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

00348358

PROFILE:

July 2016 – June 2024

Financial Institution

April 2019 - Present

Business Controls Framework Implementation and Change Manager

• Responsible for strategic planning for the wider regional control team (59 headcount total), inclusive of determining and planning project engagement, staffing, recruitment and graduate program oversight, prioritization and distribution of tasks and responsibilities across the team.
• Line managing a team of up to 13 individuals consisting of permanent, temporary and consulting staff, across a variety of project/change activities, periodic assessment processes and risk/control programs.
• Facilitated the regional execution plans of a new risk & control self-assessment RCSA) framework in region across lines of business and functions. This included acting as a primary escalation point for any at risk deliverables and ownership of associated control remediation.
• Functioned as international control lead on development of a strategic approach in identifying and refining regional regulatory requirements and linking those to company risk framework, including but not limited to control effectiveness, RCSA, issue management and risk identification.
• EMEA control lead on a strategic initiative set out to establish mandates for cross border permissions and associated controls.
• Designed and implemented a regional model for policy review and policy implementation standards for first line of defense functions.

Business Controls Framework Implementation and Change Manager (Apr/2019 – Aug/21)

• Coordinated the pilot of a regional control function to support first line of defense needs across lines of businesses, inclusive of transitions of second line functions, organizational structure and strategy as well as recruitment into this new function.
• Designed and implemented a Risk Management Framework (RMF) function, measuring and ensuring appropriate adherence and awareness of RMF expectations within the regional first line of defense. Managed a team of 4 in completing a full RMF interpretation, setting clear practical standards against risk activities, processes and control design.
• Created a method for and coordinate detailed risk activity assessments, ensuring individual activity considerations against the RMF. This includes running workshops with control team management, education of business partners throughout FLOD and ensuring an engagement model with second line of defense colleagues.
• Development of metrics and analysis of the adherence to agreed RMF standards, allowing for trend analysis, recognition of success and mitigation of key limitations.

Operational Risk (OR) Officer (Jul/16 – Apr/19)

• Second line of defense risk coverage for Compliance, Transaction Reporting, CASS/Client Money and Middle Office teams in the EMEA region, supporting daily activities as well as various projects and initiatives, inclusive of but not limited to periodic risk and control self- assessments (RCSAs), issue/incident management and business process risk mapping.
• Development and distribution of detailed metrics, risk assessments and management information on all covered functions for senior management communication, steering committees, board meetings etc.
• Established and addressed key risks for CASS and Transaction Reporting ahead of external audit reviews; acting as Operational Risk lead throughout the review and remediation projects that ensued.
• Developed appropriate risk awareness and mitigation plan for an international migration of CASS/Client Money responsibilities; inclusive of aiding the implementation of a regional CASS Oversight function and subsequent process and control mapping.
• Acted as OR lead for MiFID 2 implementation; ensuring risk consideration throughout the planning, prioritization and execution of the various project components, and ensuring management awareness of progress post go-live.
• Initiated, led and implemented an OR Development Program which utilized detailed assessments of risk limitations and opportunities across the regional Operations Teams to establish a proactive and integrated risk management within the teams.
• Built an Operational and Technology Risk framework ensuring full visibility of gaps and solution planning between the functions.
• Implemented an EMEA Conduct Program as per regulatory expectations, alongside compliance and other risk functions.

August 2014 – July 2016

Banking

August 2015 – July 2016

Trade &Transaction Reporting (T&TR) Investigations & Control Governance Manager

• Led the launch of previously implemented control and process reviews in other Middle Office functions, with further focus on risk impact, automation, regulatory visibility, remediation of control gaps and creating additional process efficiency.
• Established an investigation function across the T&TR functions in two UK locations (9 team members total), establishing root cause and remediation proposal for breaches and potential issues under EMIR, Dodd Frank and MiFID.
• Point person for 3-year remediation planning to address Internal Audit results alongside the Risk & Control.
• Long term strategy planning across the regions with a focus on cost saving and efficiency, developing an international control model allowing transparency and greater efficiency as well as initial planning for offshoring certain functions.

