Roast my CV: Am I the wrong type of banker?

Senior Finance Partner, Finance Control, FP&A - Vice President

I help leading global banks CFOs, GMs, COOs (FTS100) to streamline and increase efficiency in various financial strategic and investment processes, such as budgeting, forecast and financial analysis over their revenue and expenses budgets to ensure profitability targets are met at minimum costs. Support executives in their strategy decision changes, company’s policies.

Passionate Finance Partner and leader, a city Finance Professional with 15+ years of progressive career in international banking and central group’s functions: MIS, FP&A, Financial Control at the largest bank’s Head Quarters. I’m a forward-thinking, commercially aware expert, possessing varied experience in Finance Partnering and Project Management environment (CIMA, Agile, Six Sigma practitioner) with proven achievements in development, executing financial strategies to achieve desired business growth to satisfy top stakeholders (CEOs, GCOs, COOs).Subject expert in mastering turnaround efforts to maximize profitability at minimal cost. Confident in addressing today’s management challenges of attaining revenue targets, focused on bottom-line or the top-down results. Tech savvy analyst with in-depth financial and cross sector expertise of the latest data technology in reporting and management reporting (EXCO, ALCO, OpCo) improvements. Determined to implement the best in business expertise from the worlds’ leading banks: [REDACTED] to accomplish your organization goals.

Core Competencies

• Experienced Leader in building and sustaining successfully cross functional relationships with all C-suits stakeholders (Finance, IT, varied Lines of Business) and meeting their expectations. Skilled in influencing and persuading business.
• Group reporting expert with years cross functional, consolidated statements, business partnering experiences of top banks: [REDACTED]
• Spearheaded in leading teams, global, group projects related to banking financial reporting area and achieving desired outcomes (system implementation/upgrade, reporting process automation, and regulatory compliance, off-shoring).
• Advanced analytical mind with strong business problem solving and decision-making skills, experienced in defining business cases, design financial models, management reporting decks and business recommendations.
• Extensive knowledge of reporting standards for banking sector and compliance requirements. Specialized experience in Head Offices environment, group level roles, effective management C-level stakeholders, supervision offshoring resources worldwide.

Key Skills: 

Financial Planning and Analysis

Finance Control

Business Partnering

Global Flash Reports

Financial Statements

ALCO and KPIs Reporting,

Stakeholder Management

Management Information

Investment Allocation

Risk Management

Team Leadership

Regulatory reporting

Statutory Reporting

US/UK GAAP/Zakat

Finance Change

MIS reporting

Professional Experience - Defined Roles & Notable Contributions

VP Finance Partner I Control I FP&A - Group Reporting Career Break - Covid19                                                                                                                     Mar 20 - Present                                                                                

• Mentored junior banking colleagues on market entry and transitions, resulting in a 20K-strong network across UK, EU and GCC.
• Developed innovative AI-driven strategies for harvesting leads and optimizing sales techniques, achieving tangible results.
• Published multiple articles on banking trends, cloud technologies and automation, use AI opportunities, reaching 10K+ readers.
• Spearheaded the department’s shift to self-development courses (data modelling, programming, AI use such as GPT-3), significantly increasing efficiency and productivity.

[REDACTED] Bank| London (UK)                                                                                                                                                                                              May, 19 - Feb, 20

Finance Business Partner FP&A, Global Projects Performance

• Supervised management reporting $4.5bn portfolio of Global Change and Technology (7 Regions, 23k FTE’s across 50 countries) to EXCO, OPCO executive forums and committee meetings, managed 23 Functions stakeholders.
• Spearhead effective guidance in Change the Bank (CtB) portfolio through soliciting, reviewing and challenging Business financial data with the Global PPM Heads community in order to optimized banks' spending.
• Built strong working relationships with business COOs, acting as central point of contact for Bank’s management strategy implementation, forecasting, performance SLAs, risk assessment, disputes resolution over budgets.
• Lead deep-dives into focus areas of executive (C-suite) stakeholders interest, such as projects profitability, direct costs, forecasts, led requirements gathering, controlling and stakeholder management.
• Managed +7 senior FTE’s onshore/offshore ([REDACTED]), motivated, delegate tasks, measured colleagues performance

