Senior Manager - Credit Risk
Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait KSC
Total years of experience :41 years, 8 Months
• Responsible for identifying, assessing, measuring, monitoring and controlling the broad spectrum of risk in Corporate Credit - Domestic & Overseas branches (Dubai & Abu Dhabi), International Banking - Multinationals, Financial Institutions, Country & Bank Risks, Treasury Investment Products etc. - total portfolio of US$4Bn. Recent acquisition of a bank in Egypt will add to my portfolio.
• Review / Recommend / seeking approvals of all credit proposals received from Corporate / Overseas Branches / International Banking / Treasury & Investment to/from various Committees: Management Credit Committee / Board Credit & Investment Committee /Board Risk Committee (exceptions in country/bank limits) / Board (for related parties).
• Sign off temporary exceptions in limits and monitor reporting of breaches to relevant committees
• Secretary to the Corporate Credit Committee, Management Credit Committee & Board Credit & Investment Committee.
• Member of Retail Credit Committee
• Close coordination with all stake holders, business groups, management, internal audit, compliance division, for improving the business, profits and management of assets through strategy / goal setting in tune with CBK rules, BASEL II norms, etc.
• Advising / facilitating the Management in fixing & allocation of country limits, bank limits, concentration limits, etc and reviewing from time to time.
• Oversee submission of Risk Management activity and exception reports including CAR, ICAAP, various credit related reports, etc. to the management/Board Credit & Investment Committee / Board Risk Committee at periodical intervals.
• Portfolio review / analysis, post fact follow up, identifying early warning signals & reporting - NPL, Past Dues, stressed assets, etc.
• Participating in identification of state of art tools, systems, models, etc. for improving and automating various functions related to credit risk assessment, monitoring, measuring, etc. (Borrowers Risk Rating system, Credit Application System, Core banking system, IFRS, etc.)
• Work in close liaison with various vendors: of Core Banking System (Infosys for Finacle), BRR (with S&P), IFRS (with Deloitte), etc.
• Preparation / revision of Credit Risk Policies and Strategies, Credit Approval Authority Matrix, Guidelines & Procedures, concentration limits for various customers, for the Bank in line with CBK rules, Basel II & ICAAP and assist in ensuring their compliance.
• Close coordination with Credit Control Unit for disbursal, monitoring & post fact follow up.
• Mentoring various stakeholders responsible for managing risk in the bank.
• Direct reports 5 and dotted line >10.
Portfolio Analysis of Corporate Credit with focus on profitability, economic-sector exposure analysis, impairment, security analysis, etc.
Strategizing and implementing credit strategy and operations in 5 business divisions of Commercial Banking Department which caters to Corporate Clients and contributes 90% of Bank’s assets.
Supervising and monitoring planning, budgeting and performance - business, income, profit, quality of assets of the business divisions. Organizing proactive follow up for prompt repayments and monitoring collections.
Periodically reviewing credit policies and procedures for improving the end-to-end process for financing with focus on quality in delivery and cycle time.
Collaborating closely with IT for technology applications and MIS requirements. Coordinating with various departments for synergizing credit operations.
Liaising with Auditors and supervising compliance of the reports.
Assisting Head of Corporate Banking in recruitment and training and in day-to-day running of the department which has about 45 officers and staff.
Representing the Department in the review meetings held by Top Management and made contributions for improving the business strategies of the Bank.
Credit Audit: Assessed Risk in various areas of Credit (Corporate/SME/Trade/Small Business/ Agriculture/ Retail) and suggested mitigants
Management Audit: Evaluated working of key departments like Corporate Credit, Treasury, Merchant Banking, Retail Banking, Depository Services, etc. and suggested measures for improving their efficiency.
Branch Audit: Assessed Risk in the areas of Branch Operations, Trade Finance, Foreign Exchange, Information System, etc. and suggesting mitigants
Operational Risk: Assessed operational risk in various systems and procedures and new products launched by the Bank.
Anti Money Laundering; Oversight of review and investigations of suspicious transactions in banking and capital market transactions.
Audit Plan & Strategies: Identified auditable entities, strategized and implemented audit plans by in house as well as outsourced auditors for ensuring seamless offsite and onsite audit of 500 branches and departments across the Bank in tune with the directions of Audit Committee & Regulators.
Audit Committee of Board / Audit Committee of Executives: As Secretary to the ACB / ACE represented the Bank and compiled and presented reports and other relevant documentation to Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. Reporting included status of audit plan, special audit / investigations, frauds, synopsis of audit reports depending upon criticality of issues, compliance reports, closure reports, status of various issues relating to regulatory compliance / legal / fraud, Action Taken Reports, etc.
Audit Manuals: Prepared manuals for the auditors. Also prepared and periodically reviewed the checklists for audit by internal and external auditors.
Administration: Recruited auditors, supervisors & staff and also external auditors for running the Department as well as for outsourcing audits. Supervised about 60 officers and staff in the Department and 60 outsourced audit firms across the country and resolves issues.
Headed a large size Industrial Finance Branch, a profit centre, entirely focused on Corporate Credit and supervised 50 specialized officers and staff and business operations in a fully computerized environment.
Evaluated and reviewed financing requests from Corporate, SME, Trade, Small Business & Retail clients and approved /sanctioned credit proposals as per credit policy, delegated authority and credit portfolio strategy.
Analyzed financial statements, assessed credit requirements & risk, analyzed and monitored portfolio risks, quality of assets, delinquency in portfolio, recovery of non-performing loans across 1000 branches in the State.
Administered all credit systems (limits, collateral, risk rating, etc). Managed Credit Relationships, Credit Portfolio, Security and Collateral. Monitored delinquent accounts, recovery of past dues, non-performing loans, etc.
Assisted General Manager and Credit Committees in reviewing and evaluating financing requests received from Zonal Heads of the Bank for approval.
Developed and implemented plans to achieve business goals, revenue growth, cost control, profit, quality of assets, etc. both at branches and at Head Quarter
Supervised officials and staff numbering up to 100. Built a strong talent pipeline for business growth and continuity.
Ensured strict compliance with all regulations and controls set by the Bank and external regulatory authorities.
Held the position of Chief Manager, Credit & Stressed Asset Management at State Head Quarter of the Bank and intensified and accelerated efforts in 1000 branches for delivery of credit and management of stressed assets.
Held positions of Relationship Manager, Senior Relationship Manager and Branch Heads of Retail Branches of the Bank