PLENITUDE INSIGHTS : Reflections From Orel Garcia, Junior Consultant

During my academic summer break, I had the opportunity to work as a full-time Junior Consultant at Plenitude Consulting. During this time, I was able to gain an incredible insight into not only Financial Crime Compliance at a prestigious level within the finance sector, but was also able to develop a significant appreciation for a positive and collaborative culture within a firm.

So far, I’ve been heavily involved in the maintenance of financial crime-based client obligation registers, which predominantly focus on the regulatory makeup of numerous jurisdictions; covering the United Kingdom, European Union, United States, Hong Kong and more. Although my preconceptions regarding the financial crime landscape were few, it has been both fascinating and surprising to see, in practice, the extensive controls that entities must take into consideration in their day-to-day business. For instance, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing provisions, counter proliferation financing obligations and customer due diligence protocols, are just a brief overview of the broad spectrum of  requirements which institutions must strictly adhere to.

In addition to my general task involvement, I’ve had the good fortune of attending firm wide social events and learning programs, which exemplified Plenitude’s devotion to an inclusive and collaborative culture; giving many of the newer staff, including myself, an opportunity to get to know the expertise and experiences of many of our colleagues.

It’s been a privilege to kick-start my journey at an esteemed Financial Crime consultancy, at the age of 20, especially whilst studying my BA History degree at the University of Kent. My hopes are that this will drastically complement my ambitions of becoming a Senior Manager, in due time, by cementing a clear path for my development as a consultant and providing me with early inroads into gaining client expertise and experience. Hence, after an incredible summer, I’m excited to continue my journey with Plenitude, in conjunction with my final year of studies, and strive to end my time at the University of Kent with a prestigious degree and a year’s experience in the top end of Financial Crime Consulting.