Kora Franco, MBA, CCA, CCE, WSET II

Aesthetic is a next-generation wine brand and membership platform built at the intersection of product, community, and technology—redefining how wine is discovered, experienced, and shared. Through Aesthetic Wines, we are building a modern, design-forward wine brand tailored to a new generation of consumers underserved by legacy industry norms. Through Aesthetic for HER, we are launching the first AI-integrated, women-focused wine social club—evolving the traditional wine club into a curated, membership-driven platform that seamlessly connects a native mobile app (downloadable via Apple/Android) with elevated, in-person experiences. In an industry constrained by tradition, Aesthetic is building a scalable ecosystem that transforms wine from a product into a connected, experience-driven lifestyle.

• Lead and/or support compliance reviews from end-to-end (Planning/Scoping, Fieldwork, Reporting) such as: Regulation Z (TILA), Regulation X (RESPA), Regulation E (EFTA), UDAP/UDAAP, Regulation O (Loans to Executive Officers, Directors, and Principal Shareholder of Member Banks), Regulation D (Reserve Requirements of Depository Institutions), Regulation W (Affiliate Transactions), Regulation G (SAFE Act), Regulation C (HMDA), and Client Suitability to assess and review compliance with legal regulatory and internal firm policy requirements application to Deutsche Bank products and services in the Americas. • Develop testing modules and conduct testing across all Deutsche Bank Americas business activities to evaluate adherence to regulatory requirements and compliance risks. • Maintain solid working relationships with Business Line Compliance, Front Office, Operations, Group Audit, and other control groups throughout the region. • Identify Compliance risks inherent in a business or process and access whether a control framework is in place to manage these risks or whether any existing control framework adequately manages the risk. • Prepare and distribute reports to senior management detailing review findings and recommendations. • Perform Issue Management to ensure that any identified issues were remediated in a sustainable manner.

Provide industry-leading consulting services for banking/financial services firms and cryptocurrency exchanges.

-Execute Conduct and Financial Crimes Compliance / Second Line Assurance (“CFCC Assurance” or “2LA”) independent reviews assessing control design and operating effectiveness as well as provide evidence-based challenge of the status quo. Review execution standard lifecycle consists of: Planning and Scoping, Fieldwork, Reporting, and Issue Management. -Co-created the Engagement Principles document, an internal document which is utilised by the Global CFCC Assurance team to direct the communications between stakeholders and 2LA throughout a review lifecycle while ensuring alignment to the Methodology. -Collaborated with Senior Mgmt / Executive Team to assemble the 2021 CFCC Assurance risk-based annual plan based on risk prioritisation and the process risk universe. -Collaborated with Senior Mgmt / Executive Team with creating the CFCC Clearing House by consolidating inputs from Second Line functions performing reviews, deconflicting reviews if previously covered by another function in the last 12-months and deduplicating with Global Internal Audit to present a holistic view on all 2LA reviews to create the final plan for approval by the Global Heads. -U.S. Regional Representative for the Regulatory Initiatives Working Group, responsible for collating (e.g. identify emerging trends/risks via research, etc.) and present and disseminate information to CFCC Assurance on a monthly basis. -Oversee and guide the assessment of complex issues, structuring potential solutions and drive effective resolution with key stakeholders.

- Addressed compliance and ethics inquiries from client teams, including complex or non-business questions and liason or coordinate appropriate responses or consultations (i.e. Insider Trading, Regulatory Compliance matters, Conflicts of Interest, Code of Conduct, Ethics, Anti-Corruption/Anti-Bribery, Legal, etc.). -Reviewed Request For Proposal (RFP)documents to ensure responses are stated appropriate and accurately for the bidding process. - Provided assistance and guidance pertaining to: Code of Conduct, Hospitality and Gifts, US Economic and Trade Sanctions (OFAC), Charitable Contributions, Anti-Money Launder (AML), Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC), and other topics. - Collaborated with the General Counsels Office pertaining to Americas Risk Management functions. - Performed regulatory research on foreign policy/foreign affairs (international policies and regulations) with an emphasis on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and U.K. Bribery Act. - Performed due diligence research with an emphasis on Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and foreign policy. - Assisted with establishing an International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) export controls and defense trade compliance program for bidding of contractual U.S. Government projects (emphasis on defense related technology). - Worked on process and policy improvements for Ernst and Young Capital Advisors (EYCA) regarding the advising of Merger & Acquisition, Capital Raising, Corporate Restructuring and securities transactions advice with respect to AML policies and processes. - Created training material for the finance team in regards to AML with a focus on Broker-Dealer transactions to ensure that current policies and processes adhere to FINRA and SEC regulations. - Collaborated with creating an Anti-Corruption share point site.

