Synovus Financial Corp today announced the hiring of Stephanie Wise as Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering executive director, effective Oct. 31, 2022. Wise reports to Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer Shellie Creson and is based in Atlanta, Georgia. She is tasked with oversight of Synovus’ enterprisewide operations related to compliance with financial crimes regulations – BSA, AML, and Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions.

Wise has more than 20 years of financial industry and financial crimes compliance experience. She joins Synovus from Walmart, where she served as director of global financial services compliance analytics since February 2021. Prior to Walmart, Wise held several leadership roles at SunTrust and Truist, including senior vice president and senior manager of financial crimes innovation, strategy, and analytics and senior manager of AML policy and operational execution management.

“Stephanie brings extensive knowledge and experience to Synovus and this key regulatory role,” said Creson. “She will be integral to enhancing Synovus’ risk culture and maintaining our robust reporting framework that helps maintain the confidence of our clients, communities, and stakeholders.”

Wise is a graduate of Georgia State University and holds a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist designation from the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists. Deeply committed to her community, Wise is a sustaining member and endowment fund trustee of the Junior League of Atlanta.