Chief Information Officer
Dubai Asset Management
Total years of experience :33 years, 6 Months
Member of the IT Digital leadership team at Dubai Holding who oversee the digital transformation of the group
Working in the group level in supporting digital innovation around Digital Banking and Blockchain Asset Tokenization
Member of the Backoffice (ERP) transformation working group at Dubai Holding.
Completed a unique and exceptional Digital Transformation program in less than 18 months which had been featured in CXO Insights Middle east magazine on the cover page under the theme of “Digital Leadership”
https://issuu.com/cxoinsightme/docs/june-2020
https://www.cxoinsightme.com/feature/how-dubai-asset-management-is-spearheading-digital-innovation
The Implementation of a Customer engagement program for all customer segments (Individual, Corporate) which includes: Customer Journey mapping, identifying customer journey enhancements, CRM strategy (Segmentation, engagement, retention, Communication), Data cleansing and Mobile App and Portal development.
Launched the DubaiAM life digital platform portal and Mobile Apps (Android and IOS) for individual customers in a record time, which is considered as benchmark to other verticals in Dubai Holding group as well on UAE residential leasing market , the platform initial phase got a very high user adoption, while almost 100% of FM requests goes through the system and 70% of lease renewals.
Launched the DubaiAM life digital platform portal and Mobile Apps (Android and IOS) for corporate customers which considered unique offering compared to competitors, the launch received great testimonial from corporates with more than 55% of corporates inventory already using the system.
Working with Ecosystem partners such as Smart Dubai Government in innovative initiatives.
Implemented the first Digital leasing use case “Move to new home in Dubai” using “UAE Pass” Digital ID over Dubai Now App, as part of Dubai Government Paperless strategy, we are the first company and IT team to implement the digital leasing in UAE.
Leading a cashless and paperless strategy through the implementation of payments gateway and direct debit system (DDS) and the use of digital signature UAE Pass for contracts singing and renewals.
Implementation of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) as part of our internal digitization and optimization of current manual and repetitive business processes, 15 processes with time savings reached 75%. Below my interview with Biz Transformation magazine on our RPA journey:
https://www.biznesstransform.com/how-dubai-asset-management-is-reengineering-and-automating-manual-processes/
Implementation of Chabot over WhatsApp using AI Natural language processing / understating NLP / NLU for leasing inquiries, FAQ’s and Facility Management service request (The only company who launched this service in UAE), 25% of FM requests goes through this platform.
Implementation of salesforce lead management CRM integrated with oracle Eloqua and developing lead algorithm using AI and Machine learning for lead scoring.
Implementation of advanced Analytics and dashboard for various business lines using MS Power BI for all line of businesses.
Support the Implementation of Data Lake and advanced analytics on the group level and working on some use cases for leads and customer churn.
Implementation of owner association and community management platform for all Dubai Holding residential free hold communities and properties
Rolling out major modules and enhancements to the core systems (Yardi/Maximo) for leasing and facility management.
Achieved savings of AED 2.3 Million OPEX per year.
Technology and Operations transformation portfolio lead / CIO Advisory
Working with PWC at REDF (190 Billion SAR Real Estate fund, it acts as a Housing Bank) in major transformation program as part of the Kingdome 2030 vision.
Leading operation and technology transformation portfolio from strategy to execution.
Improvement of current processes and systems to become more efficient, and to ensure better customer
service.
Working on setting up the operations, branches and technology programs / roadmap for the
transformation Target Operating Model
Working on digitalization of REDF products and services by introducing Omni Channel platform
integrated with Banks, regulatory and government entities.
Introducing smart branches at REDF through mapping of the customer journey and the use of latest
technologies such as self-services kiosks, Robotics.
Supporting REDF CIO in managing organization strategic initiatives through better use of technology,
resources and capabilities at REDF and Partnering with leading IT vendors.
Design and Implementation of REDF IT strategy focusing on Digital Transformation and positioning
REDF as Technology leader among Government entities and Banks in KSA.
Introducing and implementing IT Governance framework at REDF.
Working directly with the CEO and CIO of Bank Al Bilad on planning and execution of overall bank Technology, Digital strategy, Digital marketing and special projects including major projects for bank and its subsidiaries, Focusing on the alignment of Business and IT strategy and suggesting structural, process and technological changes / Innovations required to improve the technology role in supporting business strategy.
