Michael Williams

Bank ABC

Head of Talent 

BNY Mellon

EMEA Chief Administrative Officer, Technology Services Chief of Staff, Senior Vice President

EMEA Technology Workforce Transformation Lead, Chief of Staff - Poland & CEE, Associate Director

Recruitment Team Leader, Associate Director

HSBC

Senior Recruiter, UK&CI and Zurich

Various Specialist Recruitment Firms

Senior Recruiter (UK & Europe)

Talent Acquisition Lead ✦ RL100 Member ✦ Views are my own

A results-driven HR and Talent Acquisition professional with International experience. I specialise in aligning people strategies with business goals to fuel growth and performance. With extensive experience in global banking, financial services, and technology, I have a deep understanding of the complexities of talent management, workforce planning, and regulatory compliance within the financial sector.

✔ End-to-End Recruitment Expertise: Successfully hired top talent across Front Office, Middle Office, and Corporate Functions within banking, managing searches at all levels up to Managing Director (MD).

✔ Talent Strategy & Workforce Planning

✔ HR Transformation & Change Management

✔ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) 

✔ Leadership Coaching & Performance Management

✔ HR Analytics & Data-Driven Insights 

✔ Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management

I am passionate about building future-ready workforces, driving innovation in talent acquisition and HR strategy, and fostering environments where people and businesses thrive.

Head of Talent

Recruitment Lead responsible for all lines of business hiring from entry to Board level, covering Corporate Functions through to the FrontI office. 

2021 Achievements:
→ Recruitment Framework & Governance Implementation 
→ IR35 Lead (Successful HMRC Audit)
→ Reduced time to hire to 41 days

2022 Achievements:
→ ATS Implementation 
→ Talent Management Framework Design
→ Gender Diversity recruitment policy implementation 

2023 Achievements (YTD):
→ Direct recruitment model implementation 
→ Direct Recruitment (91% YTD)
→ Internal Mobility (63% increase YTD)
→ Branding

Key Placements:
→ European Chief Risk Officer, London
→ Chief Risk Officer, Paris
→ European Head of Internal Audit
→ UK MLRO / European Head of Financial Crime
→ European Chief Financial Officer
→ Head of Market Risk & Reporting
→ Head of Credit Risk
→ Head of Enterprise Risk Management 
→ Head of Operations 
→ Head of Business Management
→ European Head of Banking
→ European Head of IT
→ Head of Communications - Europe
→ European Head of Treasury & Financial Markets
→ Business Manager to the CEO, IB

Zenith Bank (UK) Limited.

Trade Finance Officer

Byblos Bank Group

National Bank of Kuwait (International) PLC

Overseeing customer requests of TF operations, issuing Letter of credit, Bank Guarantee, document checking, Amendment, Advising, and Corresponding. Complying with banks policy and procedures to execute the transactions and monitoring.
Bank Guarantee end to end processing while coordinating with client, legal, FI, Corporate Teams correspondence banking in order to issue guarantees.
Document checking as per LC terms and conditions, Creating archive files, physical files, and digitisation of trade finance transactions in accordance with UCP600, URDG, INCOTERMS. Payment and positioning of funds.
Performing KYC, AML, Risk category, World, Price check, BL tracking, Adverse media, Goods check as per the bank policy.
Swift operations, creation, query and reply related payment and other trade finance related swift messages.

Trade Finance

Union Bank of India - Earlier known as Corporation Bank

● Responsible for trade finance, trade working capital and treasury operations. Managing high value TF transaction of UK, Europe, APAC, ME & Americas, Advising on ECA offering, performing KYC, AML, Financial Crime process, reducing operation & processing risks, coordinating with various departments, screening transactions for sanctions, fraud, leading strategic training, resolving issues related to TF, and generating metrics on potential risks.
● Identified fraud transactions worth $ 21 lakhs and reported to higher management.
● Working capital financing against receivables, invoices, confirmed orders and trade finance 
   products(LCs, SBLCs, Export Bills) to industries like IT, Manufacturing, Agric, SMEs, Engineering. 
● Accountable for resolving issues and queries related to trade finance, payments, and treasury 
    operations. Supporting credit department in fresh trade finance facility sanctions.
● Processing payments, Managed export & import, letter of credit, bank guarantee, bonds garnered 
    revenue worth $5.5M.
● Mitigated risk with due consideration of sanctions, country’s exposure to execute transactions.
● Liaising with internal and external stakeholders, legal, credit, regulators, and top management.
● Overseeing compliances, sanctions and reporting internal and external regulators.
● Reduced operation and processing risks through immediate reporting and notifying major operational 
    issues. Supporting audit process and replying to queries.
● Coordinated with departments like treasury, bank account and ledger reconciliation, legal and credit departments for the settlement of trade payments. Forwarding booking, spot, cash deal booking.
● Screening transactions and reporting to statutory departments like the Central Bank, Director General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Direct Taxes.
● Led strategic training for teammates and officials of other branches.
● Generated metrics and day reports regarding for onward submission to management.

