Executive Director
Thara Consultants
مجموع سنوات الخبرة :18 years, 8 أشهر
I currently lead the major transformation and development of Thara Consultants. I joined the firm back in September 2013 with the main objective of expanding the firm locally and regionally. The company provides ISO certificate advisory, Asset Management services, and Industrial support.
In this short stint, I was able to get an active membership with Geneva Group International (“GGI”), as well as get the firm to be an approved service provider by Tamkeen. Furthermore, I have created new lines of business for the firm including business advisory, Risk Management, and HR advisory, which led to remarkable increase in the number and size of clients.
I currently lead the Audit function for Standard Chartered Bank, Bahrain (“SCB Bahrain”). I have contributed to the establishment and structuring of the Internal Audit function in SCB Bahrain, which led to me being selected to Head the department. During this process I conducted detailed quarterly risk assessments to determine audit priorities using statistical and non-statistical methods. In addition, I approve the testing procedures and planning documents before any audit fieldwork, manage staff allocation, lead communications with senior management and issue audit reports.
Since joining the Group Internal Audit (“GIA”) function, I have successfully managed Group wide (Global), Regional (Middle East) and thematic audits (covering Bahrain and other countries) in areas such as Sanctions Procedures, AML, Customer Due Diligence (“CDD”), Origination and Client Coverage (“OCC”), Global Markets, Finance, Investments, Human Recourses, Retail Banking Products, Legal and Compliance.
I thrive to consistently reinforce and promote strategic objectives with employees within the team and those in other business lines. I was able to identify systems and processes needed to drive strategy attainment, and support their development. I have led initiatives to identify and bridge organization- wide gaps.
Since I headed the Audit Department, the department have successfully set up and achieved high standards in staff utilization on core audit work with an average of 84%, developed detailed understanding of the Bank’s units and processes, exceeded the expected audit outputs and managed to develop products and functions specialists within the team. Using both risk based and cycle-based audit strategy, the department was able to cover all the Bank’s units and functions. This has resulted in reducing operational loss levels by more than 90%, prevented and detected frauds and errors and improved the staff awareness on prevention and managing risks.
Being Head of Audit, I was crucial member of the Senior Management and Risk Committees, where I have raised areas for improvements, challenged risk owners, conducted training and awareness sessions and presented main themes from audits in Bahrain and other countries globally.
I was in-charge of large clients in different sectors including banking and financial institutions, insurance, oil & gas, governmental, non-profit organizations, media and hospitality.
I performed business process understanding of various banks and other entities as part of the planning phase of audit assignments. In developing this plan, several understanding and documentation tools were utilized, such as system flowcharting, COSO framework guidance and walkthrough procedures. Using my leadership and teamwork skills, I was able to manage and organize several audit engagements/ clients to ensure they are carried out effectively and within the deadlines allocated and undertaken in accordance with relevant Accounting and Auditing Standards.
I provided reports to client’s senior management including Board of Directors, key stakeholders and government officials on the findings, together with pragmatic recommendations for improvement to manage and control risk and insights into the area that has been audited.
In addition, I was managing several Prudential Information Report (“PIR”) and Financial Crime Risk (“FCR”) reviews to ensure compliance with Central Bank of Bahrain Rule Book for various financial institutions.
I started my professional career with PwC, during which I have obtained the CPA qualification. I was mainly involved in developing audit plans that include control testing as part of audit assignments.
These testing procedures were developed to evaluate and conclude on the design and the effectiveness of the internal controls tested. Further, I was in-charge of leading, motivating and developing team members to promote individual and collective performance for conducting audit fieldwork, preparation of financial statements and audit reports for various financial and non-financial clients as per International Standards of Auditing.
Furthermore, I have managed internal audit, compliance audit and follow up audit engagements for governmental and semi-governmental entities, drafting reports directed to the National Audit Court and Board of Directors.