Review and recommend major IT Projects / Expenditures and suggesting better ways to save cost while creating more value to the bank
Advice CEO and C level on Technology trends and best ways to utilize existing investments
Support IT and Business divisions in managing strategic vendors, vendor negotiations and sorting out vendor’s conflicts.
Manage, monitor and control major programs for strategic business lines simulating Enterprise PMO function.
Supporting IT, IT Governance and Business teams in developing IT strategy and working closely in monitoring its execution.
Member of the IT Governance steering committee working on developing IT governance framework
Supporting IT / IT Governance in Reengineering of change management process, implementing data governance and enterprise architecture framework.
Reviewing audit reports for IT, IT governance and Information security (Internal, External, and SAMA) and suggesting ways to close major issues.
Advising the CIO on managing strategic projects, IT division structure (nearly 200 staff), vendor management, resources optimization and demand management.
Member of the IT Transformation committee supporting the CIO and IT department heads in Business Strategy alignment, restructure of IT Group , Applications and solutions consolidations, …
Supporting Corporate Governance in developing Delegation of Authority Matrix (DOA) for the whole bank complementing project run by Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
The Bank is having 280+ Branches (Both Retail and Remittances Branches), nearly 1000
ATM’s, and more than 3000 Employees using state of the art technologies including Temenos T24 Core banking, Oracle suite of applications, IBM Middleware, on line banking , …
Working on launching the first Islamic Bank in Oman, an identical role to what I have played in launching Al Hilal Bank while using new models like Desktop as a Services (DAAS) and Software as a Service (SAAS) models.
Defining the system architecture, integration strategy, Strategic vendors & technologies
IT infrastructure setup (Data Center, Networking, Security, Telephony, Telecom, office automation), with High availability and complete redundancy using Cloud computing model and Zero client model.
Setting up the IT division structure (People, Process and Technology)
Managing Core Banking System implementation (iMAL from Path Solution)
Managing the selection and implementation of Alternative delivery channels (Internet Banking, SMS and call Center)
Managing and implementing all payment systems required for the go live (ACH, RTGS, ECC and Swift)
Developed and managed implementation of IT PMO and Change Management policies, processes, procedures and standards.
Planning and executing technology evaluation, selection, and procurement process for IT Assets and services, ensuring compliance with business strategy and Central Bank of Oman (CBO) requirements.
Monitoring and driving the efficiency and effectiveness of IT division focusing on enhancing quality and service improvement
Managing a review of the contracted Hardware and software for the core banking and other systems and performing optimization of the current assets (using virtualization and capacity planning) which resulted in major cost, performance and high availability improvements.
Disaster Recovery setup for Core systems (Core Banking, ATM switch and payment systems)
Implementation of ISO 27000X for IT department
Setting up IT strategy, road map and IT budget
Member of the command center which was managing the Bank launch.
Member of the Bank overall purchase committee.
Authorized Signatory at Central Bank of Oman and Immigration.
The successful launch of Al Hilal Bank in a record time had given me the opportunity to be on demand from major Consulting firms and Islamic Finance startups in MENA region working in launching two financial services startups during this period:
External Advisor - Management consulting
Booz and Co / Libya Qatari Bank (LQB)
Worked as an Advisor for Booz and Co in establishing major Islamic financial services organization in North Africa owned. My role includes review and advice on the following:
Overall IT architecture (Applications, Network, Hardware, storage, Security)
Core Banking, Applications and Systems projects scope, priorities and contracts
Review of IT initiatives, including details such as timelines and dependencies
Recommendation on optimal vendors for each initiative, best suited with business requirements for each stage of the project.
Business and Technical specifications for key RFPs
Business processes and its relevance to business requirements
Organization structure and priority for hiring key personnel for the whole bank
Setting up IT PMO and Enterprise PMO.
Review of Banking Operations Policies and procedures
Recommendations for Islamic Banking products
Supporting the bank in appointing Shariah Board
Restructuring of the IT and banking operations departments
Siraj Finance - UAE
A new Financial Services startup company my role is heading both Information Technology and Central Operations (COO Role) in addition to managing other tasks related to the overall company launch. My role includes the following:
Member of the company executive committee which manages all launch activities and company strategy.
