ACAMS Today spoke to Ana Acuna, who recently joined the ACAMS Today editorial team as web producer, to enhance the website and add interactivity to future articles. In this role, Acuna also supports the ACAMS moneylaundering.com website with updates to improve the user experience for its members. Although Acuna has been working for ACAMS for many years with the web team, joining the editorial team enables her to apply her WordPress skills full time as well as share her knowledge of user trends to provide useful insights. Having worked with many ACAMS departments such as Marketing, Events, Chapters and Product, she looks forward to collaborating with the ACAMS Today editorial and ACAMS moneylaundering.com teams on future projects.

ACAMS Today (AT): How long have you worked with ACAMS and what changes have you seen in digital media during that time?

Ana Acuna (AA): It will be 10 years in November that I have worked for ACAMS. The biggest change was seeing everyone adapt to working virtually. I have been blessed with wonderful colleagues who have become friends over the years, some of whom I have not yet met in person. Also, having the right software makes a huge difference! For example, Teams is a great platform when it comes to reaching out to a colleague to ask a work question, but having the option to add GIFs while you chat with them changes the tone of the conversation completely and makes the interaction feel a bit more human. It is amazing what an image can project and the personality that comes through on what would otherwise be a straightforward form of communication. Unfortunately, no amount of digital wizardry will compare to the cafecito break.

AT: What aspect of working with digital media do you most enjoy?

AA: I really enjoy learning new tools and being blown away by them. I use Adobe software daily, and discovering all the new features in their Adobe Max conference (which is free to attend virtually!) is always a highlight. Sometimes, images don’t fit the size that we need for the ACAMS Today articles and editing them in the past meant doing “digital magic.” But it has become easier throughout the years as the software improves and the blending of elements becomes more seamless.

AT: Your role as a web producer at ACAMS is pivotal. Can you share a project or initiative that you have worked on that significantly impacted the anti-financial crime (AFC) community?

AA: My colleagues on the editorial team are extremely talented, and ACAMS Today’s contributors are amazing. Among other things, this year ACAMS is focusing on providing more resources on combating fraud, and I have been able to see the impact it is making in the community through our website analytics. We are also working diligently to add other features to the ACAMS Today website that will facilitate our members’ user experience and help the AFC community remain aware of what to expect.

AT: What has been one of the most memorable or surprising moments that you have encountered during your years working to maintain an engaging website for the AFC community?

AA: It has been a humbling experience to be able to see the growth in the AFC community and the training and knowledge that ACAMS provides. I remember that during the pandemic, we held a Global Virtual Summit, which felt novel at the time. It was a fun challenge to work on a creative solution that would display the different time zones in the agenda on the website in a way that was clear for everyone. It showed that although the AFC community could not gather that year, there was still a sense of togetherness.

AT: Artificial intelligence (AI) is so prevalent now. What is the most unique way you have used AI?

AA: This year, I went to the Canva conference, and although everyone was talking about AI, I was surprised to find out that there is an AI Film Festival and that it is already in its second year! AI is definitely impacting a lot of industries. The most recent use of AI for me has been a project I have been working on that needed specific details to be listed. I was able to record a video and narrate the steps necessary for the desired outcome, and then Loom AI created a whole document that I could use to populate the JIRA ticket―it was pretty neat!

AT: What do you like to do in your spare time?

AA: I love trying new foods and exploring areas where I have never been. Los Angeles is a huge city and a melting pot of cultures. While living here, I have learned that Mexican ceviche is different from Peruvian ceviche, that Korean barbecue is amazing and that fluffy Japanese cheesecakes are always a great dessert. I also really enjoy taking a road trip to the desert, mountains or to a forest with my husband whenever we have the time.

Interviewed by: ACAMS Today editorial, ACAMS, editor@acams.org