Portfolio Director, Risk Division (COO).

Program Director – CORE Workstream 11 Coordinated Assurance – sponsored by the GM of Operational Risk, a multi-year initiative (as part of the Bank’s enforceable undertaking) to design, operationally implement and embed a revised approach to assurance across the Bank’s Three Lines of Defence (May-21 to current).

Program Director - APS 220 Credit Risk Management – a compliance initiative sponsored by the Chief Credit Officer focused on the uplift of the Group's overall credit risk management capability and to demonstrate operational alignment with APRA's revised version of the prudential standard APS 220 Credit Risk Management (Mar-20 to May-21).

Director of the Quantum Program - a multi-year critical remedial program, established in response to regulatory required action (Dec-14) to stabilise the Bank’s Credit Risk Data Management Practices and Lending Control Framework. With a focus on Secured Lending and Collateral Management, this program delivered measurable improvements in data quality, governance and controls across more than $700Bn of the Bank’s secured exposures – including 25% of Australia’s home loans. The benefits of enhanced credit risk data accuracy included: enhanced levels of assurance across key lending controls and processes; increased accuracy of the Bank’s credit risk capital and Loss Given Default (LGD) modelling; enhancements to core reporting & risk analytics capabilities, including increased accuracy of Loan to Value Ratio (LVR) reporting; and the enablement of automation across key lending processes, including collections processes, to strengthen the Bank’s readiness for an economic downturn.Delivery was Board visible, required deep engagement across several divisions and regular consultation with the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). The program was also included as a case study in APRA’s Prudential Enquiry into CBA (May-18). Sponsors included several Group Executives.The program’s completion resulted in formal closure of APRA’s requirement against the Bank, avoidance of significant regulatory intervention, fines and or increases to the Bank’s risk capital requirements. Compliance and alignment to various regulatory standards was also managed, including: APS 112, APS 113, APS 220, APG 223 and BCBS 239.

Reporting to the Head of Risk Systems, Benjamin was responsible for the mobilisation and management of several projects in support of the Institutional Bank’s wider strategy for increased efficiency of risk management.  Projects and objectives included: Definition of Data Management and Reporting Strategy in support of parallel replacement of Limits & Excess Management front-end system (part of ‘T5’ program); Provision for OIS-based Discounting Curves; Several Platform Infrastructure Upgrades, including the upgrade of ‘end of life’ SQL 2000 data infrastructure; Trade Matching & Reconciliation;

Accountable for the delivery of defined enhancements to the Group’s Credit Risk Data Platforms and Reporting Framework. In particular, core risk engine upgrades and platform modifications to support residual Basel II dependencies, forthcoming Basel III requirements, Granular Adjustments processing, high-volume Retail Data and the European Banking Authority’s Common Reporting (COREP).

Accountable for the delivery of defined enhancements to the Group’s Credit & Operational Risk Data Platforms and Reporting Framework. Benjamin led a team of c.40 resources and an annualised budget of 15M GBP to support a range of initiatives, including: Basel II, ABN Amro Integration, HMT Asset Protection Scheme, Operational Risk and Country Risk Reporting.

Benjamin joined Accenture’s Technology Consulting graduate program in Sydney, before transferring to London in 2002. Based initially on web development projects, he built strong technical acumen by completing a series of hands-on system development roles and obtaining professional proficiency with several protocols and coding languages, including: C++, Java, SQL, JavaScript and the design of J2EE-based solutions. Benjamin’s experience and responsibilities gradually expanded to project management and the provision of technical architecture expertise on a wide range of client-facing initiatives.Benjamin’s eventual focus was on the program management of technology change & compliance initiatives within the UK Financial Services practice. Notable clients included: UBS Investment Bank (London); Alliance & Leicester (UK); ING (Amsterdam); Unilever (Madrid, Rotterdam, Vienna, Copenhagen); Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (London, Bangalore); British Gas (London); Telstra (Melbourne); New South Wales Police (Sydney); Centrelink (Canberra); Royal Australian Air Force (Canberra).