Setting up both IT and Central Operations Departments
Managing Core Banking System selections and implementations
Managing the selection and implementation of Alternative delivery channels (Internet Banking, SMS and call Center) and other back office systems (Risk, HR system, Swift, ..)
Managing the setup of Policies and Procedures for Products and services.
Dealing with Central Bank in all operational aspects
Handling the complete design and fitting out of the company head office in Abu Dhabi
Participated in defining the branding and marketing strategy.
Note: Company final launch were put on hold due to Financial Services market conditions
The first member of the executive management team to join Al Hilal Bank In October 2007 before its establishment with a mission to establish the whole bank in a very short time frame, A significant part of my responsibilities was devoted to non IT related activities
Achievements
Defining the launch strategy and Managing core banking and other systems selection
Managing RFP creation and submission for all systems and all Infrastructure components
Defining the system architecture, integration strategy, Strategic vendors & technologies
Selection of Bank wide PMO from the leading multinational companies to oversee the whole Bank establishment and Implementation
IT infrastructure setup (Data Center, Networking, Security, Telephony, Telecom), with High availability and complete redundancy
Building the core selection and implementation team (Hiring the Bank core business /Operations, IT teams and External consultants)
Participation in Bank wide strategy about branch locations, design and services
Managing the banking systems implementation in less than 4 months including core banking (Temenos T24), all Alternative delivery channels and other Systems (IVR/Call Center, SMS, ATM Switch, Card Processing System, ICCS, Swift, Reuters, Blumberg, Middleware)
Setting up the IT division structure (People, Process and Technology) and setting up IT policies as per ITIL
Disaster Recovery setup for Core Banking, Card and ATM switch
Implementation of various supported systems after the bank launch (Oracle HRMS, Collection, Reconciliation, Corporate Payroll processing, Signature capture)
Setting up 14 branches , 65 ATM, 900 + PC’s and peripherals
Setting up and Implementation of Al Hilal Takaful company and Managing the implementation of the first International expansion for Al Hilal Bank In Kazakhstan
FRFID technology Implementation at our flagship branch (Mall Branch)
Heading two departments (Application and Support Services departments) which is the main interface between IT and internal/external customers.
My departments responsibilities includes :
o Application development (In house and outsourcing)
o Implementations of banking and non banking applications(ERP systems)
o Project management
o Application support (First, 2nd and third level support)
o Application Security management
o Technical support for desktop / laptop users
o Service Desk operations
o Site Configurations (Setting up new branches, ATM installations and support)
Managing the development, implementation and the support of 100+ packaged and In house developed applications for the bank and its subsidiaries
Managing the overall technical Support for the Bank and its Subsidiaries
Managing the development and implementation of the Service Level Agreement (SLA) between IT and the bank subsidiaries and Operational Level Agreement (OLA) for inter IT departments.
Setting up Application and Support Services departments Strategic Plan to support business plan and preparing IT budget.
Implementing major solutions to the bank and its subsidiaries such as Internet Banking, SMS, ERP, Brokerage, Property management, Image Cheque Clearing System(ICCS) Anti Money Laundry(AML) and business process management.
Preparation and evaluation of RFP’s for the Core Banking replacement/upgrade project and other major applications
Member of the Core Banking execution steering committee and the core banking selection committee.
Member of the Bank total Risk Committee and managing the Risk Management project (ALM, Basel II, Operational Risk and Customer profitability)
Job Dimensions:
40 Branches, 3 Subsidiaries , 1600+ Users Supported, Direct reports 3 Senior Managers, 40 permanent and outsourced IT staff
Member of the Management Committee, Purchase committee and policies & procedures committee
Managing an IT department of 26 employees, and running banking and infrastructure systems for the whole Sharjah Islamic Bank(National Bank of Sharjah) operations and branch network.
Setting up IT Strategic Plan to support business plan and preparing IT budget.
Evaluating and selecting IT Applications and Network Infrastructure inline with the bank’s strategic development plans.
Dealing and building a partnership with IT Vendors and managing Vendors SLA’s
Successfully maintained project plans, quality control, issue resolution, risk management, scope management, internal systems, and status reporting
Managing the IT project for the transformation from Conventional to Islamic Banking through In house development of Islamic Banking modules and setting up the core banking application
Expanding the bank electronic delivery channels through the implementation and deployment of Card Management System, IVR, SMS, Website and ATM Machines.
