Head of Risk, Asia

Department:

ABC Singapore Branch
Credit & Risk Group

Reports To:
Locally: Head of Asia ＆ General Manager, Singapore
Functionally: Group Chief Credit & Risk Officer

Supervises:
Credit & Risk Management functions
Job Purpose:

Job Purpose

This is a second line of defence role responsible for the governance, oversight, development and management of credit risk, market risk and operational risk. Key roles and responsibilities are:

• Vetting of the Branch credit applications and preparation of credit comments in support of credit applications from the Branch and to work with relationship managers and Group Credit for the credit approval.

• To work with 1st line of defence in deals structuring, covering trade finance, specialized financing, and treasury products.

• To provide briefings and to cascade and implement Group policies and standards to the local Branch level across the 3 risk pillars.

• To prepare the meeting agenda items and drive the local Risk Committee

• Participate as a member of the local Management Committee, ALCO, Reputational Risk Committee, Compliance and Financial Crime Committee, and Local Operational Risk Committee.

• Provide update and confirmation relating to Annual Review Overdue reports, confirmation of ECL reports from Group IFRS/ECL team, monthly ARCM report, quarterly Impaired Loan report.

• Developing a highly skilled and motivated risk team to meet the growing needs of the business.

Principal Responsibilities, Accountabilities and Deliverables of Role:

• Key stakeholder in establishing the risk framework for Asia within the Bank’s Group Risk Policy and Strategy. In addition, work with Group Risk Management to ensure that risk appetite is set in line with Group guidance, Board direction and local regulatory requirements. That the risk appetite drives the strategy adopted by ABC Singapore and that the annual operating plan is established within the parameters set by the risk appetite.

• Ensure banking governance, policies and procedures are aligned with both Group guidance and local regulatory requirements.  That they are kept up-to-date effectively, communicated and understood by all employees, and that adherence is tested and confirmed on a regular basis

• Work with Group Risk Departments to establish a target operating model to assess, monitor and approve credit requests (new and existing) within delegated authority and in line with the bank’s risk policies and appetite.  Ensure that there is an appropriate escalation protocol for all other cases, to higher approval authorities.

• Communicates the key elements of Group risk management framework to all employees, advises on how the framework is to be applied in relation to all types of risks and ensuring the employees’ adherence to and understanding of the framework. This will build a culture of risk awareness so that potential risk issues, actual incidents and loss events are proactively identified, mitigated (where possible) and reported in a timely and transparent manner

• Key proponent of enterprise risk management working in conjunction with Group Risk Departments, and thereby:

• drives the identification, quantification, governance and management/mitigation of risks incurred by the business
• advises line of business leaders and senior leadership on the evolution of the different risks incurred by the businesses
• coordinates the activities of Group risk disciplines [eg operational risk, wholesale credit risk] in support of the Wholesale Bank
• acting as a conduit between global risk management and local risk management
• providing a focal point for issues escalation, both globally [functional] and locally [entity]

• Confirms the appropriateness of limits frameworks and related controls 

• Managing day to day other pertinent risks viz. market risk, operational risk and liquidity risk etc. through effective risk management/credit risk policies, processes and strong end to end debt management model covering origination, assessment/approval, limit settings, disbursements/monitoring, post lending/monitoring control and mitigation. Work with all appropriate members of management team to control strategic, credit, market, liquidity, operational and compliance-related (regulatory) risks

• Act independently from the 1st line of defence to identify and escalate issues and concerns to recommend amendments to policies, procedures, practices, etc. or the cessation of activities, businesses which lie outside of risk appetite.

• Tracks and oversees investigations and remediation of limit/cap excesses, focusing on root cause analysis and sharing across the group key learnings

• Manage portfolio quality including timely identification of potentially problematic counterparties and related analysis escalated to Head Office.

• Provide regular updates to Head Office on risk portfolio and the adequacy and effectiveness of risk management within the region. Advise Group leadership on the risk management performance of material risk takers within the branch

• Play a leading role in credit risk approval as main Risk representative of the local/regional Credit Committee, in line with the constitution and procedures of that committee.

• Build credit awareness & three lines of defense and a risk culture within risk & business staff in Asia.

• Evaluate credit risk (financial, transactional and other) relating to new Corporate and FI business proposals and to make specific recommendations to the Head Office Credit Committee (and Board if necessary) through succinct presentations so that the bank can pursue good quality loans and other risk assets. Embed the principle of good practice established by the group through training program.

• Work with the Business and Group Risk Departments to agree on a business framework for expansion into country/sector etc.

• Undertake portfolio studies of credit risks within a unit, industry or economic sector, in order to evaluate risk on a portfolio basis, and recommend actions if any for management’s review and control of business concentrations. 

• Work in close co-operation with Group Credit to ensure consistency in credit approach.

• Keep up to date with all new regulatory issuances and attend conferences and webinars hosted by regulators etc.

• Liaise and work with external regulators including external audits.

• Inculcate a culture of risk control and compliance within the region and lead by example.
• Assist GCCRO in the formation and implementation of the Credit and Risk Strategies in each Asian Market and related framework, including appropriate country specific Risk Acceptance Criteria.

Job Requirements:

Knowledge

• Excellent knowledge of Credit Risk, Operational & Market Risk  

Education / Certifications

• A good University degree in Business Administration or other financial discipline such as professional Banking/Accounting etc.

Experience

• At least 15 years of core banking experience (Corporate Banking/Credit) with 10-12 years in Risk with emphasis on Credit Risk and previous experience as CRO a plus. Should also have good working knowledge of Operational and Market Risk.  

Personal Attributes

• Sound analytical/investigative skills.
• Strong accounting and banking knowledge.
• Strong written & oral communication skills.
• Good time-management skills.
• Self-motivation and team-player attributes.
• People management and relationship skills.
• IT literate (from PC usage to Risks systems).
• Strong knowledge of Asia (emphasis on target markets).
• Chinese language spoken and writing skills would be viewed as a positive.