Hong Kong, March 2, 2026 - Leading global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has today announced the launch of its Asia-Pacific Financial Crime (APAC FC) practice within its Asia Disputes and Investigations business, strengthening the firm’s ability to support clients facing complex regulatory, enforcement, compliance, and financial crime-related challenges across the region.

The new team, part of A&M’s global Financial Crime offering, bolsters the firm’s existing Financial Crime capabilities and expands the Disputes and Investigations capabilities in Asia-Pacific, reflecting a focused investment in areas where regulatory scrutiny, enforcement activity, and financial crime risk are increasingly shaping decision-making for financial institutions.

The APAC FC practice will combine senior, practitioner-led expertise with the firm’s broader investigative, regulatory, and transformation capabilities, advising clients on anti-money laundering, economic sanctions, anti-bribery and corruption, and fraud risk management matters. The team will provide a full suite of services including financial crime advisory, remediation, technology, and transformation. Operating on a regional basis, the APAC FC will work closely with other A&M practice groups including, Financial Services Industry Group, and specialist teams in cyber risk, digital, and regulatory advisory, offering tailored and integrated solutions to clients.

The APAC FC practice will be led by newly appointed A&M Managing Director Rod Francis. Mr. Francis joins the firm with more than 35 years of global and regional experience across senior compliance leadership roles at tier-one financial institutions and in advisory roles leading large-scale financial crime programmes in Asia-Pacific. His background spans both industry and consulting, alongside in-depth expertise engaging regulators, managing enforcement-driven remediation, and building sustainable compliance frameworks. Mr. Francis is a board member and founding member of the Hong Kong Chapter of the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists.

David Hicks, Managing Director and Global Co-Leader of Disputes and Investigations, said, “Financial institutions are facing more assertive supervision, increased enforcement activity, and growing exposure to fraud and financial crime, especially in Asia-Pacific. Global standard setters continue to raise expectations around effectiveness, governance, and the use of advanced data and technology solutions to enhance risk management and detection. A&M’s investment in Financial Crime services in the region reflects both the scale of this opportunity and our ability to support clients with practical, execution-focused advice. Rod’s appointment brings deep leadership to this effort and represents an important step in building out the firm’s platform in Asia-Pacific.”

Mr. Francis, Managing Director, commented, “Clients in Asia-Pacific are seeking senior-led execution from professionals who have operated inside complex institutions and understand how regulatory expectations play out in practice. A&M’s focus on hands-on execution, its ability to bring together investigations, compliance, and transformation expertise, and its commitment to building senior, practitioner-led teams create a dynamic foundation for helping clients address their most complex financial crime and compliance challenges while maximizing value and mitigating risk.”

Henry Chambers, Managing Director and Co-Leader of Disputes and Investigations in Asia, added, “Financial crime and compliance challenges rarely sit in isolation. They often cut across investigations, regulatory engagement, technology, governance, and culture. The establishment of A&M’s APAC FC within Disputes and Investigations strengthens our ability to bring the right expertise together across the firm and support clients on complex, multi-dimensional matters with coordinated outcomes. We are very pleased to welcome Rod to the team and look forward to collaboratively building this capability for clients across the region.”

About Alvarez & Marsal

Founded in 1983, Alvarez & Marsal is a leading global professional services firm. Renowned for its leadership, action and results, Alvarez & Marsal provides advisory, business performance improvement and turnaround management services, delivering practical solutions to address clients’ unique challenges. With a worldwide network of experienced operators, world-class consultants, former regulators and industry authorities, Alvarez & Marsal helps corporates, boards, private equity firms, law firms and government agencies drive transformation, mitigate risk and unlock value at every stage of growth.

To learn more, visit: AlvarezandMarsal.com.

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