Key Achievements

• Implemented Budget Interlocks, reduced by 65% disputes between budget owners and suppliers
• Redesigned EXCO, OPCO, ad-hoc dashboards, improved accuracy by 5%. Bridged system gaps by consolidating external data in order to provide group’s holistic view and build effective relationship with the Business.
• Proposed a new forecast accuracy KPI model, introduced Run Rates, Blended Rates to effectively monitor the portfolio and project managers performance as well as overall budget spend and forecast accuracy.
• Identified potential improvements to financial reporting processes and business performance review. Introduced automatization concept to management packs and commentaries, proactively addressed system limitations, closely collaborated with the Business to improve its data accuracy and support its decision process.

[REDACTED] Bank | London (UK) / [REDACTED] (MENA)                             Jan, 17 - Sep, 18

VP - Finance Manager | International MIS & FP&A

• Supervised and mentored team of 7 senior analyst, led business reporting, finance controlling, results submissions of 25 QNB’s foreign entities, guide Country’s Financial Directors in Group’s consolidation and press releases process.
• Guided AGM and other finance heads (Retail, Corporate, Treasury, Wealth) in understanding their financial results and performance against budget and KPIs. Provided insights, recommendations, proposed optimum capital structure/s for overseas operations to maximize shareholder return.
• Oversight budgets, forecasts and ad hoc analysis for General Manager (GM) Int’l Finance, AGM MIS and CFO.
• Streamlined consolidated MI models and competitiveness analysis as per CFO’s requirements, maintained appropriate capital adequacy ratio/s and assessed Internal Liquidity Adequacy levels.
• Improved validation of balance sheets, P&Ls, flash reporting and quarterly and annual plan.
• Guided International Business IBD team on valuation, cost-benefits analysis investments projects and risks.
• Led broad range of financial strategy projects at a local and regional level in response to emerging business needs from various business streams, product functions, both internally & externally.
• Managed overall responsibility for the International Financial Control across QNB’s international network, strategic decisions and advised executive management on matters related to financial investments, risk management, loans and deposits liquidity, strategic planning, balance sheet structure, new products, profit projections as well as effective use of resources within International Banking Department (IBD) team.

Key Achievements

• Led various financial analysis to support senior leadership with developing the business segment’s long-range financial plan for more than $30billion over five years.
• Developed new reporting tools and dashboards for EMEA centers, covering $4b of costs across 4 main retail, wealth, corporate and head office channels.
• Provided recommendation to the CFO in international joint venture initiatives such as with Turkish Airways, merge and acquisition such as Finansbank (Turkey), FX and regulatory liquidity reporting due to Qatar’s blockade.

[REDACTED] | London (UK)                                                                                                                                                 Jun, 16 - Jan, 17

Financial Planning Consultant - Financial Planning (AVP)

• Proved pivotal role in consolidation newly acquired [REDACTED] business within bank’s structure.
• Provided project leadership to all aspects of accounting, financial management and controllership.
• Designed consolidated profitability reports, OPEX and synthesised summaries in insights presentations.
• Evaluated variances, trends analysis to determine key business metrics vs expectations and decisions.
• Led work streams for business requirements, business presentation for senior stakeholders for sign-off.

Key Achievements

• Developed short-range outlook forecasts, input on strategy to meet net income targets for SVPs review.
• Guided [REDACTED] team of 10 people in acquisition process and implementation [REDACTED]’s standards Spearheaded financial analysis to support executive management with developing the business segment’s

[REDACTED] Bank | London (UK)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Mar, 14 - Mar, 16                                                                

Senior Business Partner (AVP)| Global Change MIS - FTP platform & Big Data introduction

• Led project team of 20, consisting London’s Head of Departments, Financial Managers and IT developers.
• Increased Group’s expenditure reporting by 30% by introducing Big Data and transformation cost initiatives.
• Managed the full development lifecycle including new [REDACTED] group accounts structure introductions: senior stakeholder management, requirements gathering, gap analysis, on-going collaboration with IT software developers, reporting rule development towards project delivery and successful completion.
• Coordinated FCA’s, regulatory reporting and analytical submissions in Ring Fenced Bank’s project.

