Binance Appoints Anti-Money Laundering and Sanction Specialist Chagri Poyraz as Global Head of Sanctions

Binance, the global blockchain ecosystem, announced the promotion of Chagri Poyraz, Director of Sanctions Compliance, who joined earlier this January, to Global Head of Sanctions. Chagri Poyraz will be responsible for ensuring that Binance meets global sanctions compliance requirements and establishes a robust framework of sanctions regulation in line with traditional banking practices.

Poyraz is a member of the Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists and the Association of Certified Sanctions Specialists. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Vancouver Island University in British Columbia, Canada, where he also studied computer engineering and information science. Poyraz has worked over 17 years in the areas of compliance, strategy, intergovernmental liaison, and risk management, and has been extensively involved in the design of numerous complex programs to prevent, detect, and report sanctions evasion and money laundering, particularly in the traditional financial sector.

Prior to joining Binance, Poyraz led the anti-money laundering (AML) and sanctions program at Coupang, South Korea's largest online shopping platform, and was responsible for third-party risk management, third-party screening and sanctions compliance. He was also responsible for establishing the financial crime compliance program and developing the risk control systems required for the company's listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

While at HSBC, Poyraz was responsible for maintaining the sanctions compliance program and ensuring the Group's compliance with sanctions regulations issued by the UN, EU, US, Canada, UK and others, assuming the role of sanctions risk manager. His responsibilities included regulatory engagement, enterprise-wide risk assessments, and implementation of regulatory deferred prosecution agreements.

"Global security takes a concerted effort. For more than a decade I have been strategizing collaborative programs that can effectively navigate complex sanctions regimes. Digital assets hold great potential and its adoption means we must come together to ensure resiliency against old and new threats. I am proud to join and contribute my experience to an organization that is setting industry compliance standards and my goal is to apply and transform my experiences in the traditional financial sector to the future of finance...blockchain," said Poyraz. As the Binance Compliance team continues to grow and develop, Poyraz hopes to bring his experience in traditional finance to the booming emerging industry of blockchain.

End of February this year, faced with the situation of Western sanctions against Russia, Binance has made its attitude clear. "We have assembled a dedicated global compliance task force, including world-renowned sanctions experts, and are taking the steps necessary to ensure we take action against those that have had sanctions levied against them, while minimizing impact to innocent users,”a Binance spokesman said. The appointment of Poyraz is a key step for Binance to confirm and realize this attitude.