Meet Georgie Tarry – Account Director, FCS Compliance

In this interview, FCS PR Director, Alison Blease introduces you to Georgie Tarry, Account Director at FCS Compliance.

If you’ve ever called FCS or attended one of their outstanding AML training sessions, chances are you’ve either spoken to or met the person behind this newsletter’s profile. Georgie is one of the longest-serving members of the company and has been with the company since the start when the company was first acquired by LonRes back in 2019.

Welcome Georgie!

Hello Alison!

Georgie, tell me a little about what you do and your role at FCS.

I’m pretty much the first point of call for anyone wanting to know more about our services, or more generally have an anti-money laundering (AML) issue in need of resolving. I take the initial query and process it through with the help of my colleagues who are experts in everything AML.

I also help organise and run webinars and training sessions which we sometimes do alone, but often in partnership with others. For those working in estate agency, we’ve held a series of practical ‘how to’ webinars with Rightmove and Let Alliance. Plus, on the art side, with the art and antiques trade association LAPADA and auctioneer software specialists, Snoofa.

It sounds as though you have a lot going on.

Yes it’s very busy and I’m pleased to say I’ve recently been joined by my colleague Annie Walwyn-Jones who is doing a fantastic job in helping co-ordinate training courses and webinars. She has undoubtedly helped in freeing me up to focus on other areas of my job.

FCS has grown enormously since I first joined – both in terms of staff and breadth of services that we offer.

You came to FCS through the business’s parent company LonRes, so you were there at the absolute start.

This is true! I joined LonRes in 2018, having worked at Savills for six years, during which time I had various roles including a sales negotiator. I used the LonRes platform, which was essential for my job each day, so knew the company well.

I initially joined LonRes as an office manager but as the company grew and we acquired FCS I straddled the two companies – working for both in a support capacity.

It sounds like you’ve had the perfect training to do the job you do now.

Certainly, the skills I’ve developed along the way have come in very useful. I understand the world of agency and the pressures negotiators face. Also juggling a million (it often seems like a million!) things all at once, knowing what to prioritise and when, and being that first point of contact for people is something I’ve had to do in other jobs too. These are all essential facets of my role now.

And I’m guessing it’s a role that’s changed over the years?

That’s definitely the case. For example, I’m not just organising webinars and training courses now, but thinking of how we can make them even better, taking on board our clients’ concerns and addressing them head on in practical sessions. Also looking for relevant business to partner with. Partnerships can bring a new perspective and depth to our presentations. It’s about seeking out the opportunities to grow and develop FCS in a way that best supports our current and would-be clients.

We know we offer a great service, but this doesn’t make us complacent or stop us from wanting to improve what we do.

And you work across both the agency and art divisions don’t you?

I do. FCS art division was created in 2022 and wasn’t in existence when I first joined. It’s doing really well and expanding. The art world is a little behind the world of estate agency, so there’s a bit of catching up for them to do.

You mentioned that you’re in the frontline of the business, what are the kind of questions people ask you?

They want to know about the services we’re able to offer but often get in touch asking what they need to do to be AML compliant. Sometimes clients will attend one of our training courses and realise they’ve just not got everything they need in place. I’m able to help them, by talking them through what they need to do and the steps they need to take.

It’s very much a personal, tailored service that we offer. Clients can call our hotline and speak to someone about their concerns – they know support is always there when it’s needed.

You sound passionate about your job, what do you most like about it?

I love being able to help and bring clarity to people. We provide clear, simple guidance to what can be a complicated area of a client’s business. I love the team I work with and the company ethos too. It says something about FCS that no one has left!

My role is a varied one and being a small company means that everyone is very hands-on and plays an integral part in the growth and success of the business.

And finally, if you were to give one top AML tip, what would that be?

Get the fundamentals in place as they’ll help at every step of the way including customer due diligence (CDD). Being AML compliant is a legal requirement, get the basics right and refer back to your policy and procedures manual to keep you on track, and don’t hesitate to contact us when you’re unsure. We’re here to help!