For Marnie Cross, her journey over the last 18 years at MCAP has been an intriguing one. From her start in the mortgage industry as a fraud analyst to her current role as the Associate Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), she has gained valuable insights from her tenure at MCAP.
Behind the Scenes of the FIU
In Marnie’s role, she’s responsible and accountable for the day-to-day operations of the FIU, which covers MCAP’s Anti-Money Laundering Program and Fraud Prevention Program. FIU partners with and supports Single Family, Commercial, and Construction lines of business to ensure MCAP meets industry Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Funding obligations. The FIU does important work that contributes to the success of the business, and according to Marnie, “people are my greatest resource.”
“I take every opportunity to connect with other business unit leaders, understand how their business operates, processes and what they need from my team to support them in their success of managing AML and Fraud risks.”
Dedicated to Career Development
When it comes to advancing her career, Marnie takes an active role in her development. Through personal research and reading she stays up-to-date and current with all AML legislative requirements and current fraud trends. Industry networking events such as conferences and webinars are one venue she uses to promote MCAP as an active and relevant stakeholder in the prevention of Financial Crimes and share best practices, trending technologies, and program frameworks.
Marnie has also taken advantage of resources provided through MCAP to help her progress in her development. “MCAP offers leadership development courses for newly appointed Managers, coaching techniques and a mentoring program which allows any individual within MCAP to be mentored by a business unit leader,” Marnie explains. “This is a great way to tap into a leader’s experience, extensive knowledge, and shared learnings throughout their career.”
“I believe knowledge is power and I promote and encourage shared learning amongst my team. The more we know the more we can support our business unit objectives and ultimately support MCAP’s overall strategic goals.”
Blue Culture and Building Connections
As an MCAP employee for almost two decades, Marnie has a lot of experience with Blue Culture. “Blue Culture is based on authenticity, trust and making connections,” she shares. “This applies to both our internal colleagues and external partners. For me, as a leader, my beliefs, how I behave and communicate trickle down throughout my team.”
One of the benefits of working in a department like the FIU is the opportunity to build strong connections or, as Marnie refers to them, bridges. “I encourage my team to reach out and make those connections whenever possible. It is an opportunity to discuss the goal at hand, build that layer of trust and, if you’re lucky, gain a different perspective.”
“If we focus on relationships, mutual needs, and respect for our differences it will create a trusted space for collaboration, growth and strong decision-making.”
Focusing on What Matters
As a valuable part of Team MCAP, Marnie puts her beliefs to work and helps others develop professionally and personally. For Marnie, the best part about what she does comes down to the people. “I am truly privileged to work with individuals who are passionate about progress and genuinely seek opportunities to evolve and improve on themselves.”