August 2014 – August 2015

Trade & Transaction (T&TR) Reporting Cross Regulation Implementation Manager

• Designed and implemented a process review framework across T&TR functions to allow, assessment of process effectiveness, risk identification, and remediation planning. Regular reporting to Senior Management inclusive of issue tracking and resolution.
• Developed and implemented solutions ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements under primarily MiFID and EMIR rules.
• Implemented department wide quarterly RCSA testing across to ensure appropriate focus on ongoing and emerging risk as well as ensuring equal quality of input from all impacted teams.
• Facilitated workshops and training across the T&TR teams in London and Manchester to assess processes and controls are fit for purpose and to encourage ongoing proactive mind-sets and analytical thinking.
• Outlined detailed trade flows and presented to Front Office desk heads to demonstrate compliance with reporting obligations.

March 2013 – April 2014

Banking

CASS Central Governance Implementation Manager

• Point person for the development, implementation and maintenance of a central Client Money & Assets issue repository containing key information on rule/policy breaches, audit findings, key risk indicators along with remediation plans.
• Coordinated quarterly RCSAs to monitor CASS compliance across all business areas exposed to client money / assets. Presented results and trend analysis to Senior Management at quarterly committee meetings.
• Implemented processes to automate the monthly CMAR submission process leading to more controlled and timely reporting.
• Developed a series of CASS training sessions liaising with Compliance, Legal and other various CASS SMEs.

February 2006 – March 2013

Investment Banking Company

March 2011 – March 2013

Control Manager, Investment Bank

• Managed a team of 8 responsible for the daily control of equity derivative trading activity, including economic affirmations, pre-settlement agreements and cash break analysis. Implemented further automation of process leading to a 0.5 FTE reduction.
• Migrated the control teams from the Derivatives Group and Prime Brokerage to create a consolidated Equity Swap Middle Office team allowing for larger visibility to key trends and issues. This resulted in considerable time savings across the bank globally.
• Global Middle Office coordinator for migration of client positions to new industry affirmation platform, ensuring that all objectives are clearly communicated and completed in a timely manner.
• Coordinated the merging of separate teams into a consolidated control and client services team for the Equity Derivatives group and the off- shoring of non-client facing tasks, resulting in a reduction of 2 FTE in the regional control area.

February 2010 – March 2011

Project Manager, Investment Bank

• Monitored all projects for the marketing support and client services teams in the regional Equity Derivatives Group. Supported fifteen project owners in setting objectives, time frames, and action plans for their projects and monitored their progress.
• Implemented a tracking and escalation system with automatic management updates for all projects and initiatives within the group. Acted as the initial escalation point for these projects.
• Coordinated a Cashflow Matching initiative carried out across the industry globally. Responsibilities included building test scripts, coordinating internal and external testing internationally and ensuring that regulatory requirements provided were met.
• International coordinator for a Client Services Action Plan implementation ensuring automation of communications containing client information, client confidentiality and establishing guidelines and controls for client outreach.
• International Middle Office coordinator for the release of a new equity swap trading model.
• Senior Marketing Assistant, Investment Bank Feb 2009 – Feb 2010
• Supervised the booking and query volume for the group, ensuring the workload was distributed evenly across the team.
• Supported the Investor Sales Desk in booking equity derivative products and handling trade monitoring, risk and PnL controls.
• Responsible for the implementation and development of a new equity swap booking system.
• Equity Finance Client Services, Supervisor, Investment Bank Sep 2007 – Feb 2009
• Responsible for maintaining a low level of outstanding cash settlement queries. Supervising 3 team members.
• Monitored agreements and pre-settlements of Equity Swaps between JP Morgan and external counterparties.
• Coordinated implementation of new swap pre-settlement system, automating notifications and simplifying net settlements.
• Responsible for coordinating the pre-settlement migration for EMEA during a key merger.

February 2006 – September 2007

Transfer Agency Administrator, Asset Management

• External client services representative responsible for input and checks for deal instructions on fund transactions for clients.
• Procedure coordinator involved in preparations for annual auditing of product and booking procedures across the department.

August 2005 – February 2006

Insurance

Junior Input Administrator

• Transaction inputs into the GPII system and dealing with tasks connected to SWIFT & Bloomberg.

EDUCATION:

June 2001 - June 2004: School

• Social Science Programme - Graduated following a three-year attendance equivalent to upper secondary school.

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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