Head of IT Applications
Barwa Bank
Total years of experience :26 years, 3 Months
Accomplishments:
• Championed world-class service delivery, introduced advanced technologies that increased reliability, implemented ITS Ethix solutions (Core, Branch, Finance Solutions, PCM) in its subsidiaries successfully from initiation to completion.
• Driving force for enhancements of IT services, spearheaded major expansion of Channel Solutions and Treasury related initiatives.
• Provided dynamic leadership for IT Department operations and development; defined and executed IT solution strategy to support strategic business growth and evolving needs.
• Planned, implemented and delivered projects to build organizational capabilities in sync with technology roadmap; liaised with key stakeholders to discuss transition and transformation initiatives.
Key Responsibilities:
• Planning, developing and implementing cutting-edge information solutions to address business opportunities. Devising and leading consistent improving in IT policies, procedures, and day-to-day workflow; identifying value addition opportunities to integrate emerging technologies with existing processes.
• Optimizing operational excellence & efficiencies, fostering innovation, prioritizing business/IT initiatives, and coordinating the development, deployment, and maintenance of IT systems applications.
• Providing strategic and tactical leadership in establishing the bank’s technical vision, aligning IT goals Vs business goals, designing and implementing IT frameworks and leading all aspects of the bank’s technological development.
• Ensuring changes adhere to existing architectural principles and do not violate requirements around security, scalability, performance, or maintainability.
• Directing infrastructure projects, delineating project objectives, establishing milestones, monitoring adherence to master plans/schedules, as well as identifying and allocating resources to ensure project completion as per established plans.
• Building a productive, world-class, development team through smart recruitment, mentoring and career development.
Project Management:
• Designed specialized turn-key projects, evaluated the technical, operational IT solution based on business requirement and guided technical consultants for complex technical issues.
• Spearheaded high-end IT projects, monitored all phases of project life-cycle:
Conceptualization/ Initiation: Preliminary project plan, team formation, RFP design and issuance, vendor analysis, negotiation, selection and awarding contract.
Development: Business workshops and SRS finalization, resources and capacity planning, branding workshops, Security (Application and Perimeter), training plans, availability and continuity planning, RMP, QMP and change management.
Implementation: Testing scripts, UAT, operational testing, release management, performance/ penetration testing, soft launch.
• Applied project SDLC process to assure functionality, security, quality and regulatory compliance of deployed systems.
• Recognized for successfully managing and directing the assigned project resources to overcome “triple constraints”—project scope, time and cost.
Key Projects to Credit:
Internet Project
- Successfully managed the Internet Banking Solution project in 2 phases: Retail Banking (Phase I and II) and Corporate Phase III.
- Spearheaded E-Banking initiatives to provide a workflow and back office automation for eServices.
- Functionality design subsequent to market research.
-E-Security and HA/DR implementation.
CRM Solution
- Comprising IVR, Agent Screens, Service Requests, Marketing Campaigns and Operational CRM.
- Under my leadership executed this first of its kind Project: implementation of CISCO VoIP Technology, Middleware utilization and a Single Interface of the Application.
-Superintended 6 member team encompassing Technical Unit, IVR Specialist and development Staff.
Card Center Project
- Served as an Application Interface Analyst for the integration into core banking systems, with the Phase II being planned with significant improvements.
Middleware
- Dexterously developed Middleware- a mission critical application, to provide a unified high volume transaction platform with code reusability and system abstraction.
Divisions Supported: Applications
Retail Branches, Product Development, Priority Banking, Marketing
- Mosaic - Branch Automation
- Phoenix ME 201 - Core Banking
- Innovation - ADIB websites
Central Operations Payments, Branch Services, Card Settlement, Central Document unit, Treasury Operations, Trade Finance Facilities Management
- Polaris - Payment Systems
- Filenet- Document Management Systems
- Trade Finance -Trade wind
- ERP - Oracle ERP
- Qtes / Esdarat - IPO and Share Registrar System
- Intellimatch - Reconciliation
Credit risk Management
- CAPRC - In House Credit Application
- Finn One - Collection/Remedial System
Financial Control and Strategic Planning
- Focus FTP - Sungard
- Applix - Budget System
- OFSA (Oracle) - In implementation
Treasury and Capital Markets
- Treasury - SunGard
- Advent - Wealth and Trade Management
Wholesale Banking
- ALGO - Corporate Credit Origination (In Progress)
- Moody’s Risk - Customer Credit Rating
Group Compliance Department, HR, Legal, Audit and Shariah
- HR - Business Solutions House
- AML - Infrasoft
- Suite of In House Applications for workflow and help Desk purposes.
