New York-headquartered crypto exchange, Gemini has further strengthened its overseas operation with the latest hire of Andy Meehan as the chief compliance officer of the Asia-Pacific region.

As detailed in Wednesday’s announcement, Meehan will oversee the crypto exchange’s strategic compliance and regulatory relationships in the region. Furthermore, he will be involved in the exchange’s strategy, product, and operations in the Asia Pacific region.

The Most Diverse Audience to Date at FMLS 2020 – Where Finance Meets Innovation

He has an impressive legal track record and spent more than a decade in Asia as a private litigator and in-house counsel to international financial institutions. His expertise lies in financial crime, risk and compliance.

“Andy’s leadership and deep experience will be critical in driving Gemini’s regulatory and compliance efforts in the region and working with regulators to promote smart regulations that drive adoption in this growing market,” Jeremy Ng, Gemini’s Asia Pacific managing director, said.

Years of Experience in APAC Compliance

Meehan joined Gemini earlier this month from Morgan Stanley, where he served as head of legal for the investment bank’s global financial crimes division in the Asia Pacific region for five years.

Prior to that, he was with Credit Suisse for a couple of years as APAC’s head of sanctions and anti-corruption, and mostly he worked on the company’s policies in the area. He further worked as an associate for a few legal firms including Kobre & Kim, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, and Boardman & Clark LLP.

Before starting his legal career, he was a special agent with the US Air Force for over six years and worked on criminal investigations and counterintelligence and antiterrorism operations.

Meehan joined the exchange when it is aggressively expanding its overseas operation and is seeking a license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

“The largest, healthiest financial markets are those that are thoughtfully regulated,” Ng added. “Crypto companies that enter regulatory regimes that foster both consumer protection and innovation, such as the one proposed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, will have the greatest opportunity.”