management reporting, enterprise risk assessments, and the strategic leadership of the CDD/EDD, Transaction Monitoring Alerts, and Investigations teams.

Prior to returning to Five Star Bank, Anthony held BSA/AML roles at Evans Bank, Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, and Genesee Regional Bank, developing broad, cross-industry expertise across community banking and insurance environments. His professional approach is grounded in a strong commitment to maintaining the financial integrity of the banking industry through the design and execution of next-level, risk-based financial crimes compliance programs aligned with regulatory expectations and evolving threat landscapes.

Anthony’s prior law enforcement experience significantly enhances his financial crimes perspective. He took a proactive, intelligence-driven approach to policing, contributing to multiple large-scale drug trafficking investigations and arrests, and conducted major criminal investigations involving homicide, narcotics, robbery, and sex crimes. His law enforcement background includes participation in undercover operations and FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) initiatives, conducting crime scene analysis, processing forensic evidence, developing comprehensive investigative case files, delivering sworn testimony across multiple court systems, and managing complete investigative lifecycles encompassing surveillance, interviews, and analytical case development.

Anthony holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and maintains several advanced professional credentials, including Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Cannabis Banking Professional® - Advanced (CBPA®), and Associate, Life Management Institute (ALMI). He is an active member of ACAMS, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), and FBI InfraGard, supporting public-private collaboration to combat financial crime and safeguard the financial system. 

As a board member of the ACAMS Buffalo Chapter, Anthony is committed to strengthening chapter programming, advancing law enforcement collaboration, and supporting the continued professional development of the regional anti-financial crime community.