• Develop and establish annual objectives and strategic plans for the Policies and Procedures Department to align with organizational goals.• Support the Divisional Head of Business & Regulatory Compliance in formulating the Annual Compliance Plan for the entire Business Compliance function.• Oversee and ensure robust policy governance across all business and support functions, including the timely revision of policies and procedures and the implementation of effective change management processes.• Manage the approval process for policies by the Bank's Board of Directors, ensuring timely communication, coordination, and sign-offs.• Facilitate the timely and effective dissemination of policies and procedures, ensuring they are consistently updated and readily accessible to all bank staff via Bankopedia.• Lead the bi-annual review process for the Bank's Schedule of Charges, ensuring timely review, completion and publication to meet the regulatory requirements. • Offer expert advisory and guidance to business and operations teams on compliance and regulatory requirements during the development or revision of policies.• Oversee and effectively manage the Policies and Procedures department, ensuring the team operates efficiently and cohesively.• Ensure team members consistently adhere to HR and other administrative requirements.• Identify training and development needs for team members and propose suitable training programs to enhance their skills and capabilities.

In my role, I collaborated closely with the Head of Department (HOD) to establish the Annual Business Compliance Plan, ensuring comprehensive adherence to regulatory instructions. I meticulously prepared data for the Compliance & Fraud Risk Management Committee (C&FRC) and Board Audit & Corporate Governance Committee (BACGC), outlining Compliance Risk Management insights, advisory recommendations, and updates on State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) circulars and their progress in terms of implementation. I conducted quarterly progress reporting to the Group, focusing on advancing resolutions for 'High Risk' Compliance Risk Assessment issues, while closely monitoring their closure milestones.Functioning as the central liaison, I swiftly responded to inquiries from Business Units and other support functions, providing expert guidance on regulatory and compliance risks in line with prevailing SBP directives. I played a pivotal role in clarifying and interpreting complex regulations, laws, and other compliance matters, fostering a culture of awareness within the team. I diligently circulated SBP instructions, ensuring relevant stakeholders undertook required actions. Furthermore, I held regular meetings to review and advance SBP circular action items and effectively communicated these updates to the Head of Business Compliance & Policy Governance and the Chief Compliance Officer.I meticulously reviewed and refined the Compliance Risk Management Framework, Business Compliance Procedures, and Compliance Policy of the Bank, incorporating evolving regulatory prerequisites. I ensured seamless dissemination of updated Regulatory Repositories within the Business Compliance division, facilitating informed decision-making. Overseeing Compliance Risk Assessment (CRA) activities, I ensured precise execution in line with the Annual Compliance Plan (ACP).

• Performed on-site & off-site quarterly compliance review of branches. • Highlighted instances of non-compliance, performed root-cause analysis, arrange remedial action plan to address gaps by conducting formal meetings with respective branch officials and Area/Divisional Heads. • Provide assistance to Head Compliance Assurance in formulating Annual Compliance Plan.• Performed periodic review of department’s SOP and advised changes in light of applicable regulatory instructions which were issued during the year and merits the change under SOP.• Empowered to review, update and disseminate the Compliance Assurance Checklist within the department to keep abreast all Area Compliance Officers on latest regulatory requirements. • Being Coordinator to Compliance Assurance, I was responsible to collect monthly branch review data from all team members to design and present relevant dashboards in Quarterly Compliance Committee, Board Audit Committee & HBZ Group reporting. • I was also responsible to supervise & train new team members.

• Contributed to the development of the annual compliance plan, aiding in its formulation.• Provided valuable assistance in the creation of Quarterly Compliance and Board Committee reports.• Formulated strategic action plans in alignment with SBP directives, circulars, and prudential regulations, ensuring prompt execution by collaborating with stakeholders.• Exercised comprehensive oversight over the approval process for notices, customer communications, marketing materials, SMS texts, service level agreements, and related matters across various business units and branches.• Orchestrated On-Site assessments of branches and departments, uncovering regulatory and operational discrepancies, conducting root cause analyses, and proposing effective remedies to optimize processes and procedures. Actively pursued corrective actions and closure of identified issues through consistent engagement with branches and relevant stakeholders.• Facilitated constructive Staff assessment sessions during branch reviews, engaging both operational and branch business personnel to gauge their grasp of regulatory and operational protocols. Identified areas of improvement and advocated for tailored training interventions through HR to address knowledge gaps.• Delivered essential compliance training to onboarded new employees, ensuring a strong foundation of regulatory understanding across the organization.

• Proficiently utilized the HotScan application to meticulously screen both incoming and outgoing remittances, meticulously cross-referencing names against diverse Sanctions Lists (OFAC, BOE, EU, etc.) to identify potential matches with negative individuals/entities.• Executed meticulous name screening processes for accounts characterized as High Risk, such as NGO, NPO, Charity, Trust, Club, and Society accounts, in addition to scrutinizing associated signatories and individuals.• Ensured the timely updating of watch lists, including OFAC, BOE, EU, and UBL, in accordance with S.R.O. notifications received from the State Bank of Pakistan and letters received from the Ministry of Interior.• Conducted scheduled reviews of correspondent banking relationships, engaging in essential information exchange utilizing tools such as the Wolfsberg Questionnaire.• Contributed to AML compliance training initiatives by imparting knowledge on the identification and reporting of suspicious transactions.• Thoroughly collected and organized documentary evidence, cultivating comprehensive case files for transactions deemed suspicious.• Carried out rigorous sanction screening assessments for both customers and transactions, upholding stringent compliance standards.• Demonstrated proactive involvement during the implementation of HotScan BFA, suggesting calibrated adjustments to parameter weightages to enhance alert accuracy and minimize the potential for alert bypassing.• Collaborated closely with key stakeholders, including the Central Bank, Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU), and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), addressing inquiries and issues pertinent to AML/CFT matters.• Skillfully prepared monthly and quarterly reports to fulfill internal compliance reporting mandates.

• Acquired comprehensive understanding of Account Opening procedures and Due Diligence protocols during a 4-week tenure at a branch, gaining insight into onboarding diverse customer profiles.• Proficiently conducted daily reconciliations of Branch Counter transactions encompassing both deposits and withdrawals.• Demonstrated competence in branch operations, managing essential transactional documentation such as Pay Orders, Cheque Clearing, Cash Deposits, and Withdrawals.• Garnered invaluable insights during a 2-week engagement with the Centralized Foreign Trade Unit, acquiring expertise in Swift transactions, Import and Export processes, and associated documentation.