Head of Financial Crime Risk Management
Cross River
Melissa Krueger is the Head of Financial Crime Risk Management at Cross River, where she leads AML/CFT & Sanctions program governance and execution across the organization and its portfolio of fintech partners. Since joining Cross River in 2024, she has advanced the organization’s BSA/AML/OFAC and fraud capabilities through technology-enabled controls, while ensuring financial crime compliance requirements are embedded across every line of business. With more than 20 years of experience in bank-fintech partnerships, embedded finance, and building and scaling BSA/AML/OFAC and fraud programs, Melissa is a trusted advisor to executive leadership and boards on governance, risk assessment, third-party oversight, and regulatory examinations. Prior to joining Cross River, Melissa served as Chief Compliance Officer at Customers Bank, where she led the strategic development and oversight of the bank's Compliance Management System, as well as its regulatory and consumer compliance initiatives.
As money becomes programmable, trust is no longer enforced after the transaction—it is embedded within it. Identity, compliance, and risk management must evolve to operate in real time and, increasingly, autonomously.
This session examines how banks can extend their role as trusted intermediaries into on-chain environments. The discussion will focus on identity-linked payments, policy-driven transaction controls, smart contract risk, and the emerging role of banks as trust and compliance layers in programmable financial systems.