Leading a team from business and support units to implement internet banking.
Improving and Automation of Business Processes through the implementation of Work flow Management system (Business Process Management BPM)
Managing the Upgrade of the Network infrastructure to the latest technology, Blade Servers, Server Consolidations, Windows 2003, Active directory and enterprise backup system.
Directed and Managed the implementation of a complete Information Security system (Firewalls, Intrusion detection and prevention, Anti virus, Anti Spam and web filtering)
Setting up the disaster recovery plan and managing the project implementation.
Developing the IT policies and procedures for all IT units and processes.
Directed and managed the implementation of help desk system.
Job Dimensions:
Direct reports :4 Unit heads, total staff 26.
Management
Managing the day to day activities of the IT Department
Setting up the IT Dept strategic plans
Defining & evaluating Bank requirements for Hardware, Software and services.
Preparing the IT Budget
Analyzing, evaluating, monitoring and managing resources
Dealing with Hardware, Software and application vendors
Dealing with UAE Central Bank for all IT related issues
Evaluating the IT Staff performance
Technical Support
Designing and implementing the new network for the new bank building for Data, Voice and Power
Y2K Project manager for all IT and non IT related systems
Managing installation and implementation of all the bank application systems (EQUATION, Swift Alliance, Cashier System, Trade Innovation, Sparrow Hawk)
Application Security Implementation for EQUATION, Trade Innovation, Cashier and Swift Alliance systems.
Design and Implementation of Switched Ethernet Network using CISCO Switches(Catalyst 6509, 3524 and 2924) and Cisco Routers.
Installation of NT Servers, Workstations and Windows 95
Installing and setting up Lotus Domino Mail server, Microsoft SNA Server 4.0 and Microsoft Proxy Server
Implementation of the overall Operating System security for AS/400, Windows NT and Unix Servers.
Upgrading the AS/400 operating System Level and Installation of AS/400 PTF’s and service packs
Performing AS/400 CISC to RISC upgrade
Installing and setting up Client Access/400
Analysis, Design and programming of Software systems in RPG/400 integrated with JDEDWARDS Financial module besides end user training and support.
Payroll System for the whole group of companies (15 Companies) integrated with JDEDWARDS General Ledger module. The System covers all kind of employees (Staff and Labor) and all types of payments and it calculates and allocates the salary cost to the cost centers (Contracting jobs or Department) to be used for job costing purpose. It is integrated with Human resources system.
Property Management System for the Real Estate company. Lease Based System handling the lease process and tracking Occupied and Vacant units. Integrated with JDEDWARDS Financial module.
Employee Gratuity module. It Calculates the Gratuity for Employees at end of service.
Job Costing. It calculates the job costing for contracting companies regarding fuel consummations, Equipment rentals, Scaffolding usage, …
Implementation of JDEDWARDS General Ledger module for Real Estate company.
Setting up and installing 5394 Control Unit and PC to AS/400 Dialup connection
Installing and configuring PC Support for DOS and Windows
Development of software systems in RPG/400 and COBOL/400 integrated with MIDAS-ABS banking software besides AS/400 Network installation, Securing, setup and performance tuning for the Bank Network (15 IBM AS/400 Machines distributed at the Bank Branches throughout the Country).
Software Development
Development of Application interface to access remote sites using Distributed Data Management
Analysis and design of Letter of Credit (L/C)and Letter of Guarantee (L/G) System.
Development of free Market software project in COBOL/400 and using File Transfer Support(FTS) to access remote files and produce a consolidated reports for all branches.
Development of Certificates of deposit system in RPG/400 integrated with MIDAS-ABS.
Development of Networking utility module in CL language for sending and receiving Libraries, files and objects between branches using object Distribution Facility (ODF) and FTS.
Networking and System Administration
Installation and configuration of Personal Banking Machine (PBM) (Communication, Software, Cryptographic)
PC Support Installation and setup.
Setting up the Communication Security and the OS/400 Security.
Creating and configuring the communication lines and protocols.
IBM AS/400 performance tuning including adjusting system values and creating subsystems.
MBA
Bachelor Degree in Computer Engineering