Strategic & Operational Planning (APAC Regional):
- Translate APAC-wide operational strategies into concrete action plans and ensure consistent execution across regional entities.
- Lead end-to-end operational planning across APAC, including policy creation, policy revision, and rollout of group-wide operational initiatives.
- Design and drive initiatives to improve operational efficiency, effectiveness, and standardization across countries and entities.
- Establish governance mechanisms for approving and managing exceptional or non-standard operational handlings across APAC.
- Ensure alignment between Head Office policies and regional operations, while appropriately reflecting local business and regulatory environments.
Policy Management & Operational Control:
- Own the lifecycle management of regional operational policies, standards, and procedures, including drafting, review, approval, and change management.
- Coordinate cross-functional input (Business, Technology, Risk, Compliance, Operations) in policy formulation and operational rule-setting.
- Oversee implementation of approved policies and initiatives, ensuring clarity of roles, responsibilities, and escalation paths.
- Monitor adherence to approved operational policies and frameworks, and drive remediation where gaps are identified.
Operational Excellence & Transformation:
- Lead and oversee APAC-wide operational efficiency and transformation initiatives, including process re-engineering and automation programs.
- Collaborate closely with Technology and Operations teams to improve end-to-end processes, system utilization, and operating models.
- Oversee regional delivery of large-scale operational and regulatory programs (e.g. BCBS239-related operational changes).
- Lead the formation, expansion, and coordination of Global Capability Center (GCC) teams to support APAC operational execution and optimization.
- Drive effective use of offshore and shared service models to enhance scalability and cost efficiency.
Stakeholder Engagement & Leadership:
- Act as a key partner to business leaders, IT, Risk, Compliance, and Operations teams to ensure operational initiatives are practical and well-adopted.
- Provide leadership and guidance on operational best practices, emerging regulatory expectations, and industry trends impacting operations.
- Facilitate cross-entity alignment through committees, working groups, and regular senior-level forums.
- Engage Head Office and regional management on operational priorities, resourcing, budget planning, and execution status.
Risk, Compliance:
- Ensure APAC operations are conducted in line with global and local regulatory requirements and internal control expectations.
- Oversee operational risk identification and mitigation, including risks arising from third-party service providers and outsourcing arrangements.
- Review, assess, and approve exceptional operational requests, ensuring appropriate risk assessment, documentation, and senior-level visibility.
- Act as an escalation point for material operational issues, coordinating timely resolution across functions and entities.
Essential Experience & Qualifications
- 20+ years of experience in financial services, with substantial senior-level exposure to operations, transformation, or internal management functions.
- Bachelor's degree or above from an accredited university is required. Postgraduate qualifications will be an advantage
- Proven track record in leading large-scale operational, IT-enabled, or regulatory transformation programs across multiple countries.
- Strong understanding of banking operations, end-to-end processes, systems, and operating models used across the bank.
- Deep understanding of regulatory expectations impacting banking operations across APAC.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives involving Business, Technology, Risk, and Operations.
- Experience in policy development, operational governance frameworks, and exception management.
- Experience in building, scaling, and managing multinational teams.
- Experience leveraging offshore centers and shared service models for operational execution and efficiency.
- Experience managing sizable budgets, including planning, tracking, and optimization.
- Proficiency in Japanese language is advantageous as the role requires frequent communication with Japanese stakeholders in Tokyo Head Office.
