Ben Minnaar Email & Phone Number

Johannesburg, Gp, Za

City Of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

FirstRand Treasury (Nov 2022 – Present)Senior Regulatory Consultant, leading the transition from JIBAR to ZARONIA, focusing on the development of risk and exception metrics and building reporting capabilities directly to the regulator.Delivered key initiatives to streamline compliance with regulatory standards, including the development of advanced modeling tools for exposure submission monitoring (Group Innovation award winner 2023) as well as advanced exposure monitoring metrics.Panel member of ZARONIA cash market MPG, and responsible for typesetting of cash market industry whitepapers.Rand Merchant Bank (Apr 2021 – Nov 2022)Led the RMB IBOR transition systems implementation for the Rest of Africa portfolio. Oversaw the implementation of new alternative reference rates into existing treasury and investment banking systems for SONIA, SOFR and ESTR, working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure compliance with global regulatory standards. Provided in-country training to treasurers and treasury teams, and ensured a smooth adoption of regulatory changes across six jurisdictions.Key achievements:Successfully delivered the systems transition from IBOR to new reference rates across multiple jurisdictions, mitigating regulatory risk and ensuring compliance.Played a key role in systems integration, compounding calculations, and implementing best practices aligned with global regulatory frameworks.2023 Group innovation award winner.

City Of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Provide strategic oversight and mentorship to junior consultants, ensuring the successful delivery of high quality regulatory and capital management projects across multiple client engagements.Deployed to high impact regulatory projects at tier 1 clients.Responsible for managing team resources, ensuring compliance with company standards, and maintaining strong client relationships.Actively contribute to the development and implementation of internal best practices for regulatory compliance, capital optimisation, and reference rate transitions.Serve as a subject matter expert, offering guidance on complex financial and regulatory issues within the team.

London, England, United Kingdom

As a senior team member within Credit Suisse's Basel Measurement and Reporting (BMR) team, I spearheaded strategic regulatory projects in response to the global banking reforms following the 2007/2008 financial crisis. My core responsibility was to quantify future capital and regulatory impacts while designing and implementing cutting-edge solutions to meet complex regulatory requirements.Key Achievements:Regulatory Innovation: Team lead of the Rapid Application Development (RAD) unit, optimizing regulatory calculations and delivering bespoke user solutions through big data platforms like Hadoop. This initiative enabled the organization to meet evolving regulatory requirements efficiently and empowered teams with advanced analytics capabilities.Basel 4 Compliance: Headed the Basel 4 Capital Output Floor calculations across multiple business lines, utilising big data platforms to forecast and assess the impact of regulatory output floors on future business decisions. Successfully revised FCCM, SACCR, and risk-weighting methodologies across product lines, ensuring full alignment with upcoming regulations.Advanced Risk Management: Collaborated closely with regulatory policy teams and IT developers to translate complex Basel requirements into tangible, actionable business solutions. By integrating advanced technologies, I enabled the firm to anticipate and meet regulatory changes well ahead of deadlines, improving the firm's ability to manage risk and capital requirements proactively.Cross-Functional Leadership: Oversaw the release of dozens of high-impact projects focused on optimizing capital adequacy and regulatory reporting. Through collaborating with cross-functional teams we ensured that Credit Suisse could adapt to and implement complex regulatory frameworks while maintaining a competitive edge.

London, United Kingdom

As a Market Risk Analyst, I was responsible for calculating Goldman Sachs' standardized market risk capital adequacy requirements, covering both general and specific market risks across a diverse portfolio of traded products, including equity risk, interest rate risk, and foreign exchange (FX) risk. My role involved performing detailed risk assessments and ensuring accurate capital allocation in compliance with regulatory requirements.Key Contributions:Capital Adequacy: Played a key role in assessing and reporting on the firm’s capital adequacy across various product lines, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards for market risk capital charges.Risk Identification & Mitigation: Conducted in-depth risk analysis that identified underlying market risks for each product and trade, allowing the firm to proactively adjust its capital position and risk management strategies.Strategic Risk Insights: Provided senior management with critical insights into how market volatility and specific risk factors could affect the firm's capital position. This information was used to make informed decisions on capital allocation and to mitigate potential losses.Cross-Product Analysis: Gained a deep understanding of how market risks across asset classes were interconnected and contributed to the overall risk profile of the firm. My analysis helped optimize the capital held against these risks, ensuring better capital efficiency and stronger risk management.

London, United Kingdom

As part of Credit Suisse’s Basel 2 project team, I was responsible for delivering the Group Capital Adequacy calculations in compliance with the newly released Basel 2 frameworks during a critical period for global financial markets. My role focused on stabilising and refining counterparty credit risk calculations to ensure accuracy and alignment with evolving regulatory requirements.Key Contributions:Basel 2 Compliance: Led the implementation of Basel 2 compliant exposure calculations, focusing on RWA (Risk-Weighted Assets) and exposure monitoring for both secured financing (Repo/Reverse Repo/SLB) and OTC Derivatives. Ensured that the firm’s capital adequacy was accurately reported and compliant with BCBS128 standards.Counterparty Credit Risk Management: Played a key role in stabiliSing and refining counterparty credit risk models (EPE and CEM) during a period of extreme market volatility. I ensured that Credit Suisse maintained accurate risk assessments, particularly for high-risk products, safeguarding the firm’s capital position during the financial crisis.Regulatory Filings & Reporting: Managed the reporting workflows required for external regulatory filings, ensuring timely and accurate submission of data under the Basel 2 framework. Provided critical analysis that supported the bank’s strategic response to heightened regulatory scrutiny during and after the financial crisis.Strategic Stabilisation: Focused on stabilising risk models and processes during a highly volatile period, working closely with senior management to ensure that regulatory changes were fully integrated into the firm's risk and capital management strategies.

As an Audit Manager, I led a team of 4 to 6 audit trainees across a variety of industries, including financial services, banking, and manufacturing. My responsibilities included planning and executing audits, managing client relationships, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. I successfully passed the CA (SA) board exams during this period, obtaining first-time passes.Key Contributions:Leadership & Mentorship: Managed and mentored a team of junior auditors, ensuring high-quality audit deliverables while fostering professional growth within my team.Diverse Industry Expertise: Led audits for a diverse portfolio of clients across multiple industries, including financial services, banking, and manufacturing, providing strategic insights and ensuring compliance with industry-specific regulations.Audit Quality & Compliance: Ensured all audits adhered to relevant financial reporting standards (IFRS/GAAP) and local regulatory requirements, delivering reports that met the highest standards of accuracy and transparency.Achieved Chartered Accountant (SA): Successfully completed my CA (SA) designation with first-time passes on the board exams, further solidifying my expertise in auditing, financial reporting, and regulatory compliance.

Ca (Sa)

Achieved Chartered Accountant designation with first-time passes on all board exams.

Bachelor Of Commerce (Bcom) Honours Degree, Accounting And Finance, Bcom Hons Accounting

Graduated with Honours in Accounting and Finance. Focused on financial reporting, management accounting, and auditing, laying a strong.

Chartered Management Accountant

Completed CIMA while working at Credit Suisse, with a focus on management accounting, cost allocation methodologies, and system design.