Amira Ahmad

Significant Achievements:
• Being an active member of the Regional AML team effectively managing the responsibility of defining and executing Core AML Risk & Control processes and entails a high degree of interaction with Senior Management at Regional and Global level.
• KYC/due diligence records and ensures adequate enhanced due diligence is performed on targeted high-risk customers
• Collaborate closely with the Regional and Local AML Teams in the implementation and management of effective KYC/AML policies and procedures.
• Manage issue tracking, reporting and escalation processes in the region maintaining globally consistent standards, serving as a lead reviewer for all types of reviews and managing audit deliverables, coordinating responses to audit queries.
• Support and assist the AMLCO and the compliance head in the implementation of the Citi AML Policy and the various Global AML/KYC directives and projects.

Key Responsibilities:
• Manage, monitor and access operational risks to design and implement appropriate methods to monitor the effectiveness of internal controls that mitigate operational risks.
• Ensure consistent implementation of Management Risk and Control Assessment (MCA) Standards and procedures across the MCA Entity through regular scrutiny and assessment.
• Communicate MCA results and issues to the assessed entities and units to design corrective action steps to align with the designated protocols.
• Analyse through in depth understanding of the inter-relationships among business and support units throughout the corporation identifying how they impact the overall control environment and the MCA approach.
• Ensure MCA provides comprehensive coverage of the entity’s business activities and operations, assessing the adequacy of the design of controls and monitoring methods.
• Coordinate with the concerned personnel to ensure appropriate execution of the key controls to ensure the adequacy of documentation and reporting.
• Identify AML risks, deficiencies and best practices throughout the Region; suggest policies and control enhancements and defining corrective action plans to mitigate emerging and residual risk and control issues, determining MCA entity ratings.
• Reporting/escalating control issues (including root cause) through the MCA/BRCC structure and as otherwise required by Citi policy or applicable law and regulation.
• Research reporting findings; recommend appropriate interventions where needed to propose creative and pragmatic solutions for risk and control problems.
• Work proactively with the business to achieve risk management solutions within the firm’s risk appetite while demonstrating credible challenge as and when necessary, limiting business exposure, designing advanced or specific controls and assessing control plans for adequacy of standards, resources and timeliness.
• Define and lead the implementation of monitoring procedures to ensure the controls executions, review the results to determine the circumstances in which the control failed to prevent or detect a problem.
• Proactively detect, mitigate and escalate matters that require attention and that put the Franchise into potential reputational and / or legal risk.

Significant Achievements:
• Ensured each assigned audit is planned to access the scope and terms of reference for audit providing adequate and appropriate coverage to gather evidence, analyse and apprise as a basis for an informed, objective opinion to evaluate the effectiveness of the key controls and efficiency of performance of the Unit being audited.
• Executed bank wide audits locally and internationally. Lead a bank wide audit in the United States and ensured the bank complied with the regulator’s requirements.

Key Responsibilities:
• Reviewed transactions, documents, records, reports to confirm their accuracy and effectiveness and record all findings in a manner that provides relevant and reliable evidence to support conclusions.
• Participated in discussions held with Unit staff to verify facts and obtain explanations for the apparent deficiencies.
• Led the audit teams on audit assignments as directed and managed the audit teams ensuring proper allocation of work, completion of work within the time frame, audit issues are discussed with management and a draft report is prepared for review by senior management.

Designation Chronology:
Regional Manager, October 2012 to November 2013
Corporate Banking Manager, November 2011 to September 2012
Risk Manager in Projects and MI, September 2010 to October 2011
Significant Achievements:
Regional Manager, Business Risk & Control Management, Payments and Cash Management
• Responsible for all risk factors affecting and impacting the business for countries Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Lebanon.
• Ensured implementation of effective risk policies, procedures, strategies and workflow processes within PCM while adhering to Group audit and other Group standards and regulatory requirements.
• Provided regular reporting to senior management to implement Risk and Control Framework for PCM in Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Lebanon by incorporating strategic business requirements, tactical operations and technology efforts to improve service levels, increase automation and improve overall operating efficiencies.
Key Responsibilities:
Regional Manager, Business Risk & Control Management, Payments and Cash Management
• Managed the development and implementation of new operating procedures as required to manage and reduce risk; ensured all operating activities comply with relevant regulations.
• Re-assessed the operational risks associated with the role & inherent within the business and implemented new regulations, initiatives and mandatory requirements often within a very short time frame.
• Effectively handled a rapidly changing business and regulatory environment and being involved in new projects and initiatives within their Global Business/Function that involve medium and high information security risk.

Significant Achievements:
Corporate Banking Manager, Large Corporate Unit
• Assisted the Senior Relationship Manager with management of major client relationship with a highly complex and global product / business model.
• Built robust business relationships to understand and anticipate client’s needs as well as identify incremental sales opportunities.
• Analysed the customer experience and ensured service excellence at all times for all aspects of any customer or prospect’s interacting with HSBC Risk Manager in Projects and MI, Risk Management Unit.
Key Responsibilities:
Corporate Banking Manager, Large Corporate Unit
• Assisted to develop of relationship strategy, calling plan and sales / product goals based on clients’ needs and opportunities and liaised with mobilize key internal stakeholders.
• Prepared all management reports related to credit approvals, excesses, extensions and other house keep tasks.
• Executed risk assessment involving process management to analyse upside and downside risks as well as identifying, describing and estimating the quantitative and qualitative risks affecting the business.
• Monitored and reviewed processes to ensure risk and compliance arrangements are in place and supported in education and training of the management staff.

Significant Achievements:
Risk Manager in Projects and MI, Risk Management Unit
• Efficiently managed planning, designing and implementing an overall risk management process for the organization by developing operating models.
• Performed risk assessment involving management of the process of analyzing upside and downside risks as well as identifying, describing and estimating the quantitative and qualitative risks affecting the business.
• Inculcated risk treatment by selecting and implementing measures to control and mitigate risks including activities to avoid risks, transfer risks and finance risks for the UAE and the Middle East.

Key Responsibilities:
Risk Manager in Projects and MI, Risk Management Unit
• Reviewed and monitored processes to ensure risk and compliance arrangements are in place.
• Managed risk evaluation which involves comparing estimated risks with risk criteria established by the organization such as costs, legal requirements and environmental factors.
• Provided support, education and training to staff, commonly at management level.
• Responsible for risk reporting in an appropriate way for different audiences, for instance to the board of directors so they may understand the most significant risks, to business heads to ensure they are aware of risks relevant to their parts of the business and to individuals to understand their accountability for individual risks.
• At a strategic level, contributed to process mapping in order to understand business processes and linkage to areas of risk.

Significant Achievements:
• Managed the responsibility for overseeing the investment of funds and addressing associated risks.

Key Responsibilities:
• Maintained the quality and reliability of products and services to determine the causes of product defects that may be found and develop methods for reducing the errors.
• Prepared summaries to highlight how products might differ from existing standards of quality and reliability; summarise results and deal effectively with company personnel on levels ranging from assembly line workers to top management.

Significant Achievements:
• Identified discrepancies in L/C s to ensure that they meet all the terms and conditions of UCP 600.
• Ensured the preparation of bill of lading documents, checking the source of shipment, the details of the consigner and the consignee, the notifying party, the shipment agent & vessel name.

Key Responsibilities:
• Carried out acknowledgments/ avalizations / value dates.
• Uploaded the approval document bills/ collection documents/ documents on approval basis.
• Loaded discounted drafts under export letter of credit and inspected on discrepancies and document evaluation