Grant Thornton Adds Forensic and Anti-Laundering Leader

Veteran financial crimes leader Sven Stumbauer has joined Grant Thornton LLP as an Advisory Services managing director and leader of the firm’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Sanctions practice within the Integrity, Investigations and Restructuring solutions group. Based in Miami, Stumbauer will use his extensive cryptocurrency, AML, sanctions and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act acumen to further bolster and expand Grant Thornton’s growing financial crimes capabilities.

“As we grow the firm’s services to address anti-money laundering and sanctions, it’s important we bring in proven leaders with a track record of helping clients stay ahead of the increasing exposure to risk across the globe,” says David Hazels, national managing partner of Advisory Services at Grant Thornton. “Sven’s wealth of knowledge and extensive financial investigations experience make him the ideal leader to build on Grant Thornton’s already robust forensic risk solutions.”

Stumbauer has more than 20 years of experience focusing on financial crime, regulatory risk and forensic investigations. He has extensive practice in leading complex global projects and providing advisory services to clients in more than 60 countries around the world. Stumbauer has also worked closely with various regulatory bodies in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia — and he has led many of the largest global regulatory investigations and remediation programs in the area of financial crime, AML and sanctions.

Paul Melville, national managing principal of Integrity, Investigations and Restructuring solutions at Grant Thornton, adds that Stumbauer will be a crucial asset for companies as cryptocurrency continues to gain traction in the global markets.

“Sven possesses tremendous anti-money laundering and sanctions experience with deep roots in cryptocurrency,” Melville says. “As interest in crypto continues to skyrocket among the business community, Grant Thornton will be keenly suited to deliver the high-quality, pragmatic services and financial insights our clients expect and deserve.”

Mark Margulies, Grant Thornton’s office managing partner for South Florida, adds that Stumbauer will be an integral asset in driving the firm’s growth and global business perspective in South Florida and, by extension, Latin America.

“Miami has developed into a dynamic financial services hub,” adds Margulies. “Sven offers the skillset and business acumen our clients need, and he will serve as a critical link for banking and international trade with Latin America and other parts of the world.”

Prior to joining Grant Thornton, Stumbauer served in various leadership roles in several professional services firms. Most notably, he established and led AlixPartners LLP’s Global AML and Sanctions Compliance practice. Prior to that, he led KPMG LLP’s Forensic practice expansion, where he focused on corporate governance matters, regulatory compliance and investigations across Latin America. Stumbauer began his career in financial crimes with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

A published thought leader and frequent speaker at leading industry conferences, Stumbauer regularly provides briefings to U.S. and foreign regulatory bodies and governmental agencies on emerging issues pertaining to financial crimes. He received a master’s of business administration degree with a concentration in international business and finance from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree in international commerce from Georgia Southern University.