RONALD MILLS
San Antonio,TX
Summary
KYC / AML and Financial Crimes operations leader with 10+ years in financial services and a progressive path from front-line fraud specialist to Assistant Vice President, Fraud Operations Manager. Extensive experience with customer due diligence, elder financial abuse, SAR program execution, and AML regulatory expectations, including partnership with SIU leadership on satisfying SAR-related MRA requirements. Known for collaborating closely with bankers, product partners, and compliance teams to assess client risk, ensure documentation completeness and quality, and escalate issues with transparency. Strong track record designing controls, improving processes, and using data and reporting to protect the franchise and support informed risk decisions.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Assistant Vice President, Fraud Operations Manager
Citibank, NA
San Antonio, TX
01.2025 - Current
- Lead the first line Financial Crimes Investigations (FCI) team responsible for elder financial abuse referrals, fraud wire recalls, and other high-risk events, many originating from banker / relationship manager concerns and KYC-related red flags.
- Partner with bankers, product teams, and SIU to review client activity, entity structures, and relationship context, helping determine when concerns rise to potential KYC or AML risk requiring escalation, SAR consideration, or account exit recommendations.
- Own management reporting for the team: build and maintain Excel-based dashboards and scorecards that track case volumes, turnaround times, investigation outcomes, and issue trends; provide regular updates to senior management.
- Designed and implemented an ASPEN-related internal control enhancement that resulted in a 100% reduction in ASPEN fails, improving documentation quality, process adherence, and audit readiness.
- Developed and rolled out AI-enabled templates and best practices for performance scorecards and common communications, saving managers hundreds of hours annually and driving more consistent documentation and governance across teams.
- Provide credible challenge and guidance on high-risk client situations, ensuring that KYC/AML considerations, regulatory expectations, and reputational risk are factored into decisions and escalations.
- Collaborate with ICRM, Operational Risk, SIU, Legal, and other partners on investigations, issues, and process changes, reinforcing adherence to Citi policies and compliance risk standards.
- Utilize data-driven insights (KPI/KRI trends, loss drivers, operational metrics) to identify control gaps, assess residual risk, and present succinct recommendations and decision options to senior leadership.
- Manage issues and escalations, conducting root-cause analysis, defining corrective actions, and tracking remediation to reduce recurring defects and enhance control performance.
(SAR/SIU) Fraud Ops Senior Supervisor
Citibank, NA
San Antonio, TX
01.2024 - 01.2025
- Managed a team of senior analysts responsible for reviewing and approving SAR filings, ensuring cases met regulatory, policy, and documentation standards before submission.
- Partnered with SIU leadership and ICRM/AML partners on efforts tied to satisfying SAR-related MRA requirements, including enhancements to documentation quality, file governance, timeliness, and metric/reporting accuracy.
- Served as a key point of contact for escalated AML/KYC concerns from front-line units and product partners; provided guidance on risk levels, SAR decisioning, and appropriate escalation paths.
- Conducted quality reviews and calibrations to maintain consistent application of laws, regulations, internal policies, and typology recognition across the SAR team.
- Prepared and presented concise updates on SAR trends, client and geography risk patterns, and emerging typologies to senior management and cross-functional stakeholders.
(FCI) Financial Crimes Investigator - Trainer/Team Lead
Citibank, NA
San Antonio, TX
01.2020 - 01.2024
- Investigated complex elder abuse and fraud cases with a strong KYC and CDD focus, validating customer information, relationships, account behavior, and potential AML risk indicators.
- Served as trainer and floor lead for investigators; created job aids, training materials, and huddle content to align frontline decisioning with AML/KYC policies and escalation standards.
- Reviewed case files for documentation completeness, narrative quality, and sound risk rationale; provided feedback and coaching to uplift overall file quality.
- Identified repeated process gaps and control weaknesses and partnered with leadership and compliance to recommend improvements.
Fraud Specialist
Citibank, NA
San Antonio, TX
11.2019 - 01.2020
- Handled a high volume of fraud investigations, balancing customer experience with policy, KYC/AML considerations, and risk mitigation.
- Escalated unusual activity, new fraud patterns, and possible KYC deficiencies to leadership and compliance partners.
Quality Control & Recruiting Director
RSM Construction
San Antonio, TX
04.2015 - 05.2022
- Directed quality control and recruiting operations for a multi-state commercial construction firm, with accountability for operational risk related to workforce quality, onboarding, and site readiness.
- Designed and enforced standardized QC checklists, remediation protocols, and process controls across projects to reduce rework, protect margins, and ensure compliance with client standards and safety requirements.
- Partnered with project managers and executives to implement process improvements that increased operational efficiency, reduced error rates, and improved client satisfaction.
Research and Remediation Analyst
Wells Fargo
San Antonio, TX
06.2015 - 04.2018
- Performed detailed research and remediation on complex financial accounts, ensuring accurate resolution and strong adherence to internal policies and regulatory requirements.
- Documented findings, decisions, and remediation activities to support audit trails and strengthen control evidence.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to identify process weaknesses and recommend remediation to reduce recurring issues.
Claims Analyst - Lead & Project Coordinator
Aetna Insurance
San Antonio, TX
10.2014 - 06.2015
- Managed a high-volume portfolio of insurance claims, balancing accuracy, turnaround time, and compliance with policy and regulatory standards.
- Acted as a mentor and project coordinator for peers, sharing best practices and supporting consistent, high-quality performance which resulted in 20% time reduction in claim resolution.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Finance
San Antonio College
San Antonio, TX10-2026
Associates Degree - Business Administration of Applied Science
Hallmark University
San Antonio, TX06.2010
Skills
- KYC / CDD / EDD Operations & Governance
- AML Monitoring, SAR Decisioning & Regulatory Expectations
- Client Due Diligence Documentation & Account Renewal Support
- Relationship Management with Bankers / RMs / Product Teams
- Risk Identification, Escalation & Issue Management
- Policy & Procedure Interpretation and Implementation
- Management Reporting, Case Analytics & Trend Analysis (Excel)
- Quality Assurance, Documentation Standards & File Reviews
- Program / Project Management & Process Improvement
- Regulatory Change Awareness & Compliance Risk Assessment
- Business Acumen, Credible Challenge & Stakeholder Influence
- Team Leadership, Training, Coaching & Knowledge Sharing
Affiliations
- Disability & Neurodiversity Inclusion Network | Co-Chair
Certification
- CAMS (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist), ACAMS - Expected July 2025
Timeline
Assistant Vice President, Fraud Operations Manager
Citibank, NA
01.2025 - Current
(SAR/SIU) Fraud Ops Senior Supervisor
Citibank, NA
01.2024 - 01.2025
(FCI) Financial Crimes Investigator - Trainer/Team Lead
Citibank, NA
01.2020 - 01.2024
Fraud Specialist
Citibank, NA
11.2019 - 01.2020
Research and Remediation Analyst
Wells Fargo
06.2015 - 04.2018
Quality Control & Recruiting Director
RSM Construction
04.2015 - 05.2022
Claims Analyst - Lead & Project Coordinator
Aetna Insurance
10.2014 - 06.2015
Associates Degree - Business Administration of Applied Science
Hallmark University
Bachelor of Science - Finance
San Antonio College