New CEO takes charge at anti-money laundering business

Guy Harrison

Ilkley-based anti-money laundering specialist, SmartSearch, has appointed Guy Harrison as CEO.

Harrison will drive the company’s strategic plan to build additional growth. He joins from Dow Jones where he was general manager of Dow Jones Risk & Compliance, a global provider of regulatory compliance and risk management solutions.

While there, he headed the global business, delivering three years of successful growth.

Prior to that he was managing director for Risk, Regulatory and Compliance Solutions at IHS Markit.

And before joining IHS Markit, he spent eight years at Goldman Sachs and started his career as a management consultant with Deloitte.

Harrison takes over with immediate effect from SmartSearch’s CEO and founder John Dobson, who launched the business in 2011. Dobson will remain an active part of the company as a non-executive director.

Harrison said: “SmartSearch has already delivered impressive growth, and I’m very much looking forward to working with the team to lead the business towards even greater success.

“Fraud and money laundering attempts have risen considerably since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic increasing the need for regulated businesses to have effective AML technology.

“SmartSearch’s state-of-the-art technology is perfectly positioned to meet this need by accurately identifying and verifying customers in just two seconds.”

Dobson who was one of the founders of credit management giant Callcredit, after which he set up SmartSearch, added: “I feel a lot of pride in having led a worthy and successful business which will continue to grow and prosper with a very competent, energetic and innovative team remaining.

“I felt the time had come for my second retirement and I am very happy to handover the leadership to Guy, who I know has the experience and strategic vision to steer the business through the next expansion phase.”

Richard Law, chairman designate of SmartSearch, added: “ I’m very pleased that the business has been able to attract Guy to join the business. His track record, experience and skills are a great fit for the ambitious next stage of SmartSearch’s development and growth.”

Last year, SmartSearch increased its team from 117 to 168 to cope with demand.

The company’s system carries out identity checks using a combination of credit reference data and trusted public sources, designed to make it virtually impossible for someone to get away with using a fake identity.

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