If you are interested in this candidate, please contact Simon Blau via email sblau@cerfinancial.co.uk or call on 0207 626 6065.

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PROFILE:

Head of Credit with 20+ years of global experience in credit risk assessment, financial analysis, and team leadership across banking, fintech, and development finance. Proven track record of leading high-performing credit analyst teams in the preparation and review of complex credit proposals for corporates, financial institutions, and sovereigns across the UK, US, EMEA, and emerging markets. Deep technical expertise in financial spreading, cash flow analysis, IFRS 9/ECL modelling, and industry/country risk analysis. Combines rigorous analytical skills with strong commercial judgement to deliver high-quality credit recommendations and ensure robust portfolio oversight. Experienced in stakeholder engagement with Boards, regulators, and external auditors.

SKILLS:

• Credit Analysis & Underwriting: Expert in analysing financial statements, assessing industry and political risk, and preparing comprehensive credit recommendations for new and existing facilities across diverse sectors and jurisdictions.
• Team Leadership & Development: Extensive experience managing, mentoring, and developing teams of credit professionals, ensuring high-quality output, adherence to SLAs, and a strong technical risk culture.
• Regulatory & Technical Expertise: Proficient in IFRS 9 / ECL frameworks, climate risk integration into credit assessment, and RCSA methodologies. Strong understanding of regulatory requirements (PRA, FCA).

CAREER HISTORY:

March 2022 - December 2025

Banking

Head of Credit Risk (SVP)

Led a team of eight credit professionals, overseeing the full credit lifecycle including underwriting, analysis, sanctioning, and monitoring. Personally reviewed and signed off on complex credit analysis reports for corporate and financial institution counterparties. Served as the primary point of contact for regulators and auditors on credit risk matters.

Key Achievements:

• Credit Analysis & Reporting: Personally prepared and reviewed high-quality credit risk reports for executive management and the Board, ensuring clear articulation of risks, mitigants, and recommendations. Enhanced portfolio reporting and dashboards, providing robust exception controls and improved portfolio transparency.
• IFRS 9 Implementation: Championed the implementation of IFRS 9 and ECL (PD/LGD) modelling, taking ownership of key delivery stages and securing full external auditor sign-off. This included embedding forward-looking credit loss estimation into regular quarterly analysis.
• Framework Transformation: Led a comprehensive redesign of the Credit Risk Management Framework, including policies and counterparty/country risk rating methodologies. This resulted in a more efficient, consistent, and higher-quality credit approval process.
• Distressed Asset Oversight: Provided second-line oversight for insolvent and distressed counterparties, conducting in-depth analysis to support the legal team and ensure early identification of deteriorating credit quality.
• Team Development: Built and led a high-performing credit team, delivering targeted training and workshops to enhance analytical capabilities and strengthen the overall credit culture. Observed and enhanced departmental quality standards and service level agreements.

May 2017 - February 2022

Banking

Head of Credit & Deputy CRO

Accountable for the Credit Risk function, leading and developing a team of seven senior credit professionals. Responsible for the quality of all credit analysis, underwriting standards, and portfolio monitoring. Served as Secretary to the Board Credit Committee, preparing high-quality risk packs and reports.

Key Achievements:

• Credit Quality & Monitoring: Enhanced the internal credit rating and portfolio monitoring framework, including upgrades to credit scoring and rating methodologies. Designed and implemented executive credit risk dashboards and MI, significantly improving transaction-level oversight and portfolio transparency.
• Portfolio consisting of Real Estate, Corporate and FI’s
• Credit Assessment & Governance: Strengthened and modernised the Credit Risk Framework, leading material enhancements to governance, policies, and underwriting standards in line with Basel III and UK regulatory requirements. Reviewed and challenged complex credit proposals to ensure robust risk assessment.
• Remediation & Recovery: Led critical remediation initiatives, including an s166 programme, materially improving control standards and the quality of the credit approval process. Restructured and partially recovered a significant problem debt through detailed analysis and negotiation.
• Climate Risk Integration: Co-led the integration of climate change risk into credit assessment frameworks, ensuring environmental risks were systematically incorporated into underwriting and portfolio analysis, in line with emerging best practice.
• Risk & Control: Developed and embedded Credit Risk RCSAs and KRIs, strengthening control effectiveness and partnering with business units to drive improvements in risk culture and control discipline.

January 2010 - April 2017

Banking

Deputy Head of Risk Management

• Held enterprise-wide responsibility for Credit, Market, and Operational Risks. Provided senior-level credit analysis and structuring support on complex sovereign and non-sovereign (corporate and financial institution) transactions across trade and project finance.
• Transaction Analysis: Provided in-depth credit risk analysis and structuring support to business teams on complex trade and project finance facilities.
• Country & Industry Analysis: Developed country risk ratings and portfolio concentration dashboards. Conducted political and economic analysis of assigned countries and industries to assess risk and inform decision-making.
• Portfolio Oversight: Oversaw quarterly Board Risk & Investment Committee updates on credit quality, sectoral risk, and stress scenarios, ensuring robust exception controls and reporting.

EARLIER CAREER:

Includes progressive credit analysis, risk, and relationship roles at:

• African Trade & Investment Development Insurance – Senior Credit Analyst
• Trafigura – Credit Risk Analyst
• Pershing Securities (BNY Mellon) – Credit & Market Risk Analyst
• Euler Hermes – Senior Credit Analyst
• Genesis Investment Bank – Corporate Banking RM
• Standard Chartered Bank & CBZ Bank – Bank Officer

EDUCATION

• MSc Finance & Investments
• BCom (Hons) Banking

Professional Certifications:

• Diploma Leadership & Management | Chartered Management Institute
• Diploma in Banking

TECHNICAL:

• Risk Analytics Tools: Moody’s RiskCalc, Bloomberg, RiskConnect, OSTTRA
• Data Analysis: Excel (Advanced), SQL
• Reporting: PowerPoint, Word, Management Information (MI) Dashboards
• Risk Methodologies: IFRS 9 / ECL, RCSA, KRIs, Stress Testing, Scenario Analysis, Climate Risk Integration

ADVISORY & VOLUNTEERING:

• Impact Investment Advisor: Supporting UNDP initiatives focused on developing African investment ecosystems.
• SME Finance Research Contributor: Collaborating with GrowthFin and Financial Sector Deepening Trust on credit scoring frameworks for SME lending.

References Available Upon Request

If you are interested in this candidate, please contact Simon Blau via email sblau@cerfinancial.co.uk or call on 0207 626 6065.

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