The Kyckr Podcast

In this episode of Registries Revealed, we ask a question that’s on the mind of every KYB and AML professional right now: what on earth is going on with UBO register access?

Kyckr CEO Steve Lamb is joined by beneficial ownership transparency expert Stephen Abbott Pugh to unpack the shifting landscape around access to UBO registers worldwide.

They explore:

• How we got from the early push for open beneficial ownership data to today’s more restrictive environment

• What recent legal and policy changes mean for banks, fintechs, and corporate transparency advocates

• The practical impact on customer due diligence, adverse media checks, and ongoing KYC/KYB monitoring

• Emerging models for 'legitimate interest' access – and what “good” could look like in the next 5–10 years

If you rely on UBO data for onboarding, screening, or investigations, this episode will help you make sense of the chaos and plan for what’s coming next.

Navigating France's complex business registry landscape just got easier. Join Steve Lamb as he sits down with Vasco Alexandre, co-founder and CEO of Dotfile, to decode the French registry system that has evolved from 141 scattered commercial courts to today's centralised approach.

Discover how France's ambitious registry modernisation through INPI and the transition from fragmented RCS courts to a unified system creates both opportunities and challenges for AML professionals.

Vasco shares insider insights on accessing reliable company data, understanding the crucial differences between Infogreffe and INPI, and navigating the post-CJEU landscape for UBO information.

Key Topics Covered:

• France's historic registry transformation from 141 courts to centralized RNE system
• INPI vs Infogreffe: Understanding which source to trust for KYB verification
• The essential KBIS document and why it's France's "company ID card"
• UBO registry access post-CJEU ruling and legitimate interest requirements
• Real-world challenges with foreign ownership structures and data gaps
• Why almost a third of French entities failed UBO filing obligations

Whether you're conducting cross-border due diligence or need to verify French business entities, this episode provides the practical guidance AML and compliance professionals need to navigate France's registry ecosystem effectively.

Listen now and discover how technology bridges France's registry complexity.

Want to learn how to use the French registry system in your verification workflow?

Grab your copy of our 'Company Register Guide: France' to receive the step-by-step guide to UBO and business verification - download your copy here.

Dive into Hong Kong's corporate registry transformation with our host and COO of Kyckr, Steve Lamb, and Ficoal Dong of Asia Verify, a compliance veteran with 20 years of experience.

Discover how Hong Kong's complete system revamp in December 2023 balances enhanced UBO transparency with data privacy, introducing a unified business identifier while restricting access to sensitive director information.

Ficoal reveals how AML professionals now face new challenges in beneficial ownership discovery and explains how OCR technology and AI algorithms are helping navigate complex ownership structures between Hong Kong and mainland China. 

"The Hong Kong registry environment is evolving, but cultural factors and implementation challenges mean UBO transparency still requires specialist knowledge," notes Ficoal, highlighting the ongoing tension between international compliance demands and local privacy concerns. 

Whether you're conducting KYB investigations, managing AML compliance, or tracking beneficial ownership across Asian jurisdictions, this episode provides critical insights for navigating Hong Kong's modernised but complex registry landscape. 

Listen now to enhance your cross-border compliance toolkit! 

Want to know more about ICRIS? 

Discover Kyckr's 'Company Register Guide: Hong Kong' - your ultimate resource for navigating Hong Kong’s ICRIS.  

 What's inside? 

• A comprehensive introduction to Hong Kong's Companies Registry (ICRIS) 

• Six business types registered in Hong Kong and their structures 

• Step-by-step guide to searching the e-Search Services Portal 

• Availability of documents, APIs and open data sets 

• Hong Kong's beneficial owner register and privacy considerations 

• Data reliability and quality initiatives 

• Integration and global access with Kyckr

  
  

  Download your copy here: https://bit.ly/3G4SJMW  

Could the complex ownership structures behind your favourite football club be hiding more than just business strategy? In this bonus episode of Registries Revealed, we dive into the murky world of Premier League football ownership with the University of Manchester criminologists Nicholas Lord and Peter Duncan who reveal how opaque corporate structures and secretive jurisdictions in club ownership present significant money laundering and financial crime risks. 

Discover how multiple layers of limited companies, partnerships, and trusts in high-risk jurisdictions create the perfect environment for potential illicit financial flows. The researchers highlight real examples, such as Aston Villa's complex ownership chain, which spans Luxembourg, the US, Portugal, and ultimately the Cayman Islands. These chains display classic red flags that financial crime specialists are trained to identify.

