13 March 2026
Ninety two (92) practitioners, alongside the FSC and FIA, gathered not to hear what the regulations say, but to practice what effective compliance looks like when supervisors come through the door.
Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, 12 March 2026. The message from the BVI’s regulators is unambiguous. Technical compliance is no longer sufficient. More thorough on-site inspections are scheduled for 2026 and 2027. The BVI’s first full mutual evaluation sits on the policy horizon in 2029. And the standard that will define outcomes is effectiveness: not whether a policy exists, but whether it has been applied consistently, proportionately, and documented with defensible reasoning.
It was against that backdrop that Gold Leaf Consulting Limited convened “From Insight to Action: The Compliance Practitioner’s Seminar” on 13 March 2026 at the BVI International Arbitration Centre. Ninety two (92) compliance professionals, money laundering reporting officers (MLROs), lawyers, Board Members, Managing Directors and representatives from designated non-financial businesses and professions (DNFBPs) spent a full day not reviewing legislation, but working through it. Through live case studies, group breakout sessions, and scenario-specific applied exercises, Gold Leaf stripped away theory and replaced it with the analytical tools practitioners need to identify risk, document decisions, and defend their reasoning under supervisory review.
Gold Leaf Consulting Limited is committed to strengthening compliance standards across the BVI. Yesterday’s workshop was built on a single premise: a more inspection-ready compliance community is a stronger jurisdiction.
REGULATORS SET THE TONE
Opening remarks were delivered by Errol George, Director of the Financial Investigation Agency, who framed the urgency of the moment directly.
“Compliance today is analytical, not mechanical. It requires critical thinking, documentation, and defensible reasoning.”
Mr. George also addressed the recently announced transition of supervisory responsibilities from the Financial Investigation Agency (FIA) to the FSC, noting that the objective is continued coordination and the continued strengthening of the Territory’s supervisory architecture.
The keynote address was delivered by Ms. Alva McCall, Director of Compliance at the BVI Financial Services Commission (FSC), who drew a clear line between where the sector stands and where supervisory expectations are heading.
“The shift from technical compliance has moved to effectiveness. How well are you doing what you say you’re doing? And how can you demonstrate that?”
Ms. McCall was direct about what lies ahead. More thorough on-site inspections are planned for 2026 and 2027, with proportionate enforcement action to follow for entities unable to demonstrate operational effectiveness. She identified suspicious activity report (SAR) quality and timeliness as areas where supervisory reviews continue to identify weaknesses, and noted that the BVI’s first full mutual evaluation is due in 2029.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF COMPLIANCE TRAINING
Attendees who had participated in regional and international compliance events consistently described the workshop format as unlike anything they had experienced before.
“You actually leave with something you can use,” one attendee observed. The sentiment was echoed across the room, including by practitioners who flew into the BVI specifically to attend.
One participant, travelling with a colleague from outside the Territory and drawing on experience at compliance training across multiple jurisdictions, rated the workshop 10 out of 10.
Georgia Scott, Cayman Regulatory and Compliance Expert and moderator, described the energy as unlike any comparable event she had attended or addressed.
“This was the best conference I have been to. Everybody was engaged. You could see it. Even with time going over slightly, everyone stayed to the very end.”
One attendee offered a testimonial that captured the room’s sentiment in full.
“You brought together FSC, FIA, compliance experts and brilliant legal minds to impart not only tangible knowledge, but actual advice on how to conduct their business, produce materials and prepare for inspections. Participants did not expect such hands-on training and non-cookie cutter insight.”
BUILDING CONFIDENCE IN THE GREY AREAS
Julia Shamini Chase, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gold Leaf Consulting Limited, said the workshop was designed to address what she sees as the most pressing challenge facing practitioners in the current regulatory environment: not a lack of awareness, but a shortage of confidence in applying independent judgement.
“There is real uncertainty and fear in the industry right now. What I hope people are left with is not just clarity, but confidence in applying a risk-based approach. We gave them the tools to analyse. Because that is what is important. Learning how to shade in the areas of grey and not strictly looking at things as black and white.”
Ms. Chase highlighted the case study session on enhanced due diligence (EDD) as an example of that approach in practice.
“Do not be afraid of risk. Do not be afraid of the high risk. The risk-based approach is not about avoidance; it is about understanding the risk, managing it, and being able to justify the decisions you make.”
The workshop’s risk-based approach (RBA) to compliance analysis was reinforced throughout the day’s sessions, with particular focus on institutional risk assessments (IRAs), ongoing monitoring triggers, SAR narrative quality, and board-level compliance governance.
Practitioners worked through delegate workbooks during the sessions, designed for immediate practical application, alongside live polling exercises used to assess and test their responses in real time. Attendees are expected to return to their organisations this week with identified priority areas for improvement, including their IRAs, ongoing monitoring frameworks, SAR quality, and the compliance function’s engagement with senior management and boards.
The Compliance Practitioner’s Seminar was delivered with the support of Unite BVI, Alphonso Warner, BVI Bar Association, OAC Group, and Masa Assist. Their partnership reflects a shared commitment to building a more inspection-ready compliance community across the BVI.
LOOKING AHEAD
Gold Leaf Consulting Limited has confirmed its intention to make the Compliance Practitioner’s Seminar an annual event, with the next edition planned for 2027.
For information on Gold Leaf’s compliance services, training programmes, and upcoming events, contact Gold Leaf Consulting Limited via email info@goldleafbvi.com or call +1 (284) 494-9559.
About Gold Leaf Consulting Limited
Gold Leaf Consulting Limited is a BVI-based regulatory legal and compliance consultancy, delivering integrated advisory, implementation, and training solutions to regulated entities, DNFBPs, and senior leadership teams across the British Virgin Islands and the wider Caribbean. Services include authorised representative services, AML internal audits, outsourced MLRO support, regulatory legacy services, and practitioner-focused training. Gold Leaf is licensed by the BVI FSC.
Media Contact
Meslyn George | Exquisite Events & Marketing Solutions BVI | meslyn@eemsbvi.com | 786-464-7477
Principal Contact
Shamini Chase | Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Gold Leaf Consulting Limited
info@goldleafbvi.com | +1 (284) 494-9559
