Expert Details
Digital Transformation; Operations, Risk, Compliance, Internal Audit
ID: 736574
Texas, USA
Industries: Banking/Financial Services, Real Estate, Retail/Hospitality, Private Equity
Expert is a versatile multi-industry executive with a diverse mix of experience across all three lines of defense in, and as an independent auditor and strategic advisor to, banks and financial services firms. His broad experience spans across digital innovation and transformation, operational and credit risk management, enterprise risk management, internal audit, regulatory compliance and regulatory remediation. He serves as a board member of two non-profit organizations and is a 10 year military veteran.
He is a proven influencer, comfortable and capable with board members and the C-suite on strategy, governance, risk management, regulatory matters and transformational initiatives. Expert has held senior roles in both large, complex financial institutions and smaller, fast growing financial firms. He has an extensive track record building and leading diverse, high-performing teams and resolving risk and regulatory challenges. Expert is currently the Chief Digital Officer, Head of Direct to Consumer & Head of Service for Others, where he is responsible for leading the organization’s digital transformation strategy, the growth & development of the direct-to-consumer channel, strategic digital partnerships, overseeing compliance within the digital line of business and developing new products and initiatives. He is responsible for a large team of professionals and manages a significant P&L across his various responsibilities. He has been interacting frequently with the board and senior management over the past eight years, and has been a member of various operational and governance committees, including currently as the Chair of the firm’s Digital Transformation Committee.
Previously, Expert served as the company’s Chief Audit Executive for four years, where he reengineered the audit function and raised its stature internally and externally to meet regulatory expectations and align with “large financial institution” standards, including alignment with heightened expectations and enhanced prudential standards. He turned around the function from a Federal Reserve rated “Unsatisfactory” to a “Satisfactory” in less than 24 months by remediating long-standing weaknesses within the audit function. He was instrumental in closing out various matters requiring attention, consent orders, enforcement actions, public monitors and written agreements impacting the organization.
His transition into his current role stemmed from a global initiative that he was part of between 2016-2019 during which he directly worked with the Chairman of (undisclosed) Bank. While serving as the Chief Audit Executive of the US business, Expert also served on a hand-selected global team of five of the top C-level business leaders from other Company's geographies that collaborated on several digital start-up enterprises in the direct to consumer, block-chain/payment transfer, and small business spaces that they took from concept to launch in less than 24 months. The start-ups are now flourishing businesses in Company's global digital portfolio, currently operational in four countries and scheduled to expand to the United States sometime in 2021.
Earlier in his career, Expert was a founding member of a digital/e-commerce retailer of designer fragrances that organically became one of the largest players in the $25B fragrance market in 2007; peaking at attaining the #1 spot on organic search engine results for just over 1,000 SKUs before being acquired by a large national retailer owned by a publicly traded institution. Expert served as the company’s Chief Digital and Chief Operations Officer.
Overall, Expert has over a decade of regulatory and board level reporting experience, having served in multiple large and publicly traded organizations as Chief Digital Officer, Chief Audit Executive, Chief Risk Officer and Chief Compliance Officer. He has started and stabilized numerous enterprise level functions from scratch, allowing his organizations to expand into newer areas. He has played key roles turning organizations with material weaknesses and restatement challenges around, as well as getting organizations ready for initial public offerings from a Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) and internal audit compliance standpoint. He is a multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary executive that can instantly benefit organizations by joining their bench; and in doing so provide the organizations with an instant succession planning strategy spanning across various functions in all three lines of defenses.
Expert holds a Masters degree in Accounting from Eastern Michigan University and a Bachelor’s degree in Financial Economics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He holds the following certifications: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA), Licensed International Financial Analyst (LIFA), Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM).
He has a cross cultural background, has traveled to 32 countries across six continents, and is trilingual in English, Hindi and Tagalog. He is conversational in Spanish.