- eCase Management - Legal
Subsidiaries
-Yardi - Property Management Solution
Tradenet - Brokerage Solution
Previous Professional Experiences:
• 1994 - 1998: Deputy Head of ITD, Bank Melli Iran
• 1990 - 1993: System Analyst, NIMS Group of Companies
ADIB Group comprises of ADIB UAE (75 Branches) ADIB Iraq, ADIB UK and subsidiaries including Burooj, MPM, ADIB securities.
Accomplishments:
• Provided global technology vision and leadership for formulating, evaluating, and implementing IT solutions, policies and initiatives. Ensured technology infrastructure is stable, efficient, and secure across the ADIB Group.
• Played an integral role in bank’s strategic direction, development and future growth. Steered a range of technology projects: 10+ high-end projects, 20+ medium projects with an annual total budget of 30M AED+ annually.
• Steered the Alternate Delivery Channels strategy. Offered extensive experience in project integration and implementation of Alternative Channels cycles.
• Commanded 42 member team of experts including Consultants, Architects, BAs, Systems Analysts and Support team, developing and maintaining 100+ enterprise-wide application portfolio roadmap.
• Defined, drove and led the end to end realization of valuable and quantifiable, business enabling technology capabilities, from concept to operationalization and implemented successfully with support from Project Managers and Relationship Managers.
• Served as key management team member, entrusted with implementing the Risk Solutions, Branch Automation Replacement, Retail Credit Origination, Enterprise Service Bus and ITIL processes.
• Ownership and administration of the Problem Management and a key player in change management.
• Proffered large-scale, top-priority and complex business and technology initiatives including Contact Center, Internet Banking - Retail & Corporate, SMS Banking, CCDM Systems, Contact Center.
• Defined IT governance objectives around strategic alignment, value delivery, risk, resource & performance management.
Key Responsibilities:
ITD Governance and Value Delivery:
• Acted as a catalyst in the evolution of operational excellence, directed major Operation Transformation project, resourcefully implemented major set of applications & enhancements to optimize STP processes.
• Dexterously met the challenges of pioneering technical/ application solution implementation for international expansion.
• Successfully met management expectations & requirements from Core, Retail, Treasury, Operations, CRM, Wholesale, Subsidiary Companies & other support groups.
• Conceptualized & launched Business Strategic Partner program with key & Critical Business areas to manage their requirements & expectations.
Strategic Management:
• Served as member of:
- ITD Automation Committee
- Management Committee
- Product Selection Committee(Data Center Solutions, Security Solutions, Communication Infrastructure etc)
- QMS program which is instrumental in developing the Standards, Forms, Check Lists & Policies.
• Aided in the development of ITD Automation Plan & designing business road map for specific Business Groups.
• Instituted standards for product and vendor evaluation, developing/finalizing RFPs, negotiating Software Services, Licenses & Maintenance Agreement.
Risk Management:
• Hand-picked to aid as Consultant & Application Services Manager to monitor implementation of high availability & disaster recovery systems for major critical systems.
• Served as Member of BCP (Business Continuity Program).
• Dexterously proffered High System Availability, designed & implemented solutions to keep IT environments resilient.
• Instrumental in accomplishing zero roll back from production deployments.
Leadership:
• Instilled a deep-rooted IT governance culture through effective communication, training sessions for continuous reinforcement and appropriate incentives for better compliance.
• Mentored a group of Senior System Analysts into a Team of Professional Project Managers following a customized version of PMP and SDLC principles to best meet project objectives and adhere to project scope, time, cost & quality constraints.
Other Trainings and Certifications: • PMP - Project Management Professional • CISA - Certified Information Systems Auditor • ITIL Foundation • Sybase Certified Professional - Powerbuilder Developer (Ver 7.0) • Sun Certified Programmer for Java 2