<h1>Dealing with sanctions in banking and business</h1> <p>Sanctions are no longer a niche compliance topic — they sit at the centre of cross-border banking, M&amp;A, and even routine vendor onboarding. Branislav Nikolovski, Deputy Head of Compliance at China Construction Bank's Zurich branch, walks SSM students through the practical reality of operating under multiple, sometimes conflicting, sanctions regimes.</p> <h2>What the talk covers</h2> <ul> <li>The mechanics of OFAC, EU and UK sanctions — what they actually require of a financial institution.</li> <li>How a global bank screens transactions in real time, and what happens when a hit appears.</li> <li>Conflicting-laws scenarios where complying with one regulator means violating another, and how compliance teams navigate them.</li> <li>Career advice for students considering compliance, financial crime or risk roles.</li> </ul> <h2>Why this matters</h2> <p>Whatever your future role — banker, lawyer, founder, or treasurer — sanctions exposure has become an unavoidable part of doing business internationally. Understanding the basics now will save you from very expensive surprises later.</p>