Areas of Expertise:
• Banking, Commercial, and Consumer Lending
• Real Estate, Retail, Private Equity, E-commerce
• Board of Directors, Strategic Planning
• Compliance Management Systems (FRB,OCC,CFPB)
• Sarbanes Oxley – 404 (SOX) and IPO Readiness
• Digital Transformation and Innovation
• Ops & Enterprise Risk Management (ERM)
• Regulatory Compliance and Reporting
• Regulatory Communications (FRB,OCC CFPB, Statutory) – Heightened Standards
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 2003 | Degree: MA | Subject: Financial Economics (Dean's List Honors) | Institution: University of Michigan |
| Year: 2002 | Degree: Bachelor of Arts | Subject: Financial Economics (Academic Dean's List Honors) | Institution: University of Michigan |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2019 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: CDO, Head of Direct to Consumer & Head of Service for Others | Department: Banking and Consumer Finance |
Responsibilities:Led digital strategy, growth, and development of direct-to-consumer channel, and digital partnerships, overseeing first-line compliance within digital line of business and developing new products and initiatives.• Established organization’s first centralized digital transformation tracker and dashboard from disparate sources. • Spearheaded entry into self-servicing through establishment of digital omni-channel service & collections strategy inclusive of artificial intelligence infused chat-bots. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2017 to 2018 | Employer: Santander Consumer | Title: Project Executive | Department: |
Responsibilities:Ideated, designed and executed Asto digital aggregator and insights platform offering targeted financial solutions for users.• Worked with four top executives from Santander Group worldwide to launch best in class service offering (stand-alone business) in six countries in less than 18 months. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2015 to 2018 | Employer: Santander Consumer | Title: Chief Audit Executive | Department: |
Responsibilities:Reengineered and raised stature of internal audit function to meet regulatory expectations internally and externally and align with “large financial institution” enhanced standards.• Turned-around audit department from Federal Reserve Board rating of “Unsatisfactory” to “Satisfactory” in 18 months. • Closed-out all MRAs/MRIAs, consent orders, enforcement actions, public monitors, and written agreements to comply with Federal Reserve Bank, OCC, CFPB, DOJ, and State regulators. • Audited all consumer banking functions; direct-to-consumer digital lending, personal loans, auto loans, cards, wealth management, and consumer lending partner relationships. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2012 to 2015 | Employer: Invitation Homes/ Waypoint Homes | Title: Strategic Advisor to Board of Directors | Department: Real Estate |
Responsibilities:As Consultant to Board, Chairman, and C-suite, directed strategy and build-out of enterprise Risk Management (risk appetite statement, KPI KRI metrics, and management reporting) and Internal Audit programs, including staffing in dynamic, high-growth, and geographically diverse organization. Key role in Initial Public Offering (IPO) readiness; SOX compliance, Board responsibilities. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2010 to 2015 | Employer: Conn's, Inc. | Title: Various Roles | Department: Consumer Lending |
Responsibilities:Chief Audit Exec., Head of Enterprise Risk Management & Regulatory Compliance (2013-2015)Chief Audit Executive Audit & Head of Enterprise Risk Management (2012 – 2013) Director, Operational Risk & Enterprise Risk Management (2010 – 2012) Established and directed all internal audit, enterprise risk management and regulatory compliance activities in multi-faceted digital and traditional consumer lending and retail organization, while advising C-Suite and Executive Team. • Led company-wide development and training initiative on laws and regulations issued by CFPB, FCC, FTC, and other Federal and State regulators, performing extensive regulatory and board level reporting (audit, risk, and compliance committees). |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2007 to 2010 | Employer: Ally Bank/ GMAC | Title: Internal Audit Manager, North American Consumer & Commercial Lending Operations | Department: Digital Banking/ Mortgage/ Auto |
Responsibilities:Led internal audit and advisory engagements over multi-billion dollar mortgage consumer lending, automotive commercial lending, and automotive consumer lending portfolios.• Drove digital banking audit initiatives prior to and after launch early 2010. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2005 to 2008 | Employer: Self Employed | Title: Co-Founder/COO | Department: |
Responsibilities:Co-founded and operated digital designer fragrance retailer acquired by a larger national retailer (public company). |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2002 to 2007 | Employer: PriceWaterHouseCoopers, LLP | Title: Manager | Department: Assurance and Business Advisory / Transaction Services |
Responsibilities:Portfolio of large banks, specialty finance institutions, and private equity. |
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Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| American Red Cross |
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| CISA CFA Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA) Licensed International Financial Analyst (LIFA) Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) |
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| American Red Cross Board Member United States Army Reserves – Served 1998 – 2008; held positions of Squad Leader and Platoon Leader |
Language Skills
| Language | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| Tagalog | Proficient |
| Spanish | Proficient |
| Hindi | Proficient |