Our History

Established by Michael Hyland in 1993, MHA was the first organisation to provide dedicated specialist advice in anticipation of the impact of the UK Criminal Justice Act 1993 and the Money Laundering Regulations 1993.

The period 1993 to 1996 saw large growth, with MHA concentrating on AML consultancy and on producing training products for the UK financial sector. Key joint venture partnerships were developed with the British Bankers Association and the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment, which to this day form an important part of MHA’s strategy.

In 2003, the Money Laundering Regulations extended the UK’s anti-money laundering legislation to many new business sectors. As a result, MHA began working with a significant number of firms outside the financial sector such as the telecommunications industry, the legal and accountancy sectors. MHA offers these organisations the combination of practical experience implementing policies, procedures and training, together with the ’inside-track’ on the international standards, regulators and the legislation itself.

From the moment the Risk Based Approach to Financial Crime Risk Management was first mentioned, MHA has been working closely with regulators and regulated businesses in many jurisdictions on implementing this approach in an effective and practical way.

The UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) stated that in 2005/6 its focus would increasingly be on firms taking greater responsibility for countering financial crime in addition to money laundering. MHA has always taken the view that the two go hand-in-hand and provides quality information and expertise on preventing fraud and, in 2005, MHA published the first Fraud Manager’s Reference Guide.