Seneca CIFCA

About the Canadian Institute for Financial Crime Analysis

The Canadian Institute for Financial Crime Analysis (CIFCA) is a joint initiative of the Seneca Centre for Financial Services (CFS), and Williams McGuire AML Inc (WM-AML) – Canada’s centre for money laundering risk and financial intelligence. The Institute’s mission is to deliver practical professional development, applied research and educational solutions for financial crime analysis in Canada and internationally.

This initiative works under the umbrella of the large and well-regarded Seneca Faculty of Business. The CIFCA operates as a division of the CFS, leveraging a history of excellence in providing relevant and accessible educational opportunities for those seeking career advancement within the field of financial services.

Activities

With the institute’s central aim being to further professionalize financial crime analysis, the institute operates in in four primary activity areas:

  1. Applied research and systematic information collection
  2. Educational solutions – establishing benchmark academic and industry standards, including a six-course professional development certificate program called Financial Crime Analysis, and customized training derived from those modules
  3. Networking – online access highlighting and discussing the latest research finding, court cases and regulatory changes
  4. Advocacy – refining legislation and policy with the accumulated expertise and empirical knowledge derived from the financial crime analysis sector

Our Advisory Committee

Name Title Corporate Affiliation(s)
Mr. Matthew McGuire Director Williams McGuire AML Inc., CIFCA
Mr. Gary Butler Director Seneca College, Centre for Financial Services
Mr. Samky Mak Industry Director, Financial Institutions Seneca College, Centre for Financial Services
Dr. Charles Robertson Research and Development Verafin Inc.
Mr. William Crate Director of Security Canadian Bankers Association
Mr. Barry Hawn Manager, Ontario Region Forensic Accounting Management Group (RCMP-IPOC)
Mr. Chris Galloway Manager, Risk Management Central 1 Credit Union
Mr. Cyrus Hojjati Manager, Fraud Operations Davis + Henderson
Mr. Dan Heaman Anti-Money Laundering Risk Management Central 1 Credit Union
Mr. Glen Stover Director, Anti-Money Laundering Unit Scotiabank
Mr. Peter Warrack Head of Investigations, Anti-Money Laundering Financial Intelligence Unit Royal Bank of Canada
Mr. Roland MacDonald Security and Investigation Consultant Former head of Security & Risk Management at Mastercard Canada, Veteran leader of RCMP Commercial Crime Unit
Mr. Stephen Chait Director,  Economic Development Town of Markham
Ms. Lori Del Duca Director, Bank Card Security Scotiabank
Ms. Meera Das Senior Anti-Money Laundering Rules Analyst, Anti-Money Laundering Financial Intelligence Unit Royal Bank of Canada

The Certificate Program

The Certificate program consists of six modules, completed part-time over six months [September through March each year].    Those modules have been designed and are led by industry experts around the intelligence cycle framework.  They include:  Financial Crime History, Constraint, and Trends; Financial Crime Risk Assessment and Mitigation; The Intelligence Cycle; Data Analysis; Research Methods; and Communications.   Successful graduates receive a Seneca College Certificate as well as a Certificate from the Ontario Police College.

Our recent graduates have secured and enhanced their positions in financial intelligence units in Canada’s largest banks, as well as specialized intelligence groups.  Providing his view of the program, graduate Jonathan Krumins wrote:

“I found the CIFCA program to be a comprehensive training program in financial crime analysis.  It contained both useful theoretical knowledge of subjects such as AML, financial crime, risk management and investigative techniques, as well as practical work in data analysis and investigative research techniques.  The professors were all experts in their fields, and provided current, specialized knowledge in each of the subjects covered.  The classes had a very low student to teacher ratio, which allowed one-on-one interaction with the professors.  All in all, CIFCA provided practical knowledge and skills that can be immediately applied in combating crime in the financial services sector.”

Find Out More

Contact Samky Mak at the Centre for Financial Services by calling 416.491.5050 ext. 6872, or by e-mailing cifca.info@senecac.ca.  Samky can also provide information about customized training, including specialized training in financial crime case management, and coversational interviewing techniques taught by Peter Warrack. 

CIFCA’s website can be found here, and its press release can be accessed here.

For an article about CIFCA by Joe Fantauzzi, Public Safety and Justice Reporter for Metroland publishing, click here.

For a recording of a Matthew McGuire’s interview with CBC radio’s Matt Galloway on Metro Morning, click here.

Registration

CIFCA is now accepting registrations for the September 2011 session.  Registration information and forms can be found by clicking the following link: CIFCA_Registration.  Completed forms can be sent to cifca.info@senecac.ca.