Howard M. Spieler is a Certified Sanctions Specialist (CSS) and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) with over 20 years of experience in financial crime and sanctions compliance across both first- and second-line functions. A recognized thought leader in the field, he has delivered 40+ speaking engagements on sanctions and export controls compliance for professional and industry audiences and serves as an Adjunct Professor at Montclair State University, instructing graduate students on economic sanctions, financial crime, and U.S. national security priorities.

Since June 2023, Howard has served at Citigroup as Senior Vice President and Business Sanctions Risk Officer for Banking, where he partners with stakeholders across the first and second line to embed sanctions and export controls frameworks into banking processes, ensure alignment with global regulations and firm risk appetite, and advise on complex transactions and client activity.

Previously, he served as Vice President in the Global Sanctions Compliance Department at MUFG, where he supported global program initiatives, led sanctions and export controls risk assessments, advised on complex transactions, and served as global lead for new product reviews with cross-border implications. Before that, he was a Sanctions Compliance Officer within AIG’s Financial Crimes Group, providing strategic advisory and subject-matter expertise across the company’s global network.

Howard also spent a decade in public service under the Bloomberg administration, including seven years as Head of Compliance at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, where he managed a risk-based compliance program overseeing a $30 billion portfolio of public-private real estate transactions.

Howard is actively involved in the compliance community. He currently serves as Chair of the ACSS New York Chapter and previously served as Co-Chair of the ACAMS New York Chapter for five years. He was honored with the 2025 Global Sanctions Leadership Award from the Coalition Against Financial Crime and the 2025 ACSS Volunteer of the Year award.

He holds a Master’s in Accounting from Kean University, an MBA from St. John’s University, and a BA in Political Science from the University at Albany (SUNY).

Learn more about Howard at: linkedin.com/in/howardspieler

David B. Chenkin is the managing partner of law firm, and a Certified AntZeichner Ellman & Krause LLPi-Money Laundering Specialist. Chenkin represents major financial institutions and individuals in civil, criminal, regulatory and compliance-related investigations initiated by Congress and federal, state and local prosecutors and regulators. He also provides financial crime training to law enforcement, the private sector and other law firms. Chenkin is the recipient of Homeland Security Investigation’s HSI-New York Citizen’s Legacy Award, which he received for his efforts in counseling HSI agents in building relationships with the financial community.

Amir Fadavi is the cofounder and CEO of Sanctrust, an AI-native firm specializing in economic sanctions, export controls, and AML. With a background that includes leadership roles at K2 Integrity, Airwallex, and BNP Paribas, Amir brings deep institutional expertise to his work. He founded SanctionsExpert.com, where he explains sanctions in plain language and writes the “Sanctions Weekly Updates” newsletter.

Vasilii Nosov is a PhD candidate at the Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University. His research focuses on sanctions spillover effects, third-country circumvention patterns, and geopolitical responses to Western sanctions regimes. He has deep research and professional expertise in Russia, China, and Central Asia. Vasilii holds an MSc degree in Economics from Tufts University and the CAMS certification.