VISUEL_PERS_WENDEL_ACAMS_220215

ACAMS

ACAMS is the world’s largest membership organization dedicated to fighting financial crime

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CAPITAL HELD BY WENDEL
97.9
AMOUNT INVESTED BY WENDEL
$338
YEAR OF ACQUISITION
2022

ACAMS (Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists) is the world’s largest(3) membership organization dedicated to ending financial crime through continuing professional education, training and certifications, in the areas of Anti-Money Laundering (AML), financial crime prevention and sanctions compliance.

(1) Share of equity owned by Wendel as of December 31, 2025.
(2) Amount of equity invested by Wendel in ACAMS as of December 31, 2025, representing €303 million.
(3) Based on public data.
Key Figures
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$111.5 m
2025 Sales
price2
120,000+
members
monde-monde-2
200+
jurisdictions
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~270
employees

Why did we invest in ACAMS?

On March 10, 2022, Wendel completed the acquisition of ACAMS (Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists) from Adtalem Global Education (NYSE: ATGE). This transaction valued ACAMS’ enterprise value at approximately $500 million. Wendel invested $338 million in equity and holds 98% of the company’s share capital alongside the company’s management and a minority shareholder.

ACAMS is the world’s largest membership organization dedicated to ending financial crime through continuing professional education, training and certification in the areas of Anti-Money Laundering (AML), financial-crime prevention and sanctions compliance. The company benefits from a large global network of over 120,000 members in more than 200 jurisdictions. Of these members, more than 80,000 professionals hold CAMS certifications that require rigorous preparation, periodic renewals, and continuing education and training, including webinars and conference attendance. ACAMS employs some 270 people, mainly in the United States, United Kingdom and Hong Kong, who together serve a global customer base. The Company generates around 55% of its sales outside of the United States and has a long history of organic growth through global expansion and the introduction of new programs aimed at supporting its customers’ and members’ fight against an increasingly complex financial-crime environment.

Wendel’s investment is in line with Wendel’s stated objective of accelerating the redeployment of capital to higher-growth companies that share the ESG values of the Wendel Group.

What is the development potential?

ACAMS made various strategic investments in recent years. Neil Sternthal was appointed Chairman and CEO in 2024, after joining the company from Thomson Reuters, and subsequently made several appointments to the Executive Leadership Team. He refocused the company’s growth strategy on its core business serving large corporates, and on product and market expansion with the introduction of Certified Anti‑Fraud Specialist certification (CAFS), as well as making key investments in the technology platform. These critical investments are all geared toward advancing the impact of the Company’s mission of combating financial crime, accelerating its strategy and further developing its position as a technology‑enabled provider of trusted information, data and analytics for the anti‑financial crime (AFC) community.

Since January 1, 2026, ACAMS has been included in the advisory mandate granted to IK Partners.

Wendel’s role in corporate governance

Board of Directors
David Darmon
Mel Immergut¹
Christopher Masek2
Harper Mates

Audit Committee
Harper Mates (Chairwoman)

Compensation Committee
David Darmon
Harper Mates

(1) Administrator proposed by Wendel
(2) IK Partners – representing Wendel
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