Fernando Castrejon joins Forward Global to bolster Latin American risk

Castrejon joins the firm with over three decades of experience, most notably from his tenure leading anti-money laundering and financial crime programs at Grupo Financiero Banorte. His background includes managing complex regulatory relationships with the CNBV, OFAC, and FinCEN, providing him with a first-hand perspective on the cross-border controls necessary to survive the current climate.

His arrival comes as the definition of risk shifts for banks operating in Mexico and Latin America. The U.S. government’s reclassification of criminal groups has tightened the margin for error, transforming compliance lapses into potential sanctions violations. Sven Stumbauer, Partner at Forward Global, noted that the firm is prioritizing program effectiveness over technical box-ticking to help clients defend against heightened scrutiny from prosecutors. Castrejon argues that for many institutions in the region, the current regulatory environment represents an existential challenge that demands a proactive, rather than reactive, defense strategy.