Key Achievements

• Improved forecast accuracy by 10% introducing monthly performance meetings with Directors and Budget holders to maximize focus on costs, facilitate performance discussions around actuals, budgets and forecasts in order to meet financial cost targets of $100m+.

[REDACTED] (UK) | London (UK)                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Jan, 11 - Jan, 14

Financial Business Partner - Group Reporting

• Conducted and reviewed financial statements, internal audit reports and regulatory submissions Bank of England.
• Managed risk by completion and review of the UK Finance Book of Controls and Self-Assessment Risk Template processes on behalf of the Group and individual senior managements stakeholders.

Key Achievements

• Guided CFO in deposits allocation, designed financial estimations for completion of £0.5bn transfer from offshore entities, in order to raise Group’s capital, comply with Bank of England’s (BoE) requirements.

[REDACTED] Bank | London (UK)                                                                                                                                          Sep, 09 - Nov, 09

Senior Analyst (FP&A)

• Supervised consolidation colleague’s monthly and annual financial statements from branches international SMBC businesses in Moscow, Dubai, Paris, and London. Simplified management packs submission to the HQ in [REDACTED].
• Managed risk by completion UK Finance Book of Controls and Self-Assessment Risk Template processes on behalf of the Group and individual senior management’s stakeholders.

[REDACTED] | London (UK)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Feb, 09 - Oct, 09

Finance Partner/Manager Assistant - Management Information Reporting (tier1)

Key Achievements

• Enhanced by 1 day P&Ls, income results reporting to the Group, identified bottle necks, and streamlined Month End.
• Designed competitor analysis, product profitability reviews, ratio analysis, ROI analysis, bonuses awards, to ensure customer groups are aware of their performance and any variance from agreed KPIs targets.

[REDACTED] | Ireland, UK                                                                                                                             Nov, 05 - Aug, 09

Finance Business Partner

Key Achievements

Recruited in 2005 as experienced Financial Analyst in the Financial Control team (Group IT team). Promoted, successful migrated Business Partner role from management Finance team in [REDACTED] to accounting Services in [REDACTED], which involved numbers of incremental efficiency and SOX, UK GAAP processes improvements

• Led meetings with UK management to support division’s profitability and strategic development.
• Delivered budgets, forecasts and monthly trends reports to the division and executive review.
• Successfully facilitated dialog between Finance HQ and Business unit’s staff to identify, planed and implemented initiatives to increase the effectiveness and efficiency within new Finance Operating Model.

[REDACTED] | secondments to Netherland, Poland, Italy                                                                                   Sep, 04 - Sep, 05

General Ledger Leader- Finance Control

Key Achievements

• Successfully recruited and trained into General Ledger team - 8 Qualified General Ledger Accountants.
• Through customers feedback studies initiated new policies, process changes. Increased by 30% team productivity by restructuring, re-assignments. Orchestrated new Shared Service Centre (SSC) structure centre design, recruit team members and trained them.

[REDACTED] | Europe I Eastern Europe expansion                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Aug, 03 - Aug, 04

Finance Project Analyst - Group Reporting

Key Achievements                                

• Appointed lead of financial integration for a business combined value at $500m, including financial evaluation, due diligence, costs control/ manage expenditure of new Engineering Centre investment.
• Reduced division’s expenditure by $15m by design bespoken databases for financial departments, challenged Heads.

Other Professional Experience

Business Partner/ Manager Assistant |[REDACTED] Bank | London (UK)                                                                                                                                                                                                Feb, 10 - Oct, 10

Financial Director| Financial Crisis Solution | London (UK)                                                               Jan, 10 - Dec, 10

Financial Accountant (Strategic Finance) | [REDACTED]                                                                               Aug, 05 - Nov, 05

Education - Professional & Technical Training - Certifications

Masters of International Finance| [REDACTED]

CIMA | Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

Accenture [REDACTED] | Negotiations and Influencing Skills courses

Languages           

English (Native)                      

Polish (Native)                        

German (Intermediate)         

Arabic (Basic)