Senior Manager-Trade Finance - Trade Working Capital

Inex Foods Pvt Ltd

Co-founded startup www.mytodokart.com a E-commerce platform dealing in daily essentials. Stood runner up in a startup fund raising competition.

Later in 2020 it was converted to Private Limited and covered variety of food products. From design finalisation of website, app and server, vendor management to marketing placements and corporate tie ups.

Later handed over the post to next successors.

Co-Founder

CORPORATION BANK

Being part of team managed system migration and merger process, and supported in setting new bank software.
● Specialized in trade finance, trade working capital being a part team managed total business of 
$ 235.00 mln while executing transactions related to swift payments, import and export business, LCs, Documentary credit, utilizing Anti-Money Laundering (AML) skills while dealing, assessing risk, and executing transactions while complying with internal and external compliances.
● Working collaboratively with marketing, credit, and other teams for fresh credit facility and renewal of 
   existing clients trade finance credit limits.
● Executing trade working capital transactions against asset backed limits, receivables, bill of exchange, confirmed orders-contracts, to meet working capital needs of clients. With senior stakeholders approval.
● Export and Import documentary handling, bill lodgment, Non banking import bill processing, issuing letter of credit, SBLCs in consideration with UCP 600.
● Inward/outward payment execution through swift, performing KYC, AML, CTF, CDD and Renewal. 
● Demonstrated leadership skills and trained colleagues and new hires, delivered guest lectures a chamber of commerce for development of trade for small and medium enterprises.
● Scrutiny of accounts, Collaborating with legal, credit and internal teams for renewal and new business.
● Demonstrated financial acumen and innovative thinking in managing forex operations and retail and corporate banking.

Senior Manager Foreign Exchange - Trade Finance Treasury Operations

● Headed two regions for trade finance, working capital financing, Export-Import LCs, Collection bills, Negotiation and operations. Responsible for reporting to General manager and regulatory compliances
● Increased business from 8 to 100 crores and outcome to 78 crores for Corporation Bank.
● Processing trade capital requests and Managing ECA's process as per client portfolio.
● Presented pitches, business development presentations, delivered guest lecture at DIC, Chamber of Commerce and local SME development forums.
● Received ‘Best performer award’ for foreign exchange income (Corporation Bank)
● Proficient abilities in handling technical discussions and was responsible for two zones containing 
   140+ branches (Corporation Bank Ltd)
● International payments, KYC, AML, CDD process and related regulatory compliance. 
● Oversee Imports-Export operations, Letter of Credit, Reporting and stakeholders management. At 
    the same time had opportunity to lead team, mentoring and train them.

Manager Forex Compliance - Trade Finance - Treasury Operations

Responsible for daily operation, KYC-AML, Reconciliation, Interbank payment settlement, Account opening, cash management, saving bank account and business account dealings. Compliances and audit support.

asst.manager

13 years of experience banking professional specialised in trade finance operations and trade working capital, trade product management, and swift operations. Proficient in due diligence, managing, and mitigation of risk while leading teams and collaborating with cross-functional departments like credit, legal, corporate, and treasury in advising clients, field managers, marketing, and onboarding. Inconsistent with bank policy and regulatory compliances. Managing end-to-end life cycle events of trade instruments like letters of credit, bank guarantees, and SBLCs consistent with UCP600, URC, URR, and URDG rules. Export and import document handling checking, acceptance, purchase, negotiation, and payments. Documentary trade facilities like working capital loans, export/import financing, pre & post shipment loans, preparing approval notes, creating archives files of transactions, and Coordinating to resolve conflicts and complete transactions. Provided audit support and trained new hires and colleagues. 

A large part of my work has been focused on trade finance working capital, supply chain financing and trade finance operations, discounting/negotiating trade bills, and LCs. financing receivables, confirmed contracts, and trade products, and suggesting ECA offerings while managing stakeholders ( internal/ external) for compliance and transaction execution. Mitigating risk involved in trade working capital and trade finance operations. Taken care of forward contracts, deal booking for conversion of currencies, swift payments, and nostro reconciliation. While handling documentary credit bills, issuance of letters of credit, bank guarantee, SBLCs and negotiating documents, International payments, swift payments & and operations, customer relationship management, risk assessment, retail & and corporate financing, and fraud reduction. documents check and scrutinizing, drafting related export and import letter of credit, and bank guarantees, wherein I was responsible for executing transactions with compliance, sanction and country risk assessment, and implication banking practice and law.

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Michael Williams

Anil Pundlikk

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