Corporate boardroom with empty chairs and long table Modern office corridor with glass walls and soft lighting Empty open plan office with desks and computer monitors Corporate lobby with reception desk and minimalist design
Availability: Independent Director (SMF3)  ·  Compliance Officer (SMF16)  ·  MLRO (SMF17)  ·  Full Nominee Services  ·  AEMI/SPI Licensing  ·  BVI & Cayman Islands & US Hedge Fund Board Roles  ·  Non-Executive Director
SMF3 · SMF16 · SMF17 | Open for Nominee & Board Roles

Benjamin Mensah

Governance & Compliance Executive | Private Markets & Global Banking

German Citizen | UK Permanent Resident — Cross-border operation across UK and EU jurisdictions.

German Citizen UK Permanent Resident FCA/PRA SMF3, SMF16, SMF17 Ready AEMI & SPI Licensing Expertise

A seasoned Governance and Compliance Executive with a dual focus on Private Markets and Global Banking, available for board-level appointments and full nominee services. Offers a rare blend of institutional rigour (Barclays Payments) and agile, boutique asset management leadership, specialising in ESG-focused capital raising and international regulatory frameworks. Proficient in offshore and US structures: direct experience co-launching and structuring hedge funds in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and extensive know-how of Cayman Islands fund governance — including fund governance, vendor integration, and regulatory architecture — alongside a proven track record managing liquid capital inflows from US institutions. Available for Independent Director, MLRO, Compliance Officer, full nominee mandates, and AEMI/SPI licensing roles.

Strategic Capabilities

  • ▸ AEMI & SPI Licensing Architecture
  • ▸ BVI & Cayman Islands Hedge Fund Governance
  • ▸ AML/KYC Framework Design & MLRO
  • ▸ ESG Capital Raising & ECM Advisory
  • ▸ Operational Setup & Vendor Integration
  • ▸ Payment Ecosystems (Barclays Payments, £1.2Bn portfolio)
  • ▸ Cross-border HNW & Institutional Onboarding
  • ▸ Algorithmic Trading & Fund Structuring (BVI & Cayman focus)
EU & International ready Capable of holding equivalent Key Function Holder roles for EU-based institutions leveraging German citizenship for frictionless EU board integration.
Empty corporate hallway
Professional Experience

Professional experience & processes

Vice President – Global Head of Banking / MLRO
2023 – Present
Steel Private Bank
United States / EMEA
Originate non-sector specific deals using SBLC, debt/equity. HNW/institutional onboarding. Trade finance, treasury. As MLRO: financial crime systems, AML/KYC, regulatory reporting.
Director / MLRO / Compliance Officer
2022 – Present
Steel Private Fund
United States / EMEA (BVI domiciled)
Co-launched BVI hedge fund (FX, commodities). Global operational structure, vendor integration. Managed US institutional subscriptions. Developed algorithmic trading systems. BVI fund governance and US investor compliance.
Managing Director
2021 – 2022
PFT CERTX
Spain / United Arab Emirates
Sales & operations director, US/EMEA relationships. Partner at CEO Titan Asset Management, Chair at Zeus Global Asset Management. Leveraged buyouts and mergers for digital assets.
Principal & Founder
2020 – Present
Mensah & Alexander Holdings
United Kingdom
ESG-focused boutique holding company. ECM advisory, private offerings, capital raising. Grew book value to $5M USD. Partnerships with law firms, broker-dealers. Raised over $2M.
VP Sales & Operations
2020
Bizugo.com
United Kingdom
Lead generation via US private equity and broker/dealer markets. Grew client network over $5M. Averaged $80k monthly closed sales. Full sales cycle, due diligence, SaaS product implementation.
Sales Enablement Executive
2018 – 2019
Barclays Payments
United Kingdom
Managed 60+ corporate merchants, £1.2Bn turnover. Product champion, financial reconciliation, data suite analysis. Contributed to £1.3M team target.
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Regulatory Functions

Regulatory functions & compliance oversight

SMF3 – Executive Director

Strategic planning, corporate governance, board advisory. Available for Independent Director roles and full nominee director mandates.

SMF16 – Compliance Oversight

Full compliance framework implementation, auditing, regulatory correspondence. Available as Compliance Officer and nominee compliance services.

SMF17 – MLRO

Money Laundering Reporting Officer. Financial crime systems, AML/KYC, SAR reporting. Available as Nominee MLRO for UK and international firms.

AEMI & SPI leadership

Guiding Authorised E-Money Institutions and Small Payment Institutions through licensing and operational setup.

Process expertise & international reach

Operational Setup & Vendor Integration

Origination and setup of financial firms, co-launching emerging managers, global vendor relationships.

Payment ecosystems & reconciliation

Payments landscape via Barclays Payments, £1.2Bn turnover, backoffice reconciliations, data-driven compliance.

EU board integration

German citizen enabling director roles across EU jurisdictions.

BVI, Cayman Islands & United States hedge fund competence

Proven track record in structuring and managing BVI-domiciled hedge funds and comprehensive familiarity with Cayman Islands fund governance standards. Direct responsibility for fund governance, AML/KYC frameworks, and US institutional investor compliance. Available for BVI, Cayman, and US-facing board roles, as well as full nominee director and officer services.

Professional writing and research workspace
Insights & Commentary

Regulatory insights & commentary

16 May 2026
Ready-Made UK Companies: A Cost-Benefit Analysis
The market offers pre-registered UK companies — fully equipped with a bank account, VAT registration, a trading address, and often a nominal trading history. The proposition is str…
FCA AEMI Compliance Fast Track Shell Company
Read article →
10 May 2026
SMF16 vs SMF17: Who's Liable When AML Breaks Down?
When a firm's AML framework breaks down, the FCA does not cast its net wide. It looks immediately to two named individuals: the SMF16 and the SMF17. What surprises many first-time…
SMF MLRO AML FCA Compliance
Read article →
View all articles

Contact & professional reach

📧
benjamin@benjamin-mensah.com
📞
+44 (0) 7308 040126
Regulatory inbox & availability
For board appointments, compliance advisory, MLRO engagements, full nominee services, or AEMI/SPI licensing processes — direct correspondence. German, English, Twi fluent; conversational German proficiency.

Key functions & roles handled

  • Independent Director (SMF3) — board advisory & nominee director
  • Compliance Officer / MLRO (SMF16, SMF17) — full nominee services
  • AEMI & SPI strategic oversight
  • Fund governance & AML framework design
  • Cross-border payments compliance
  • BVI, Cayman Islands & US hedge fund structuring
UK & EU ready FCA/PRA fit and proper standards. Eligible for equivalent EU positions. Open to nominee and non-executive mandates globally.