Simona Vicheva
Senior Leadership & Development Manager
Sofia
Summary
Senior Learning & Development and Compliance Training Leader with 15+ years of experience across fintech, payments, and regulated environments. Experienced in building and scaling enterprise training programs, designing compliance curricula, managing LMS-driven learning programs, and delivering training solutions supporting 200+ employees across 5+ locations and 5+ cross-functional teams. Brings deep expertise in AML/KYC/CFT, quality assurance, regulatory procedures, stakeholder management, and translating complex compliance requirements into practical, scalable learning solutions.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
3
3
Languages
Work History
Head of Training and Development
La Orange Limited
10.2020 - 03.2026
- Built and launched the company’s internal compliance and operational training academy from scratch.
- Designed and implemented enterprise-wide training strategy supporting 200+ employees across 5+ locations and 5+ cross-functional teams.
- Delivered 20+ instructor-led face-to-face training sessions annually, alongside virtual training programs across Compliance, Risk, Fraud, Operations, and Customer Support teams.
- Designed and delivered induction training programs for 20+ employees annually, supporting onboarding and role readiness.
- Managed TalentLMS administration, including training assignments, learning tracking, reporting, and training record management.
- Developed and maintained monthly knowledge quizzes to assess employee awareness of regulatory and procedural changes.
- Designed and facilitated monthly complex case advisory sessions to support practical application of compliance knowledge.
- Created after-probation assessment quizzes to evaluate employee knowledge retention and readiness.
- Developed AML, KYC, fraud prevention, GDPR, and regulatory compliance training curricula and instructional materials.
- Created KYC Quality Assurance Handbook, training guidelines, and internal knowledge resources in Confluence.
- Produced training reports, learning metrics, and monitoring outputs to support training effectiveness and compliance oversight.
- Partnered with stakeholders across departments to identify learning needs and support process improvement initiatives.
Head of Compliance/MLRO
La Orange Limited
10.2019 - 12.2020
- Led the company’s compliance function, overseeing AML/KYC controls, regulatory obligations, and financial crime risk management.
- Implemented and maintained compliance policies, procedures, and operational guidelines aligned with regulatory requirements and business needs.
- Translated regulatory requirements into practical internal guidance and ensured effective implementation through training and procedural support across teams.
- Acted as primary point of contact with regulators, competent authorities, and law enforcement, including responding to police requests and regulatory inquiries.
- Prepared and submitted Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and supported financial crime investigations.
- Managed compliance communication with business partners, investors, and external stakeholders, ensuring clear understanding of the company’s business model, controls, and regulatory framework.
- Advised senior management on compliance risk, regulatory expectations, and operational impact, translating complex compliance concepts into practical business decisions.
- Participated in evaluation and commercial discussions related to Dow Jones screening solutions and Napier transaction monitoring systems.
- Contributed to vendor assessment, solution selection, and implementation discussions related to financial crime screening and transaction monitoring technology.
- Supported alignment of compliance technology capabilities with regulatory requirements, risk controls, and business needs.
- Performed Quality Assurance reviews for KYC and Compliance teams, assessing adherence to internal procedures, control effectiveness, and regulatory expectations.
- Identified process gaps, issued recommendations, and supported corrective actions to strengthen quality standards and compliance controls.
- Used QA outcomes to improve procedures, guidance documentation, and operational consistency across teams.
Fin Crime Compliance Analist
FXCM - Forex Capital Markets
11.2017 - 10.2019
- Supported financial crime compliance activities across AML/KYC controls, transaction monitoring, and risk-based case handling.
- Built and implemented the company-wide AML & CFT Training Program, developing structured training content to support compliance awareness and regulatory obligations across teams.
- Performed PEP, Sanctions, and Adverse Media screening, reviewing and resolving alerts in line with internal controls and regulatory requirements.
- Investigated and resolved alerts generated from transaction monitoring systems, assessing suspicious activity indicators and escalating higher-risk matters where appropriate.
- Conducted KYC, CDD, EDD, and KYB reviews, collecting documentation, analyzing customer profiles, and supporting risk-based customer due diligence decisions.
- Exercised independent judgment in case assessments, documenting findings and escalating cases to management for review and decisioning.
- Managed and documented investigations through Salesforce, supporting case tracking, analysis, and escalation workflows.
- Designed and delivered compliance training materials covering AML/CFT requirements, customer due diligence, suspicious activity detection, and internal control expectations.
