Maheswari Kanniah, CFE

Board of Regents, ACFE & Executive Director and Group Chief Regulatory and
Compliance Officer, Kenanga Investment Bank

 

Maheswari Kanniah (Mahes), is an experienced Regulatory and Compliance professional with over 46 years of experience including senior management roles in the financial services sector. She has wide-raging exposures covering 22 years of Compliance, Regulatory, Governance, Ethics, Fraud Investigation and Risk Management functions in the financial and capital market services as well as 24 years of senior company secretarial functions of a listed company.

In her 46 years in the financial industry, Mahes has conducted various investigations in the capital market and anti-money laundering areas. She was instrumental in establishing Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd’s (KIBB) corporate partnership with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, USA (“ACFE”), making KIBB the first company in Malaysia and Southeast Asia to partner with the ACFE. She has also been awarded the “Outstanding Achievement in Outreach and Community Service” by the ACFE in June 2023, being the first Southeast Asian to be conferred this Award. Mahes is also the first Malaysian to be elected to serve on the Board of Regents of the ACFE for the term 2024/5.

Mahes is currently the Executive Director/Group Chief Regulatory and Compliance Officer of KIBB. She serves on the Board of Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia (“ICDM”) and is a Member of the Audit and Risk Management as well as Chairman of its Membership Committee and Member of the Procurement Committee. She also serves as a Member of the Risk Management Committee of University Malaya, Adviser to the ACFE Malaysian Chapter, Council Member of The Malaysian Institute Of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (MAICSA) as well as its Deputy Chairman of both the Editorial Board and Conference Organizing Committee as well as Member of its Membership Committee. She was also the Assessor for the Institute of Integrity Malaysia for its annual Integrity and Governance award for 2023.

On the national and community front, Mahes was an active sportswoman. In the early 80s, Mahes captained the Malaysian Field Hockey Team at various international games and represented the country in athletics. She has also been inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Olympic Council Malaysia in 2024 for her contributions to the nation in hockey.

Mahes is a Life Fellow of ICDM, Fellow Chartered Secretary and Chartered Governance Professional of the Chartered Governance Institute, United Kingdom – FCIS (CS)(CGP) and the MAICSA. She is also a Certified Fraud Examiner (“CFE”) with the ACFE, US/Malaysia, a Chartered Banker, AICB/CBI (UK), a Certified Capital Market Professional – Compliance Advocate, a Certified Expert in ESG and Impact Investing from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and an Honorary Member of the Director Members Community at Leadwomen.