Insights on cross-border payments, digital finance, and how embedded compliance is shaping the future of global transactions.
Krishna, could you start by sharing your professional journey, how you entered the payments and regulatory space and the key experiences that have shaped your career?
The first half of my career gave me the benefit of hands-on experience running real operating businesses. It was a grounding period where I was responsible for commercial outcomes, customer delivery, product development, and team performance within industrial sectors that placed a high value on both compliance and reputation. This industrial business experience has been a significant contributor to my focus on the intersection of financial integrity and operational efficiency.
My shift into financial services came in 2008, in the middle of the global financial crisis, when I was assigned to my then-employer’s financial division to lead regulatory and compliance efforts across Asia Pacific. From that point on, through roles at institutions like Philips, GE, GE Capital, Macquarie, Scotia, Citi, and now Bruc Bond, the constant theme has been designing systems that are both resilient and scalable.
What I’ve learned is that regulation is not a constraint. When embedded into the system itself, rather than enforced retrospectively, it becomes a source of trust and strategic advantage. Bruc Bond is about bringing that belief into our core architecture, creating a platform where compliance and innovation reinforce each other.
What are the most significant regulatory trends in digital banking and payments that you foresee shaping 2026 and beyond?
With the implementation of frameworks like DORA in the EU and new safeguarding rules in the UK, the regulatory bar is being raised, and these are likely to eventually see global convergence as well.
Financial institutions are now expected to integrate real-time risk monitoring and automation into their infrastructure, making compliance an integrated, continuous operational function, and increasingly, a prerequisite for scale rather than market entry.
This broader transformation is also reflected in two emerging trends. Traditional banks are acquiring payment providers to meet evolving compliance demands, while neo-banks are being formed and operating successfully by catering exclusively to innovative fintechs such as Bruc Bond, both in the US and across Europe.
With cross-border payments undergoing reform, what strategic challenges and opportunities should corporations be aware of when operating across multiple regions?
The complexity of operating across jurisdictions continues to grow. From tariff shifts to changing capital controls and evolving licensing expectations, companies need financial partners who can navigate both local requirements and global infrastructure.
The opportunity lies in aligning treasury operations with institutions that offer embedded compliance, real-time transaction transparency, and scalable cross-border capabilities. The other is the dimming line between FIAT and stablecoin payments triggered by the tokenisation of traditional assets.
Businesses that take a proactive approach to understanding their exposure, whether financial, contractual or operational, will be better positioned to respond quickly and strategically to regulatory changes. Those that don’t often only discover their exposure when a payment fails, or a corridor closes.
How is Bruc Bond leveraging embedded compliance to streamline regulatory adherence for corporates, and what impact does this have on operational efficiency?
Our platform embeds compliance checks into the payment flow itself. That means that screening, reconciliation and jurisdiction-specific rules are executed in real-time. Going one step further, our platform is designed to seamlessly operate between FIAT and stablecoin environments and address scale for both sets of requirements. This allows compliance teams to focus on oversight and escalation rather than manual interventions.
It also reduces onboarding time, lowers operational costs, regulatory inter-operability and allows businesses to navigate regulatory shifts without disrupting their core operations. We understand and see compliance as a strategic enabler in the cross-border movement of value in general rather than segmented bolt-ons.
From a practical standpoint, how are stablecoins influencing global finance today, and what should companies consider when integrating them into their payment strategies?
Stablecoins are reshaping the foundations of cross-border settlement by offering a digital alternative to traditional clearing mechanisms. Their speed and predictability make them appealing in regions with currency volatility or limited financial infrastructure. However, their integration into financial systems must be approached with care. Any adoption must be grounded in strong governance and aligned with AML, KYC, and broader regulatory standards designed inclusively to accommodate both FIAT and stablecoin environments. Stability, redemption clarity, and transparency are essential.
The broader goal is not to replace existing infrastructure, but to embed stablecoins in a way that supports financial integrity and responsibility. When deployed thoughtfully, stablecoins can become a complement to existing infrastructure, improving efficiency without increasing risk.
What role do you see CBDCs playing in international commerce, and how might they transform corporate payment flows and liquidity management?
CBDCs could streamline global liquidity by enabling central bank-to-central bank settlements with built-in regulatory compliance. For businesses, this means more predictable cash flow, reduced reliance on intermediaries, and clearer visibility across jurisdictions.
But for these benefits to be realised, global coordination on interoperability and standards is essential. Without that, CBDCs risk becoming domestically efficient but internationally fragmented. The intent of the US Genius Act to establish such jurisdictional equivalences by 2027 is a good example against this type of fragmentation.
Given your extensive experience in AML, sanctions, insider trading prevention, and governance, what are the emerging risks that companies need to monitor in 2026?
Advances in generative AI have introduced new threats, particularly around identity fraud. Deepfakes and synthetic identities can now mimic legitimate onboarding processes with increased precision, making remote verification increasingly complex. At the same time, automated transaction monitoring systems must contend with vast data volumes and more sophisticated typologies, requiring stronger model governance and explainability.
Far-sighted regulators such as the MAS in Singapore have engaged the financial services industry players to address these risks systematically in a way that every player can participate and comply with a standardised governance framework.
Sanctions regimes are also becoming more dynamic and regionally differentiated. Financial institutions must stay ahead of shifting political alliances and emerging guidance on beneficial ownership and third-party exposure. Insider threats are growing more subtle, often linked to cyber vulnerabilities or third-party providers. Governance frameworks must now account for both behavioural analytics and the integrity of outsourced operations, through systematic classification of outsourcing risks by data type and the application of corresponding governance controls.
Having led teams across APAC, what key lessons have you learned about navigating diverse regulatory environments?
Regulatory environments are shaped by regional and cultural context and institutional philosophy. In some markets, the emphasis lies in fostering trust and preserving reputational integrity through engagement rather than through early public action.
This approach creates a space for financial institutions to innovate while remaining accountable. It reflects an understanding that regulation is most effective when applied with clarity and cultural awareness, not just consistency. Building effective compliance frameworks means not only interpreting rules correctly, but doing so in a way that respects local values while aligning with global standards.
What approaches have you found most effective in building and leading high-performing compliance and regulatory teams across multiple countries?
High-performing teams come together when there is trust in leadership and belief in the value of their work. What binds people across borders is not just shared processes, but the sense that their contribution carries weight, purpose and direction.
At Bruc Bond, we emphasise care in how people relate to one another and to the responsibilities they hold through our well-understood and annually 360-evaluated matrix of 10 Bruc Bond people values and tying rewards to these values rather than “performance ratings” and bell curves that tend to disappoint more often rather than encourage.
Leadership is about setting that tone and sustaining it in every part of how the organisation behaves. When people understand the purpose behind the mission, cohesion follows.
Finally, what advice would you give to finance and compliance professionals aiming to excel in the evolving world of cross-border payments and digital finance?
Stay close to the regulation and closer to the intent behind it – the letter as well as the spirit. The future belongs to professionals who can anticipate change, translate complex frameworks into practical systems, and collaborate across borders Excellence will come not just from technical expertise but from the ability to lead with integrity, prioritising a culture of self-identification of potential areas for clarity and continuous self-driven improvement.
Quote: Financial institutions today are not just reacting to change, they are helping shape it. The challenge isn’t volatility itself, but how we build systems that are agile, transparent and resilient enough to thrive in it. That’s where compliance becomes a competitive edge.
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