KC team.
KC was born out of a desire to provide Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to clients. We noticed that many firms were delivering projects using generalist consultants who often lacked the experience and aptitude to deliver to a high-standard.
At KC, we provide SMEs to meet your bespoke project requirements.
Zakir Karim
Head of CASS and Safeguarding
Zakir Karim FCA is the Managing Director of KarimC (KC), a specialised management consultancy firm. He has extensive experience in the financial services sector, having worked as an auditor, consultant, and project manager. Zakir began his career in external audit, focusing on statutory and CASS audits within the financial services industry. He later moved into consultancy, enhancing his CASS expertise through assurance engagements and advising clients on risk and regulatory issues, further specializing in CASS at a Big 4, where he participated in a significant CASS s166 engagement.
Zakir founded KC to serve a diverse range of clients in the financial services sector, including banks, asset & wealth management firms, and large insurance brokers. He regularly delivers CASS training for fellow practitioners, emphasising the latest regulatory and audit updates.
In addition to his CASS work, Zakir has led several notable advisory projects, such as a SYSC8 review for a major European bank under FCA sanction, a governance and culture review for an asset management firm post-FCA fine, board effectiveness reviews, and developing the framework for Bank of England stress testing at a leading UK bank.
Farhad Chowdhury
Head of Financial Crime
Farhad is a seasoned Financial Crime consultant with over 15 years of experience driving change in complex environments. He possesses extensive compliance supervisory expertise in managing both regional and global functions. His background encompasses a wide range of international sanctions, enhanced due diligence (EDD) clients, and the challenges of today's regulatory landscape. Farhad has served as the MLRO and Head of Financial Crime for various organizations, as well as Deputy MLRO at an international bank.
His projects include leading the global financial crime transformation framework as a program lead and AML subject matter expert. Additionally, he has held senior executive board positions, ensuring the effectiveness of the bank's Financial Crime Framework and acting as an anti-money laundering champion to safeguard the bank, clients, and stakeholders from financial crime. Farhad has also consulted on and managed the redesign of Sanctions, Transaction Monitoring, Client Screening, and Trade & Global Market Surveillance frameworks for numerous firms.
John Sweeney
CASS & Operations SME
John Sweeney is an experienced Operations Specialist with expertise in Operations, Risk and Finance functions within Wealth Management, Investment Banking and Commercial Banking industries, developed over 38 years. He has held Significant Influence Functions, and Certified Functions related to Custody and Client Money and has over 10 years’ experience preparing for and responding to client money audits and FCA reviews.
He specialises in developing efficient business infrastructures, while meeting contractual and regulatory obligations within financial services.
Jeshen Naidoo
CASS & Regulatory SME
Jeshen has experience working with the client asset regulations for over 10 years. He has worked across many different organisations ranging from startup fintech's to major global institutions such as Deutsche bank.
He has specific experience in developing the operational model and governance arrangements in line with the CASS regulations for the trading of private equity funds through Kleinwort Hambros and more recently Titan Wealth. This includes trades being executed at other venues, the timings of holding client money and client’s safe custody assets, the logic and timings of the CASS reconciliations and implementation of processes and controls to ensure compliance with the CASS rules through the trading and reporting processes.