Hi, I’m
Avinaash Acharya
Senior Manager - Operational Risk
Kuwait City
Summary
Versatile Senior Manager specializing in Operational Risk, Business Continuity, Information Security, Fraud Risk domains and skilled at planning, implementing and overseeing key improvements to drive effective risk management. History of cultivating an open culture with free exchange of information. Pursuing new professional challenges with a growth-oriented company.
Overview
16
years of professional experience
8
Certificates
3
Languages
Work History
Commercial Bank of KuwaitKuwait City
Senior Manager - Operational Risk
03.2019 - Current
Job overview
- Established culture of long-term risk management, starting from Board members and across all its business units.
- Entrusted to deputize Head of Operational Risk with oversight of Non-Financial Risk Group, which consists of Operational Risk, Business Continuity and Information Security functions.
- Delegate and organize management committees for Operational Risk, Business Continuity, and IT and IT Security Steering Committees.
- Report to BRMC - Board Risk Management Committee on Operational Risk and Business Continuity related matters.
- Assist Management Committee in articulating effective policies and embedding robust Operational Risk Management Framework.
- Embed positive culture of confident and informed risk- taking through training, communication and promotion of agreed risk framework and in line with Bank's risk appetite.
- Developed Fraud Risk Management Policy and Framework , and overseeing implementation of framework across all 40 Operational Risk Areas.
- Managed OR tool project and introduced new processes to achieve challenging objectives.
- Provided strong leadership to enhance team productivity and morale.
Commercial Bank of KuwaitKuwait City
Manager - Operational Risk
05.2018 - 03.2019
Job overview
- Continuous monitoring of key controls to assess adequacy of existing controls for effective management of Operational Risk.
- Develop and maintain Risk Register by identifying main risk areas in various banking processes.
- Responsible for performing effective operational risk and assurance reviews and ensuring appropriate monitoring activities and processes are in place over internal controls.
- Capture and assess bank's insurance requirements to provide blanket protection against losses resulting from its employees infidelity and from third parties.
- Review bank wide policies and procedures to identify key internal and external operational risks.
- Assist business areas in investigation of incidents, root-cause analysis and probable fraud cases caused by internal or external factors.
- Plan, coordinate and facilitate annual Business Continuity and IT Disaster Test.
- Cross-trained existing employees to maximize team agility and performance.
Commercial Bank of Kuwait Kuwait City
Assistant Manager - Operational Risk
11.2013 - 04.2018
Paladion Qatar W.L.L (Atos)Doha
Practice Manager - BCM & Senior Security Consultant
04.2011 - 08.2013
Job overview
- Responsible for managing team and delivery of BCM services to Paladion's customers.
- Assess business growth and profitability, customer relations and service delivery.
- Manage and provide leadership, guidance and knowledge in developing business continuity service.
- Help clients achieve compliance and certification accreditation to ISO 22301, ISO 27001, PCI DSS standards.
- Oversee and participate in information security projects ranging from application security assessments, vulnerability assessment and penetration testing.
- Develop and implement strategic, comprehensive enterprise information security and IT Risk management program.
- Design IT processes and various elements therein, such as policies, governance, information security and operational environments.
- Help clients in defining and setting up robust IT governance framework in alignment with industry best practices.
Paladion Networks (Atos)Bangalore
Security Consultant
09.2007 - 03.2011
Job overview
- Perform comprehensive application security assessment for various core banking and financial applications.
- Involved in various application security audit of Web Content Management Application, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System, Mobile Portal Application, Core Banking System (CBS), SIEBEL, Card Management System (CMS), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Internet Banking and Online Trading Applications.
- Perform onsite and remote security consulting including penetration testing, onsite internal security assessment, social engineering, and wireless security assessment.
- Provided comprehensive report on findings and action items to fix identified vulnerabilities and providing clients assurance against OWASP.
- Performed vulnerability assessment of multiple platforms including Windows, Linux, Solaris, HP-UX, Oracle & MSSQL Databases, IIS and Apache Web servers, Cisco Routers, Switches and Firewalls.
- Developed reasonable and cost effective recommendations for security improvement.
- Assessed security compliance, security program organization, policies and procedures, general risks and vulnerabilities.
Education
Royal Holloway, University of LondonLondon
Master of Science from Information Security
04.2006 - 04.2007
Visvesvaraya Technological UniversityBangalore
Bachelor of Engineering from Information Science
04.2002 - 04.2006
Skills
Operational Risk Management
Information Security Management
Business Continuity Management
Enterprise Risk Management
Change Management
Regulatory Compliance
Risk Reporting
Data Privacy Best Practices
People Management
Stakeholder Management
Risk mitigation planning
IT risk management
Certification
CERM- Certified Enterprise Risk Manager - CERM - The Institute of Financial Consultants - Kuwait
Accomplishments
Kuwait National Finalist - Team Leader (03/2016 - 03/2017)
- Global Management Challenge (GMC) is an International Competition of Strategy and Management.
- Lead CBK team to the National Finals after winning two preliminary rounds of the competition
Timeline
Senior Manager - Operational Risk
Commercial Bank of Kuwait
03.2019 - Current
Manager - Operational Risk
Commercial Bank of Kuwait
05.2018 - 03.2019
Assistant Manager - Operational Risk
Commercial Bank of Kuwait
11.2013 - 04.2018
Practice Manager - BCM & Senior Security Consultant
Paladion Qatar W.L.L (Atos)
04.2011 - 08.2013
Security Consultant
Paladion Networks (Atos)
09.2007 - 03.2011
Royal Holloway, University of London
Master of Science from Information Security
04.2006 - 04.2007
Visvesvaraya Technological University
Bachelor of Engineering from Information Science
04.2002 - 04.2006