- Ensure documents, projects and other initiatives are compliant with HSBC policies for the Governance unit within Global Trade Receivables Finance. - Identify, Assess, Draft, and Implement relevant procedures, and processes (i.e implemented Trade Discreet Due Diligence investigation procedures for GTRF and updated daily testing scanning procedures which then saved time, space from filing, and money for the department). - Report Trade transactions containing reportable boycott clauses to the OAC (Antiboycott reporting). - Provide risk & compliance input on business plans, projects, and operational requests as from a governance, compliance, and HSBC prospective. - Ensure that all casework is fully compliant with existing Governance processes and overarching operating model, following all applicable guidance and training from Governance and Compliance. - Perform internal compliance review/testing through the Business Quality Assessment Programme by conducting a risk-based sample of Trade products to evidence that the proper compliance activities were performed (Antiboycott, EPCI, KYC, Red Flags, etc.). - Perform AML analysis of the AML Red Flag log of all possible non-compliant Trade transactions to establish a trend and ensure that all procedures were followed by staff (i.e escalation to the proper delegates, Sanctions, or FCC team). - Provide advice on, but not limited to: business actions plans, projects and operational requests, and negotiate ideas into a plan with senior management then develop and implement compliance/risk/governance solutions. - Review Compliance Procedures and perform updates as needed.

- Global coordination of high-risk investigations - Escalation point for reputation risk matter for Affluent High Networth-- International Private Banking clients . - Coordination with Legal and CSIS. - Conduct searches (i.e., 314(a) and ad hoc), reviews results and submits reports to FinCEN. - Resolve matches identified during on-boarding and maintenance processes. - Execute investigations based on: - On-boarding and Maintenance and Transaction monitoring referrals. - Government sources (e.g., subpoenas, NSLs, 314(a)). - Referrals from business partners and other control areas. - Prepare case files for review. - Liaise with CSIS and provides oversight of CSIS investigators dedicated to AML. - File SARs and recommend relationship retention or termination, and track account closures as required. - Perform SAR maintenance and quality assessments. - Perform Global PEP search profiles on Politically Exposed Persons, their family members, and close associates. - Validate OFAC matches against Citi’s internal watchlist to determine continuation of account. - Review Anti-Money Laundering (AML) alert triggers and previous alert analysis to ensure Money Laundering activity is not being conducted or other activities such as: terrorism, informal currency exchange, structuring, rapid movement, and other unusual activity. - Utilize internal and external resources to assist with investigation and to assist with determining possible suspicious activity.

-Ensured that regulatory, legal, bank and audit requirements were met. -Performed routine account activity review of risky transactions -Performed risk analysis studies in order to maintain maximum protection of our customers and organizations assets. -Followed standard procedures and action plans to reduce exposure on suspect items and/or transactions. -Review payment/transfer transactions for potential OFAC violations. -Opened fraud or loss cases as necessary and ensured that case files were accurate and completed with all appropriate dispositions and detailed notes. -Depending upon specific function, communicated actions on suspected items to branch personnel, customers, Fraud Hotline, Corporate Security, and Law Enforcement as necessary. -Documented the review and investigated process followed for each account reviewed and prepared various documents, reports and system entries as necessary for financial entry, certification, reporting and statistical purposes. -Initiated proactive measures in accordance with departmental procedures and Federal Regulations, to prevent losses through any of the following: performing investigations, placing deposit holds, returning checks, restricting accounts, blocking ATM/debit cards, analyzed suspicious account activity and properly reported and categorized activity that has created loss exposure. -Trained and coached new and seasoned analysts as needed.

-Deans List Major Coursework: Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting I, Intermediate Accounting II, Investments, Advanced Financial Management, Money, Banking, and Financial Markets, Corporate Finance. Finance: Capital Asset Pricing Model, Discounted Cash Flow, Weighted Average Cost of Capital, Portfolio Allocation, Financial Statements, Derivatives.