The key to any association is the people who make up the network. From lawyers and banking professionals, to commercial cannabis business owners and all who fall in between, we are proud of the diverse and expanding network of professionals and experts who are our members. To show our appreciation for the exceptional individuals in our community, we are highlighting Nahid Rahman this week. Please reach out and connect with him on LinkedIn!
Nahid is an AML/CTF consultant at Toronto Compliance and AML Events (TCAE) where he extends his knowledge of regulatory expectations and related Acts to help organize bi-weekly webinars on regulatory compliance topics, to create content to disseminate complex concepts in bite-sized knowledge nuggets, to coordinate training programs and to foster collaboration among internal teams across various projects. To say the least, TCAE is fortunate to have Nahid as a part of its team.
Engineer by education and program manager by trade, Nahid has a keen interest in traditionally higher-risk industries such as crypto and cannabis. About three years ago, he began to seek opportunities in regulatory compliance. As a compliance officer, Nahid finds the cannabis industry to be extremely interesting and believes that commercial cannabis-related businesses (CRBs) are addressing under-fulfilled consumer need. He recognizes that ACCCE’s risk management framework can help these businesses better meet their market demands while protecting the businesses from unnecessary risks because “the ACCCE Cannabis Risk Management Framework is an effective, yet flexible, guideline for CRBs to follow in order to identify specific risks and is ideal for CRBs of all sizes – including ones that are forming their first compliance program or maturing an existing compliance program to implement mitigating policies and procedures based on their risk appetite”.
Nahid first heard about the Association of Certified Commercial Cannabis Experts through ACCCE VP Membership Lisa Freeman, when he reached out to her for advice about navigating through the various compliance designations, certifications, and training programs. “ACCCE and its CCCE designation will provide me the industry-specific skillsets needed to bridge my existing compliance knowledge with the regulatory challenges faced by cannabis-related businesses.” Nahid is studying to become a Certified Commercial Cannabis Expert (CCCE) because he wants to be able to demonstrate an understanding of the industry’s needs and context and extend his compliance and AML/CTF knowledge to address the industry’s challenges. Nahid believes formulating a risk management program that minimizes residual risk while conforming to the risk appetite of the organization is a key pillar to success. While risk assessment and subsequent management are often done as part of a regulatory compliance requirement, Nahid also believes that proper risk management is essential from a business sustainability perspective.
Nahid spent most of his childhood in Bangladesh before immigrating to Canada with his parents. He currently resides in Toronto, Canada with his wife and 3-year-old baby boy who is growing up way too fast! Nahid truly loves working with start-ups and helping them with go-to-market strategies and growth plans. In his free time, Nahid enjoys traveling or planning his next trip. Travelling has been a hobby of Nahid’s from an early age. He has been to numerous cities in 24 countries – with Hong Kong and London among his favorites.
We are proud to have an esteemed member like Nahid in our network. As our community continues to grow, we find it important to thank our members for their commitment to professionalizing the commercial cannabis industry. Thank you, Nahid, for being such an important part of the cannabis community. Together, we are a part of something great.
