Bryan Stirewalt is a globally recognized expert in financial crime, corporate governance, public policy, enforcement, and financial supervision, with more than 35 years of experience across regulatory bodies, advisory firms, and financial institutions. His career has spanned developed and emerging markets, where he has advised governments, financial regulators, and multinational corporations on complex regulatory challenges, financial crime compliance, and crisis management.

Before joining Secretariat as a Senior Advisor, Bryan was MENA Regulatory Leader at EY, where he led the Financial Services Regulatory team, advising financial institutions on cross-border compliance, financial crime prevention, cyber risk, and regulatory enforcement. His work helped financial institutions navigate evolving regulatory landscapes, address enforcement matters, and enhance governance frameworks.

Prior to EY, Bryan was Managing Director at K2 Integrity, leading its financial crimes risk and compliance advisory practice. In this role, he worked closely with financial institutions, corporations, and governments to strengthen anti-money laundering (AML) frameworks, sanctions compliance, and enforcement strategies. He advised clients on regulatory investigations, financial crime remediation, and governance enhancements in response to enforcement actions.

Bryan spent 14 years at the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), most recently as Chief Executive, where he was responsible for the regulation and supervision of more than 500 financial institutions, including banks, insurers, asset managers, and exchanges. He played a key role in strengthening enforcement mechanisms, financial crime compliance, and risk management frameworks, overseeing regulatory investigations and enforcement actions against financial misconduct. Under his leadership, the DFSA launched a cyber threat intelligence platform, one of the world’s first public-private partnerships in financial sector cybersecurity.

Bryan has been deeply involved in global policy development and standard-setting, serving for nearly 10 years as Co-Chair of the Basel Consultative Group, where he represented non-member jurisdictions at the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. He also worked closely with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on AML/CFT regulations, financial crime risk mitigation, and enforcement strategies, contributing to the development of global anti-financial crime standards.

Earlier in his career, Bryan worked with international development organizations to strengthen financial sector supervision in Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Cyprus, helping governments build transparent, resilient regulatory environments. He began his career at the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) as a National Bank Examiner, specializing in policy development, enforcement actions, problem bank rehabilitation, and fraud investigations.

With deep expertise in financial crime risk management, enforcement, governance, and regulatory compliance, Bryan advises clients on navigating complex regulatory challenges, managing special situations, and strengthening resilience against financial misconduct. At Secretariat, he continues to support clients in high-stakes regulatory matters, enforcement actions, financial investigations, and crisis response, helping institutions and governments address evolving financial and governance risks.