- Supported knowledge-sharing initiatives and provided subject matter guidance to colleagues on financial crime procedures and case handling.
Team Leader AML Investigations & SAR Reporting
Paysafe Group
01.2016 - 09.2017
- Led AML investigations activities, supporting case escalation handling, suspicious activity analysis, and SAR-related processes.
- Contributed to building and enhancing company processes related to AML investigations, including procedures, workflows, and case handling standards.
- Served as escalation point for complex and high-risk cases, managing unclear or difficult investigations and supporting risk-based decision making.
- Participated in internal and external audits, supporting responses, controls discussions, and remediation-related activities.
- Took active part in transaction monitoring rules implementation for Skrill and Neteller, contributing to control logic, rule enhancements, and monitoring effectiveness.
- Participated in cross-functional and interdepartmental governance discussions related to financial crime risk, controls, and operational processes.
- Led compliance oversight for ABE Books third-party customer verification project, managing due diligence controls and supporting risk mitigation measures.
- Managed a dedicated transaction monitoring tool (TCM) supporting monitoring activities and case handling.
- Identified a significant control gap within monitoring processes and actively contributed to remediation and strengthening of controls.
- Trained and coached team members on AML investigations, case handling standards, and SAR reporting practices.
Compliance Analyst
Paysafe Group
03.2011 - 01.2016
- Conducted KYC and KYB reviews, assessing customer documentation and profiles in line with internal procedures and risk-based compliance requirements.
- Performed high-value transaction checks, reviewing up to 400 transactions per day and identifying activity requiring enhanced scrutiny.
- Monitored customer accounts for prohibited or unusual transaction activity, supporting early detection of compliance and financial crime risks.
- Applied strong analytical judgment and independent decision-making in customer reviews, transaction analysis, and case resolution.
- Worked closely with Sales, Customer Support, and MLRO teams to manage escalations, clarify case details, and support risk-based decisions.
- Served as internal review point for SAR-related escalations raised across the business, assessing suspicious activity concerns and determining whether cases required escalation to London Compliance for further review and potential regulatory reporting.
- Exercised risk-based judgment in escalation decisions involving suspicious activity indicators, supporting internal governance and financial crime reporting processes.
- Built the Quality Assurance framework for both the KYC Team and the VIP Team, establishing review methodology and quality standards.
- Performed sample-based QA reviews across 20+ employees, assessing case quality, procedural adherence, and consistency of decision-making.
- Identified quality gaps and trends, providing feedback and recommendations to improve case handling standards and operational performance.
- Mentored junior analysts and supported onboarding and knowledge transfer across KYC-related processes.
Customer Service Representative
Paysafe Group
12.2008 - 03.2011
- Delivered customer support across phone and email channels, resolving customer enquiries and supporting issue resolution.
- Progressed to Level 2 (L2) role with responsibility for KYC verifications and more complex customer case handling.
- Reviewed customer verification documentation and supported early-stage compliance-related checks.
- Handled escalated and difficult customer cases, applying problem-solving and risk awareness to support appropriate resolution.
- Supported early-stage risk escalation workflows, identifying matters requiring further review or escalation.
- Worked closely with internal teams to support customer issue resolution, verification processes, and operational controls.
Education
Master's Degree - International Relations
Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
Sofia 04.2001 -
Skills
E-learning design
Soft skills training
Virtual training
Training delivery
Learning & Development Strategy
Instructional Design
Curriculum Development
Compliance Training
AML/KYC/CFT Training
Induction & Onboarding
Workshop Facilitation
Virtual Training Delivery
LMS Administration
Training Analytics & Reporting
Coaching & Mentoring
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Stakeholder Management
Communication
Critical Thinking
Problem Solving
Time Management
Ability to Work Under Pressure
Certification
Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE)
Timeline
Head of Training and Development
La Orange Limited
10.2020 - 03.2026
Head of Compliance/MLRO
La Orange Limited
10.2019 - 12.2020
Fin Crime Compliance Analist
FXCM - Forex Capital Markets
11.2017 - 10.2019
Team Leader AML Investigations & SAR Reporting
Paysafe Group
01.2016 - 09.2017
Compliance Analyst
Paysafe Group
03.2011 - 01.2016
Customer Service Representative
Paysafe Group
12.2008 - 03.2011
Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE)
08-2007
Master's Degree - International Relations
Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
04.2001 -