Michael is a Managing Director at Bates Group, advising banks, fintechs, and digital asset firms on compliance, financial crime, and regulatory matters. He has more than 18 years of experience in banking, payments, and fintech, and has led federal remediation efforts, model validations, compliance program enhancements, and fractional Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) engagements.
He previously served for seven years as Chief Compliance Officer for Monex USA and Monex Canada and held senior roles at Citi, Regions Financial, and Wells Fargo. Michael is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and Certified Cryptocurrency Investigator (CCI), and holds an Executive MBA from James Madison University.
Michael is a consultant and subject matter expert in these Practice Areas and Services:
-
Fintech and Banking Compliance
- Anti-Money Laundering
- BitLicense
- Blockchain Analytics
- BSA/AML/OFAC Compliance
- Consumer Compliance
- Consumer Lending
- Fraud & Risk Management
- Internal Investigations
- Money Transmitter Licensing
- MSB Consulting
- Third Party Risk Managment
- Valuation
- Virtual and Cryptocurrency Compliance
Credentials
EXPERIENCE
Bates Group, 2022 – Present; Managing Director, 2025 – Present; Director, 2022 – 2025
Monex (Formerly Tempus), Chief Compliance Officer, 2015 – 2022
Citi, Senior Global Operations Analyst, 2014 – 2015
Regions Financial, Financial Services Manager, 2013 – 2014
Wells Fargo, Financial Services Analyst, 2012 – 2013
EDUCATION
Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA), James Madison University
Bachelor of Science (BS), Business Administration, University of South Florida
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
- Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS)
- Certified Cryptocurrency Investigator (CCI)