This three-part blog series explores how Alunafi approaches compliance not as an obligation, but as a strategic advantage.
Through the experience of Deborah Gatt, Compliance Officer and MLRO, we unpack how regulation, culture, and execution come together to enable sustainable fintech growth.

Compliance without compromise:
how to protect growth without suffocating it

In many fintech companies, compliance is perceived as a necessary constraint. It is something that must be satisfied before innovation can happen, often positioned as the department of control, caution, and delay. At Alunafi, compliance plays a fundamentally different role.

Rather than operating as a control body that slows momentum, compliance is embedded into the business as a partner in growth. Its purpose is not to say “no”, but to ensure that when the company moves forward, it does so safely, credibly, and sustainably.

This philosophy is deeply shaped by the experience of Deborah Gatt, who brings nearly 30 years of financial services expertise to her role as Compliance Officer and MLRO.

“It’s very easy for compliance to err on the side of caution.
It’s the safest option.
But it’s not always the best option for the business or the customer.”

The danger of over-compliance

Over-compliance is rarely discussed, yet it is one of the most common hidden growth inhibitors in regulated industries.

When compliance teams request excessive documentation, add unnecessary controls, or apply rigid rules without context, the impact is immediate:

• Client onboarding becomes slow and frustrating
• Conversion rates drop
• Internal teams lose agility
• Compliance becomes disconnected from commercial reality

While these decisions are often made with good intentions, they can quietly undermine a fintech’s ability to scale.

At Alunafi, every compliance decision is assessed through two lenses:

1. What is strictly required by regulation?
2. What is practically necessary given the customer’s risk profile?

This dual perspective allows the company to remain fully compliant without imposing unnecessary friction on clients or teams.

The goalkeeper mindset

Deborah often describes her role using a football analogy: the goalkeeper.

The responsibility is clear: prevent the wrong risks from entering the business. But how that is done matters. A goalkeeper who stays frozen on the line may technically be safe, but they are rarely effective. The best goalkeepers anticipate play, position themselves intelligently, and act decisively when needed.

This is how compliance operates at Alunafi. It is proactive rather than reactive, informed rather than rigid, and deeply connected to how the business actually functions.

Compliance as an enabler of trust

When compliance is handled this way, it creates something far more valuable than regulatory alignment: trust. Clients trust that onboarding will be rigorous but reasonable. Partners trust that processes are solid. Regulators trust that controls are meaningful rather than cosmetic.

This trust becomes a foundation for long-term growth – not growth at all costs, but growth that lasts.

In Part 2, we explore how this compliance philosophy translates into daily execution – and the culture that makes it work in practice.