"We see features or warning signs that are common elsewhere with money laundering cases where these same mechanisms can be used for illicit purposes to obscure the individuals involved and the source of finance," explains Nicholas Lord. 

Listen in to understand the regulatory gaps in football governance, the limitations of beneficial ownership registries, and what the proposed independent football regulator could mean for transparency in the game. 

Read the full report on Premier League Football Regulations from Nicholas Lord and Peter Duncan here:  

https://blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/posts/2025/01/protecting-premier-league-football-clubs-through-tighter-regulation/  

Recognised globally for its innovative corporate registry and anti-money laundering (AML) practices, Singapore has set the gold standard in transparency and compliance. 

 Our host and COO of Kyckr, Steve Lamb is joined by Oonagh van den Berg, CEO and Founder of Virtual Risk Solutions (VRS) and RAW Compliance, to explore Singapore's Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA). 

Key topics discussed: 

Registries Revealed, the podcast which deep dives into the complex world of company registers, across ten global financial centres. 

 Hosted by Kyckr's COO, Steve Lamb, this podcast features local experts all working toward a financial crime free world.  

Registries Revealed is proudly produced by Kyckr.  

Want to know more about ACRA? 

Discover Kyckr's 'Company Register Guide Singapore' - your ultimate resource for navigating Singapore's ACRA.  

 What's inside? 

Download your copy here - https://bit.ly/40N6arH

GLEIF - https://bit.ly/3WO9DVS

Welcome back to Registries Revealed, the podcast which deep dives into the complex world of company registries.

In Episode four, Steve is joined by Justin Hygate, Vice President of Registry Solutions at Foster Moore - The Registry People, to discuss New Zealand's Companies Office.

Together they deep dive on:

- Transparency vs. Privacy

- The role of the registry as a service provider

- Triage or verification of data

- Ultimate Beneficial Ownership

Don't miss the opportunity to equip yourself with knowledge to tackle business verification challenges with confidence.

Tune in now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Justin Hygate

Justin's career in registries spans an impressive 26 years at the New Zealand Companies Office before joining Foster Moore, where he currently serves as the Vice President of Registry Solutions.

During his tenure at the Companies Office, he played a significant role in developing its international reputation for innovative service delivery and best practice registry management.

At Foster Moore, Justin leverages his extensive knowledge to provide registry consulting services and lead registry innovation initiatives. His approach to business is characterised as honest, pragmatic, and focused on utilising technologies to enhance public services.

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Steve Lamb

Steve is a recognised authority in Know Your Business (KYB) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) practices and serves as Kyckr’s Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he oversees, Product, Marketing, Sales and Delivery functions, ensuring the company’s commercial development and the enhancement of our award-winning global services.

Want to know more about New Zealand's Company Register?

Check out Kyckr's comprehensive guide to New Zealand's Companies Register which is available to download now!

Welcome back to Registries Revealed, a new podcast which deep dives into the complex world of company registers.

In episode three, Steve is joined by Ben Cronin, one of Kyckr's original founders, to discuss the Ireland's Companies Registration Office, or CRO.

Together they attempt to answer key questions including:

Don't miss this opportunity to equip yourself with the knowledge to tackle business verification challenges with confidence.

Tune in now on

Ben Cronin

Ben is a 15-year veteran in Anti-Money Laundering (AML) solutions, having worked with hundreds of clients across accountancy, law, banking, and insurance.

He founded GBR Direct, Kyckr, and UBO Service, and currently serves as Managing Director at AML HQ, developing a SaaS AML solution for accountants and solicitors.

Ben is closely connected to global Government Registries across the world and understands the value of primary source data, particularly in the context of Anti-Money Laundering, Supply Chain and Know Your Business. Previously, Ben was a professional rugby player for Munster and Ireland.

Steve Lamb

Steve is a recognised authority in Know Your Business (KYB) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) practices and serves as Kyckr’s Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he oversees Product, Marketing, Sales, and Delivery functions, ensuring the company’s commercial development and the enhancement of our award-winning global services.  

Want to know more about the Irish Company Registers?

Check out Kyckr’s comprehensive guide to the Irish registry system, which is available to download now!

What’s inside?

