Ilze Znotiņa

Ilze Znotiņa, a lawyer with over 25 years of expertise in dispute resolution, regulatory issues, insolvency, intellectual property, anti-bribery, and anti-financial crime, has had a distinguished career spanning both private and public sectors. Over two decades, she has served as an attorney-at-law, including a partnership in a prominent BIG4 law firm.

From 2018 to 2022, Ilze held the position of Head of Latvia's Financial Intelligence Unit, overseeing a comprehensive overhaul of the nation's AML/CFT/Sanctions system. During her tenure, she led a delegation to Moneyval and FATF, successfully showcasing the establishment of a robust financial crime prevention system. Under her leadership, the FIU Latvia underwent transformative changes, introducing innovative collaborations, information exchange platforms, and research initiatives, such as the public-private partnership CCG, AML Innovation Hub, and International Financial Intelligence Taskforce. In 2022, IFIT earned the prestigious BECA (Best Egmont Case Award).

Ilze is an author and speaker on topics like fraud, money laundering, and corruption. She is a regular columnist at www.amlintelligence.com and has contributed to several research books. Throughout her career, she has played a pivotal role in moderating, hosting, and organising international conferences, seminars, and workshops, including the 2022 Plenary Session of the Egmont Group of FIUs and the Annual Sanctions conferences.

Holder of a master's degree in international and European law from Riga Graduate School of Law and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Ilze completed her doctoral studies in law, specialising in International and European law, submitting her thesis to the Faculty of Law at the University of Latvia.

As of 2023, Ilze remains actively involved in capacity-building initiatives across various jurisdictions. Her contributions encompass AML/CFT system reforms, preparations for FATF Mutual Evaluations, provision of technical assistance to national FIUs and central banks, enhancement of strategic analysis capabilities, and implementation of international, national, and targeted financial sanctions.