Akhil Bannur
About Akhil
Akhil Bannur is a skilled financial crimes and data science professional with a strong background in analytics, model validation, and AI-driven solution development.
As an Associate Data Analyst at Cygnus Compliance, Akhil supports financial institutions in enhancing their AML and sanctions screening programs like Patriot Officer and Prime. His work includes model validation, data analysis, ETL process mapping, and SQL scripting to optimize financial crime detection systems. He has contributed to key client projects, including for CTBC Bank, Woori bank, by developing detailed reports covering business requirements, functional and technical specifications, data quality, reconciliation, and distribution analysis.
Akhil brings hands-on expertise in Python, SQL, TensorFlow, AWS, and Tableau, and has a proven ability to deliver impactful, AI-powered solutions. Prior to joining Cygnus, he led the development of an AI-driven therapy platform, which secured significant funding, and helped optimize financial models and trading strategies for clients.
His research and project work span innovative applications of machine learning in healthcare, such as non-invasive anemia detection using computer vision and EEG-based emotion recognition. Notably, his financial forecasting model ranked in the top 10% globally in a Nasdaq trading competition.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Akhil is an avid hiker and basketball enthusiast. His combination of technical depth, creative problem-solving, and leadership potential make him a rising talent in the fields of financial crime analytics and data science.
Education
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Master of Science in Data Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology
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Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science, Maharashtra Institute of Technology
Tools
- Patriot Officer, Finscan, Oracle FCCM;
- Proprietary/Custom homegrown/ML System
Expertise
Regulatory Risk & Compliance
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Model risk is a critical subset of operational risk. Unvalidated or poorly calibrated models can lead to compliance failures, missed risk signals, and failed exams. Our validation services help financial institutions meet OCC, FRB, and FDIC expectations while enhancing model performance across AML, sanctions, fraud, and CRR domains.
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Even high-performing models degrade over time. At Cygnus Compliance, we help institutions tune and optimize their monitoring and CRR systems to reduce false positives, sharpen detection, and align with shifting business and regulatory needs.
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We guide institutions through the full lifecycle of implementing and optimizing AML, fraud, and case management platforms ensuring your RegTech investment is operationally sound and regulator-ready.
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We deliver comprehensive, data-driven risk assessments that help institutions identify vulnerabilities, evaluate controls, and satisfy regulatory expectations. Our assessments inform practical, risk-based strategies that enhance program effectiveness.
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Cygnus Compliance Care delivers on-demand regulatory support for critical initiatives, without requiring permanent hires. We embed experienced professionals to support audits, tune systems, clear backlogs, and strengthen compliance operations.
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We help institutions manage alert volume, improve triage, and enhance investigations through intelligent automation and deep compliance expertise. Our managed services reduce false positives, increase efficiency, and deliver regulator-ready outcomes.
Technology Consulting
Advisory & Consulting
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We help institutions transition to cloud environments that are secure, scalable, and compliant.
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Modernize legacy systems and adopt new technologies to meet evolving business and compliance requirements.
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Strengthen your security posture with a proactive, risk-based approach to technology.
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Understand, evaluate, and implement blockchain technologies where it adds value.
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Securely harness the value of connected devices in financial operations.
Product Engineering & Development
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We translate business and regulatory requirements into functional, user-centric products with compliance controls embedded at every stage.
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Whether launching a new RegTech tool or modernizing an internal platform, we manage full-cycle implementation.
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We ensure new tools integrate with your environment, users, and workflows—maximizing adoption and value.
Expertise
Cyber Security
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Timely and coordinated incident response is critical to maintaining business continuity and regulatory compliance. We develop tailored incident response plans, simulate cyberattack scenarios, and support forensic analysis and breach containment when every second counts.
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We implement data-centric protection strategies that secure sensitive information and support compliance with GLBA, CCPA, GDPR, and other regulatory frameworks.
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We help institutions design cloud architectures that prioritize security and regulatory compliance, including risk assessments and remediation of misconfigurations.
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We build identity governance frameworks that enforce least privilege, mitigate insider threats, and strengthen audit readiness.
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We build identity governance frameworks that enforce least privilege, mitigate insider threats, and strengthen audit readiness.
Data Engineering & Analytics
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We develop and operationalize governance programs that establish data ownership, standardization, and defensibility supporting both day-to-day operations and regulatory exams.
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We design AI/ML models to automate triage, enhance detection, and reduce analyst fatigue while maintaining explainability, traceability, and compliance with model governance frameworks.
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We design and implement dynamic dashboards to support transparency, stakeholder engagement, and audit readiness across compliance domains.
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We build normalized, regulator-aligned data models that support investigations, long-term trend analysis, and audit traceability.
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We implement data control mechanisms that continuously monitor quality and alert stakeholders to anomalies before they affect operations or reporting.
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Our dashboards visualize KPIs, KRIs, and risk trends across AML, fraud, sanctions, and KYC domains supporting board reporting and internal audit.
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Timely and coordinated incident response is critical to maintaining business continuity and regulatory compliance. We develop tailored incident response plans, simulate cyberattack scenarios, and support forensic analysis and breach containment when every second counts.
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We enhance your surveillance and onboarding programs with enriched, behavior-informed customer profiles that integrate internal and external data.