We get asked a lot about our Network Partners - who they are and how they operate. Luckily for us we are always very excited to shout about the great partners we have onboard and how they help our clients access non-digitised data sources around the world.
In the first of our Network Partner profiles, we spoke with Luis about how he supports diligence and investigations in Uruguay, how the pandemic affected information gathering and what is on the horizon.
What is your professional background? How did you get into this industry?
While I was doing my legal studies, I had my first professional experience as an Administrative Assistant at an international bank. That's what led me to the financial services industry. I dealt with client onboarding and documentation review, and I mastered "how to know your customer" during the due diligence process.
Later on, I worked for a Uruguayan law firm with litigation, tax, and administrative law, and I was a risk management analyst for a global bank. At the bank, my main task was as the secretariat for the reputational risk and client selection committee for Retail Banking. The biggest challenge was exposing the riskiest customer cases to board members.
Currently, I co-own a legal firm. We deal with corporate and tax law, including compliance and due diligence. We also counsel in immigration law and criminal defense.
Funnily enough, before getting into this industry, I almost became a professional chef, but that's another story!
How did the pandemic affect your ability to gather information and conduct investigations in Uruguay?
The pandemic affected the possibility of being physically in various places. We had to adapt to the situation and quickly find new ways of collecting information. We turned our efforts via telephone, web, email, or text.
What, if any, are the biggest challenges to accessing information in your region?
Although in my country, the situation was under control during the pandemic, the legislation is very strict when it comes to the protection of personal data, including professional and banking secrecy laws. The disclosure of certain information can constitute a criminal offense. That's one of the main challenges we came across.
Do you see this improving in the short/medium term?
We see some advances, such as information exchange between financial intelligence units belonging to the Egmont Group. However, in the public sector, the changes are still a bit slow. There's a lot of information there that would come in handy. The solution would be to place it in a database where several stakeholders could have access.
What is on the horizon for you and your work?
The future looks bright, and I am preparing for it by keeping up to date, constantly learning, and adapting to new changes and challenges that come my way.
I am a problem solver who is always looking to fix matters in an efficient style. My long-term goal is to collaborate with a broad range of people and companies – to advise and represent them in the best way possible.
Professionally in the short-term, I would like to pursue a master's degree in banking and finance in the UK.
How have you found working with the Ground Truth Intelligence platform?
I was honoured and surprised to be contacted by GTI and was immediately curious to learn more about the platform. I found it very intuitive and easy-to-use. Plus, the experience with the team has been very executive, spontaneous and pleasant.
Everyone at Ground Truth loves to talk about and eat great food - we talk about it a lot! What is your favourite dish?
My favourite dish is Asado, one of Uruguay's national dishes. Asado is like a barbecue where various cuts of meats, cheese, and vegetables are cooked over a tended 'parrilla' lit by pine cones and wood. It's probably the best meat you'll ever eat, but it is also a meal meant to be shared with family and friends, and that is also why I love it. Don't forget to pair it with a bottle of great red wine!
For help with your corporate investigations in Uruguay and beyond, contact us today and get access to over 1500 intelligence sources in over 200 jurisdictions.