Madina Israilova

Information

Position

Head of Sanctions

Madina Israilova is the SCIB U.S. Head of Sanctions at Santander, where she leads sanctions compliance program for the U.S. Corporate & Investment Banking business. In this role, she oversees program design, governance, and regulatory alignment, while advising senior leadership on complex sanctions risk and supporting strategic business initiatives. Madina has extensive experience designing, enhancing, and leading sanctions compliance programs across major financial institutions. Her work centers on strengthening adherence to evolving regulatory requirements, advising business leadership on complex risk matters, and fostering a strong culture of compliance across organizations. Prior to Santander, Madina served as the Americas Deputy Head of Sanctions at UBS, where she played a key leadership role in the development and enhancement of the bank’s sanctions program. Earlier in her career at HSBC, she held key positions within both the Investigations and Sanctions Advisory teams, leading complex investigations into potential sanctions breaches and advising on high-risk clients, products, and transactions across global business lines. Before moving in-house, Madina was a Senior Consultant in the E&Y Financial Crimes Advisory practice, advising major financial institutions and corporates on AML and sanctions compliance frameworks, regulatory expectations, and risk-based program enhancements, helping organizations navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. Madina is also an active member of the American Conference Institute’s Women in Sanctions Network.