Ramula Rajagopalan has over 12 years of experience specialising in regulatory compliance including company secretarial and drafting and implementing policies and procedures.
As a Senior Associate at Waystone Compliance Solutions, Ramula is based in our DIFC office. In addition to her outsourced roles, Ramula assists with authorisations including drafting compliance and AML manuals relevant to the activities of the applicant firm, resolving day-to-day compliance matters, company formations, and handling matters relating to UAE Financial Free Zone registrars. In addition, Ramula provides ongoing AML and compliance support including reviews of clients’ compliance manuals, policies, and procedures. Ramula also acts as Company Secretary and Data Protection Officer for regulated firms, providing board support, maintaining statutory registers and compliance with filing requirements.
Previously, Ramula worked as Company Secretary and provided in-house compliance support for a DFSA-regulated firm, IL&FS Global Financial Services (ME) Ltd, where she performed company secretarial functions, coordinating and assisting the Compliance Officer and MLRO of the company on matters such as AML, KYC, CDD, client risk assessment, world check screening and client on-boarding. Prior to this, Ramula was employed with Griffin Nagda & Co., Chartered Accountants, as Company Secretary in Dubai. Ramula’s responsibilities included offshore company formation and related corporate services for various jurisdictions, setting up both onshore, Free Zone and offshore companies in the UAE and other jurisdictions and close liaison with government departments to ensure all relevant documentation was processed and completed. Prior to moving to UAE, Ramula worked with well-established corporate houses in India in the financial services sector.
Ramula is an Associate Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India and a qualified Law graduate. In addition, Ramula holds an International Advanced Certificate in Anti-Money Laundering from University of Manchester and is an Associate Member with the International Compliance Association, United Kingdom.
Recent work includes:
- Registered with the DFSA and FSRA as the Compliance Officer and MLRO
- Ongoing compliance and AML consultancy support to DFSA and FSRA firms
- Producing policies and manuals for DFSA, FSRA and onshore authorised firms
- Assisting with project implementation of the DIFC Data Protection Law (DIFC Law No. 5 of 2020)
- Delivering AML training to Firms in the DIFC and ADGM
- Acting as Company Secretary for DFSA-authorised firms in the DIFC
- Acting as Data Protection Officer for a DIFC firm
- Assisting applicants to obtain DFSA authorisation
- Assisting applicants with DIFC incorporation and ancillary services following incorporation including developing a full suite of compliance documentation
- Providing assistance and advice in Registrar of Companies related matters including company updates on the DIFC portal.
