At first glance, when a company appoints a new Head of Anti-Money Laundering (AML), the move might seem like another box-ticking exercise in corporate governance. But for Wallester, the latest hire is anything but routine.
In July 2025, Indrek Tibar—one of Estonia’s most experienced financial crime experts—joins Wallester as Head of AML. Beyond simply bringing in someone with the right qualifications, this hire is about building a future-proof compliance culture in a fintech environment where companies are scaling fast and with serious intent.
A Career That Crosses Borders (and Sectors)
Tibar’s background makes him a unique asset in the fintech space. It reads like a checklist for what you want in a modern AML leader.
He began his career in the early 1990s with Estonia’s National Criminal Police. There, he specialised in financial crime investigations and gained early, frontline experience that helped him understand not only how financial crimes are carried out, but also how systems can be designed to stop them. Later, Tibar held leadership positions at the Police and Border Guard Board.
In addition to law enforcement agencies, Tibar has also worked in the private sector for years, where he was directly involved in preventing financial crimes while at Hansapank (later Swedbank), holding senior AML roles during two distinct periods.
Additionally, Tibar later became Estonia’s Judicial Attaché to the United States. In Washington, he represented Estonia’s interests in cross-border judicial and law enforcement cooperation. Most recently, he worked at the State Prosecutor’s Office.
The Right Fit at the Right Time
When you’re scaling a fintech company, growth is only half the story. The other half is building systems that stay reliable under pressure, and this has always been one of Wallester’s guiding principles.
As the company has grown by offering next-generation payment infrastructure and solutions, it hasn’t sacrificed security or compliance in the process, and Tibar’s appointment underscores these commitments.He joins a senior leadership team that contains Rein Ojavere, Head of Risk, who previously held senior positions at SEB and LHV and Aivar Paul, Chief AML Officer — formerly Head of Estonia’s Financial Intelligence Unit and Head of AML and Fraud Control Department at Swedbank. That kind of bench strength is no coincidence: Wallester continues to attract top-tier talent from both Estonia’s public institutions and financial sectors—and it’s doing so by design.
The Real Work Starts Now
Of course, for Wallester, hiring someone like Tibar is not about prestige. It’s about practical leadership.
“We’re incredibly proud to welcome Indrek to Wallester. His track record speaks for itself. He’s led some of Estonia’s most important efforts in anti financial crime. Bringing this kind of leadership into a fintech environment sends a clear message: Wallester is building something serious, secure, and long-term.”
Sergei Astafjev, Wallester CEO and Co-Founder
As Head of AML, Tibar will lead the development of a next-generation compliance framework—one that meets all regulatory demands without slowing down innovation and growth. It’s a difficult balance to strike, but that’s exactly where Tibar’s experience shines.
“Wallester is one of Estonia’s most ambitious and fast-growing fintechs. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape a world-class AML function from within, drawing on everything I’ve learned in the public sector to help prevent financial crime in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.”
Indrek Tibar
More Than an AML Hire
In today’s fintech ecosystem, compliance is definitely no longer a background function. It’s part of the product—or, more precisely, part of the value proposition. Customers, partners, and regulators are watching more closely than ever. And Wallester’s strategy is clear: build bold, grow fast, but always keep security and trust at the centre.
Tibar’s appointment is another step toward making that vision a reality.
Welcome, Indrek!