The anti-money laundering officer (AML officer) is responsible for overseeing the implementation and effectiveness of the anti-money laundering (AML) program of a financial institution. The AML officer should have sufficient authority, independence, and access to resources to perform this role. Reporting to the Sales Director may compromise the independence and objectivity of the AML officer, as the Sales Director may have conflicting interests or incentives that could influence the AML officer's decisions or actions. The AML officer should report to a senior management level that is independent of business functions and has direct access to the board of directors or a relevant committee. This would ensure that the AML officer can communicate any AML issues or concerns to the board without any interference or undue influence from the business functions.
= Some of the references that support this answer are:
ACAMS Study Guide for the CAMS Certification Examination, Chapter 2, Section 2.2.1, page 41: "The AML officer should report to a senior management level that is independent of the business line and has direct access to the board of directors or a relevant committee." Money Laundering Reporting Officer: The Role Of MLRO, Section "Role Of Money Laundering Reporting Officer": "The MLRO should have independent monitoring and should be able to connect directly with people who make business decisions, such as senior management or the board of directors." Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO)? | Dow Jones, Section "What is a Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO)?": "A Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) is tasked with overseeing a firm's compliance with the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) rules on money laundering. ... The MLRO should have sufficient authority and independence within the firm to carry out their responsibilities effectively."

According to the FATF 40 recommendations, the focus of AML efforts has been expanded beyond financial institutions to include other businesses and professions that are vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist financing risks. These include:
Casinos, when customers engage in financial transactions equal to or above a designated threshold. Casinos are required to identify and verify the identity of their customers, keeprecords of transactions, report suspicious transactions, and implement internal controls and compliance programs to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. The designated threshold is USD/EUR 3,000 or more1.
Real estate agents, when they are involved in transactions for clients concerning buying and selling properties.
Real estate agents are required to identify and verify the identity of their customers and beneficial owners, keep records of transactions, report suspicious transactions, and implement internal controls and compliance programs to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. Real estate transactions can involve large amounts of money and complex legal arrangements that can be used to conceal the source or destination of illicit funds2.
Trust and company service providers, when they prepare for or carry out transactions for a client concerning the creation, operation or management of legal persons or arrangements. Trust and company service providers are required to identify and verify the identity of their customers and beneficial owners, keep records of transactions, report suspicious transactions, and implement internal controls and compliance programs to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. Trust and company service providers can facilitate the misuse of legal persons or arrangements, such as shell companies or trusts, to hide the true ownership and control of assets or funds3.
The other option, dealers in art, when they engage in any cash transaction with a customer at or above a designated threshold, is not covered by the FATF 40 recommendations. However, dealers in precious metals and stones are covered when they engage in any cash transaction with a customer at or above a designated threshold of USD/EUR 15,000 or more. Dealers in art may be subject to national or regional regulations that impose AML obligations on them, depending on the jurisdiction.
FATF Recommendation 22: Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions: Customer Due Diligence FATF Recommendation 23: Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions: Other Measures FATF Recommendation 24: Transparency and Beneficial Ownership of Legal Persons
[FATF Recommendation 25: Transparency and Beneficial Ownership of Legal Arrangements]

The Egmont Group assists financial intelligence unit members to accomplish their goals by providing support to expand and systematize cooperation related to the reciprocal exchange of information, fostering better and secure communication through the application of technology, and encouraging operational autonomy of financial intelligence units. Additionally, the Egmont Group also maintains uniform global formats for funds transfers that assist in the detection of money laundering and supplies information on the common money laundering tactics used by terrorists and financial supporters of terrorism.

According to the FATF Recommendations, the international standard for anti-money laundering and counter- terrorist financing, beneficial owners are the natural persons who ultimately own or control a customer or the natural persons on whose behalf a transaction is being conducted1 The beneficial ownership criterion is not based on the legal title or the nominal ownership of the funds, but on the effective control or the ultimate entitlement to the funds. Therefore, having signature authority over the account, being the person in whose name an account is opened, or being a trusted party in a correspondent banking relationship are not sufficient to determine the beneficial ownership of funds. These may be indicators of legal ownership or nominee arrangements, but they do not necessarily reflect the true ownership or control of the funds. The most effective criterion for determining the beneficial ownership of funds is having control over such funds or entitlement to such funds, either directly or indirectly, through ownership, voting rights, contractual agreements, trusts, or other means2345
1: FATF Recommendations, 2012, Recommendation 10 and Interpretive Note
2: Beneficial Ownership Meaning and Regulation, Investopedia, 2022
3: Ultimate Beneficial Ownership: Understanding Where The Money Comes From, ComplyAdvantage, 2022
4: Beneficial ownership and Irish investment funds, A&L Goodbody, 2021
5: Asset Management and Investment Funds Legal and Regulatory Update, Arthur Cox, 2020