Click this link to fill out the form to download your copy of the guide.

Welcome back to Registries Revealed, a new podcast series which deep dives into the complex world of company registers.

In episode two, Steve is joined by our very own Alex Beck, Head of Product at Kyckr to discuss Australia's registers. Together they attempt to answer key questions including:

• ​Why are three different Australian business registers and what purpose do they serve? 
• ​What role do ‘information brokers’ play in the Australian system? 
• ​Was it fair for a recent independent review to describe Australia’s registry system as providing a ‘poor digital experience’? 
• ​Is Australia likely to have a public beneficial ownership register anytime soon? 

Don’t miss this opportunity to equip yourself with the knowledge to tackle business verification challenges with confidence.

Tune in now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Alex Beck

Product leader specialising in financial compliance and regulatory technology, with expertise in developing effective AML/KYC and entity verification solutions. Alex has led the transformation of complex banking compliance workflows from 3 hours to 3 minutes, while delivering successful ASIC and PPSR solutions for commercial lending.

Steve Lamb

Steve is a recognised authority in Know Your Business (KYB) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) practices and serves as Kyckr’s Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he oversees Product, Marketing, Sales, and Delivery functions, ensuring the company’s commercial development and the enhancement of our award-winning global services.  

Want to know more about the Australian Company Register?

Check out Kyckr’s comprehensive guide to the Australian registry system, which is available to download now!

Kyckr’s 'Company Register Guide: Australia' provides critical insights in ASIC, giving you clear information to support your business verification efforts.

Why download our guide?

• ​Uncover the true power of ASIC’s database
• ​Learn to navigate regulatory hurdles with ease
• ​Gain a competitive advantage in due diligence processes
• ​Streamline your workflow with expert-level knowledge

Click this link to fill out a form to download the copy of the guide.

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Registries Revealed, a new podcast series which deep dives into the complex world of company registers. Across ten episodes, our host, Steve Lamb, COO of Kyckr, will investigate the national registers in ten global financial centres, accompanied by local experts from each region.

Get ready for insightful discussion and expert analysis that explores key topics relevant to Financial Crime, including: 

• ​The legal framework that underpins each register
• ​The register’s usefulness as a tool for Financial Crime and AML teams 
• ​What data and filings are open to the public 
• ​Whether the data can be relied upon for KYC 

In the first episode of Registries Revealed, Steve is joined by Graham Barrow, host of The Dark Money Files podcast and director of RiskAlert247 to discuss the UK’s Companies House. Together, they attempt to answer key questions including: 

• ​Does the UK deserve plaudits for having an open UBO register? 
• ​Are the UK’s company registration rules being exploited by criminals? 
• ​Is the latest ‘Strategic Intelligence Assessment’ as shocking as it initially appears? 
• ​Can additional sources be used to improve verification of UK companies? 

Don’t miss out: subscribe to Registries Revealed on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to stay updated with the latest episodes. 

Meet Our Experts 

Graham Barrow

Graham is a veteran of the banking world who advises both the public and private sectors on how to improve financial crime detection and reduce fraud. He is a regular media commentator and hosts ‘The Dark Money Files’ podcast, a must-listen for those in Financial Crime. Graham is well-known for his social media posts which bring to light unusual company registrations, along with his role as Co-Founder and Director RiskAlert247, which combats the fraudulent use of personal information to create fake businesses. 

Steve Lamb

Steve is a recognised authority in Know Your Business (KYB) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) practices and serves as Kyckr’s Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he oversees, Product, Marketing, Sales and Delivery functions, ensuring the company’s commercial development and the enhancement of our award-winning global services.  

Want to know more about the UK Company Register? 

Don’t miss Kyckr’s comprehensive guide, which is available to download now.   

Navigating company registers can be challenging due to varying rules and accessibility constraints across different countries. Are you confident in your ability to get accurate information in a timely manner? 

Kyckr’s ⁠⁠‘Company Register Guide: United Kingdom’ ⁠⁠provides critical insights into Companies House, giving you clear information to support your business verification efforts. 

Why Download Our Guide? 

• ​Improve your knowledge: Master differences in company registration rules with ease  
• ​Ensure Accuracy: Gain insights into the reliability of various registers. 
• ​Stay Informed: Keep up with changing regulations and best practices in compliance. 

Download your copy⁠⁠ here⁠⁠ and verify businesses with ease today.