Financial crime is about far more than money.

When you follow the money, you begin to see the systems beneath the surface—the incentives, vulnerabilities, power structures, and decisions that shape outcomes.

In this special live-recorded episode of Wired for Change, Amy Yee sits down with Kelly Bradshaw, retired Chief Superintendent with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and former leader of the RCMP's Federal Policing Criminal Operations Financial Crime program.

Drawing on a career that spans frontline policing, international deployments, cybercrime, and financial crime investigations, Kelly shares why financial crime has become one of the most important—and least understood—challenges facing Canada today.

Together, Amy and Kelly explore the rise of AI-enabled fraud, cryptocurrency-related crime, money laundering, public-private partnerships, and Canada's evolving response to increasingly sophisticated criminal networks. They also examine the leadership challenges that emerge when operating in complex, high-pressure environments where trust, judgment, and collaboration matter as much as technical expertise.

The conversation then turns to the human side of leadership: learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable, building credibility in unfamiliar environments, supporting teams under stress, and leading through uncertainty.

Recorded before a live audience as part of Deloitte's Women in Defence, Security & Justice Leadership Series, this episode is ultimately a conversation about more than financial crime. It is about leadership under pressure, the importance of diverse perspectives, and what it takes to strengthen the systems that underpin public safety, economic security, and public trust.

In this episode:

• Why following the money reveals the systems beneath the crime
• The growing impact of AI, cryptocurrency, and emerging technologies on financial crime
• Canada's new Financial Crime Agency and the future of financial crime investigations
• The role of data, analytics, and information sharing in modern investigations
• Learning to lead when you're not the expert in the room
• Human-centred leadership in high-pressure environments
• Building trust, collaboration, and a Team Canada approach to complex challenges

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome & Live Audience Introduction
05:25 Why Financial Crime Is About More Than Money
09:40 Leading Cybercrime and Financial Crime During COVID
12:40 Public-Private Partnerships and Following the Money
15:15 Cryptocurrency, Innovation, and Emerging Threats
19:15 Leadership Through Influence, Not Expertise
24:20 Why Diverse Perspectives Matter
25:10 Canada's Financial Crime Challenge
28:00 Fraud, Economic Security, and National Security
32:20 Learning to Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
37:10 Human-Centred Leadership Under Pressure
39:50 Decision-Making, Risk, and Systemic Barriers
41:00 Talent, Expertise, and Building the Right Teams
44:15 Collaboration, Trust, and Team Canada
46:10 Final Reflections