Oonagh van den Berg
Founder and Managing Director
Email: [email protected]
Oonagh van den Berg is an award-winning Compliance and Financial Crime expert with over two decades of global experience spanning traditional banking, fintech, and digital assets. Recognised as a visionary leader in governance, risk, and regulatory transformation, she has built a career at the intersection of ethics, innovation, and purpose-driven leadership.
Oonagh has held senior roles at leading institutions including HSBC, Citi, ING, and Uphold, where she led transformative global programmes enhancing regulatory effectiveness and operational resilience across 180+ countries. As the Founder and CEO of Virtual Risk Solutions (VRS), she is redefining the consultancy model through technology-first, automation-enabled compliance strategies that combine AI, data integrity, and sustainable risk management.
In addition to her consultancy leadership, Oonagh is the Founder of RAW Compliance, a global learning and community platform providing accessible, accredited, and affordable compliance education to professionals worldwide. Through RAW, she has built a thriving network of practitioners, academics, and regulators united by a shared goal — to make compliance a catalyst for progress rather than a barrier to it.
A trusted advisor and globally recognised thought leader, Oonagh regularly speaks at international institutions including the United Nations, European Central Bank, and major global conferences. She is also the host of The Compliance Word podcast and a regular contributor to international media and academic initiatives on regulatory innovation, AI governance, and ethical leadership.
Her work extends beyond frameworks and controls — Oonagh is deeply committed to empowering individuals and organisations to lead with integrity, build psychologically safe cultures, and make ethically sound decisions that stand the test of regulatory scrutiny.
A passionate advocate for equality and inclusion, she champions working parents and women in leadership, challenging outdated narratives about ambition and motherhood.
Oonagh currently lives in Portugal with her three daughters and continues to shape the future of compliance — one where technology, ethics, and humanity work together to create systems that protect, empower, and evolve.
Oonagh has held senior roles at leading institutions including HSBC, Citi, ING, and Uphold, where she led transformative global programmes enhancing regulatory effectiveness and operational resilience across 180+ countries. As the Founder and CEO of Virtual Risk Solutions (VRS), she is redefining the consultancy model through technology-first, automation-enabled compliance strategies that combine AI, data integrity, and sustainable risk management.
In addition to her consultancy leadership, Oonagh is the Founder of RAW Compliance, a global learning and community platform providing accessible, accredited, and affordable compliance education to professionals worldwide. Through RAW, she has built a thriving network of practitioners, academics, and regulators united by a shared goal — to make compliance a catalyst for progress rather than a barrier to it.
A trusted advisor and globally recognised thought leader, Oonagh regularly speaks at international institutions including the United Nations, European Central Bank, and major global conferences. She is also the host of The Compliance Word podcast and a regular contributor to international media and academic initiatives on regulatory innovation, AI governance, and ethical leadership.
Her work extends beyond frameworks and controls — Oonagh is deeply committed to empowering individuals and organisations to lead with integrity, build psychologically safe cultures, and make ethically sound decisions that stand the test of regulatory scrutiny.
A passionate advocate for equality and inclusion, she champions working parents and women in leadership, challenging outdated narratives about ambition and motherhood.
Oonagh currently lives in Portugal with her three daughters and continues to shape the future of compliance — one where technology, ethics, and humanity work together to create systems that protect, empower, and evolve.
Her qualifications include:
- Yale School of Management Executive Women Leadership Programme
- LLM in European Law with International and European Tax Regulation participation
- European Central Bank legal traineeship
- CISI Investment Compliance Diploma
- FINRA Compliance Diploma
- ICA Correspondent Banking AML Specialist Certificate
- ACAMS
- Advanced ACAMS certified in Financial Crime Investigations
She is a recognised thought leader in the global Compliance Community, course leader at RAW Compliance, and a guest lecturer at Northumbria University, SIFS, E-Fintech School, and Hong Kong University (HKU) SPACE on AI, Regulatory Compliance and Financial Crime.
ClientsReferences on request
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Awards2007 UK Young Compliance Officer of the Year
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Publications |
Conferences and InterviewsAsian Banker Financial Crime 360
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