Alexandra Lugo on Intersectionality, Identity, and Impact

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AML RightSource, a leading antifinancial crime and compliance solutions provider, experienced significant growth in 2021. It acquired four companies and a variety of software services. It also doubled its global headcount. Such growth demanded a general counsel—one who could build and scale its legal department.

“I was really enjoying my career in private practice at Barclay Damon, LLP, and was not looking for another role, but the opportunity came to me by way of a personal connection formed in law school,” says Alexandra Lugo, general counsel at AML RightSource.

Frank Ewing, AML RightSource’s CEO, identified Lugo’s potential when he was a teaching assistant to one of their law professors at the University at Buffalo School of Law. “Today, I report to Frank,” Lugo shares. “It’s a full-circle moment, and I encourage law students to build those connections early in their career.”

Combating Financial Crime

Now, Lugo advises AML RightSource on its contracts, labor and employment, compliance, and risk management matters. 

AML RightSource provides financial institutions with trained analysts who scrutinize transactions to identify and escalate patterns of suspicious activity. Lugo describes recent outreach from federal law enforcement thanking an AML RightSource analyst for their diligence on a case they investigated, which led to the apprehension of individuals abusing minor victims.

“The work that AML RightSource and its employees are doing is mission critical,” Lugo asserts.

Beyond professional services, AML RightSource offers an array of software compliance solutions that numerous financial institutions and corporations use. Since Lugo signed on with AML RightSource, the firm has continued expanding its operations in APAC, EMEA, and South America.

“I’ve had the privilege of presenting on risk management to our new manager classes globally, and it’s exciting to be able to support our employees globally from my home base here in our office in Buffalo, New York,” she says.

Fostering Diversity, Inclusion, and Intersectionality

A woman of color (Lugo is the daughter of a Dominican immigrant and is biracial), she actively fosters diversity in the workplace. Accordingly, she is proud that each individual on her in-house legal team identifies as a woman or a woman of color—an organic happenstance.

“The theory of intersectionality, coined by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, guides much of my leadership perspective.”

Alexandra Lugo

“They were selected because they were the best candidate for the role, and I encourage them to bring their diverse perspectives and experience to work each day. The theory of intersectionality, coined by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, guides much of my leadership perspective,” Lugo says. “It’s important to acknowledge and embrace the myriad interconnected social groups we each belong to, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because differing perspectives and experiences help guide better outcomes for the company as a whole.”

Recently, AML RightSource rolled out “culture playbooks.” Designed with each jurisdiction in mind, these guides offer insight into the cultural work norms for a specific office, “giving employees the tools to navigate cultural differences and better understand their coworkers’ perspectives,” Lugo says. “It’s a key feature of AML RightSource’s DEI initiatives.”

Prioritizing ESG Initiatives

As a professional consulting business, and one that is not publicly traded, AML RightSource has not been required to report on its slew of ESG initiatives, as other companies are. “We may not be in manufacturing and don’t produce chemicals or other types of solvents that may have an environmental impact, but it’s still important to the company to prioritize environmental, social, and governance best practices,” Lugo says.

As a member of the ESG executive committee, Lugo intends on taking AML RightSource’s ESG program to the next level by setting carbon reduction targets and DEI goals. “It’s something that’s new and exciting. I view my role as building on so much of the great work the business has already done,” Lugo shares.    

Prioritizing Work/Life Balance

Lugo leads with a people-first mindset and is understanding of her employees’ needs. “When you get the call from daycare that your kid is sick, you have to go,” she says. “My team members are attorneys and paralegals, but they are also mothers, daughters, and caregivers, and life doesn’t stop just because you have a project deadline. When life happens, we step up and support each other.”

To prevent burnout, Lugo is also open and transparent with her team. “I always say to them, ‘I don’t want you burning out. I need you to be here, happy, and productive,’” Lugo says. “‘That means balancing your obligations at home and being aware of your bandwidth at work.’”

Lugo doesn’t want the next generation of lawyers to burn out either. She advises law students: “Be yourself and be genuine. Don’t be the person you think a lawyer ‘should’ be.”

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