Services Controls: Strategy and Process Governance (Middle East & Africa)- Senior Vice President

Role Overview

Senior Vice President, Services Controls: Strategy and Process Governance (Middle East & Africa) at Citi, based in UAE with senior responsibilities across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) Cluster for Services business.

Company Overview

Citi's Services organization is a strategically critical business central to enabling client growth and global cash management solutions. The Controls function is part of Services' 1st line of defense and manages risk in alignment with this mandate within the MEA Franchise, given the unique regulatory regimes in play across the region.

Role Purpose

This is a high-impact individual contributor leadership role that serves as the principal Controls partner to the MEA Operations organization and the key bridge between Operations, Product, and Geography teams. The role drives a proactive risk reduction agenda across 29 markets, moving the organization away from reactive control management toward forward-looking thematic reviews, early identification of control gaps, and continuous process improvement. The role directly supports the Transformation agenda, strengthens the first line risk and controls environment, and protects the Services business across one of Citi's most geographically diverse regions.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Control Framework

• Define and execute the MEA Controls strategy in alignment with the broader Services Controls framework, applying a process and control simplification lens to enhance client experience.
• Drive a proactive, forward-looking risk reduction agenda across the MEA Cluster through thematic reviews, early identification of control gaps, and continuous process improvement across all 29 markets.
• Support the MEA Services Controls Transformation agenda by embedding first line risk and control best practices into transformation workstreams and process re-engineering initiatives.

Stakeholder Partnership & Governance

• Serve as the primary Controls partner to MEA Operations, acting as the key bridge between Operations, Product, and Geography teams to deliver a unified approach to risk and control across all products.
• Provide strategic advisory and challenge to Product, Operations, Sales, and country Services leadership on control design, effectiveness, and remediation across Transaction Banking and financial products.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders across multiple countries, products, and control functions within MEA and globally to influence outcomes and drive accountability.
• Oversee relevant governance committees, including chairing meetings, managing agendas, and ensuring rigorous follow-up on action items.
• Serve as a key contributor to MEA Franchise and Services forums, representing the Controls function on risk and governance matters.

Process Improvement & Documentation

• Identify and drive enhancements to documentation, controls, and processes, including within the Managers Control Assessment (MCA) construct, to meet local and cross-border risk and regulatory requirements.

Risk Management & Escalation

• Lead the identification, escalation, and end-to-end resolution of control issues and risk events across the MEA Cluster in line with firmwide escalation guidelines.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree required.
• 10+ years expertise in Operational Risk Management and other regulatory-related functions within the Financial Services sector preferred.
• Deep understanding of Operational Risk and related frameworks as they relate to the banking sector required.
• Working knowledge of the regulatory environments and regimes within MEA countries for Transaction Banking required.
• Proven record in monitoring compliance to regulations including controls and process mapping within the Managers Control Assessment (MCA) construct.
• Excellent business acumen and ability to quickly understand multiple areas within a function and across functions, and how they interact to achieve process objectives.

Skills & Competencies

Risk & Control Leadership

• Demonstrate proactive risk reduction mindset with commitment to forward-looking control management through thematic reviews and early gap identification.
• Apply a control simplification lens, ensuring stronger controls enhance rather than complicate the client experience.
• Design, challenge, and remediate controls across complex, multi-market environments.

Client-Centric Approach

• Ensure risk and control improvements translate directly into an enhanced client experience, balancing robust risk management with operational simplicity.

Strategy & Transformation

• Develop and execute a controls strategy that supports business transformation and long-term sustainable growth.
• Operate effectively at both strategic and executional levels with big picture thinking and high attention to critical detail.
• Maintain strong process improvement orientation with track record of embedding continuous improvement into risk and control delivery.

Operational & Processing Risk Management

• Possess deep understanding of operational and processing risk frameworks as they apply to Transaction Banking and financial products across the MEA region.
• Identify, assess, and remediate processing risk exposures, including controls and process mapping within the MCA construct.
• Oversee governance committees effectively, including agenda management, facilitation, and rigorous action follow-up.

Stakeholder Influence & Communication

• Engage and influence senior leaders, Cluster and Product managers across a complex, matrixed organization.
• Demonstrate strong written, verbal, and analytical skills, distilling complex risk topics into clear, actionable insights for senior audiences.

Matrix Effectiveness & Influencing

• Drive outcomes and effect change without direct authority, influencing senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams through credibility, expertise, and relationship capital.
• Build consensus and hold teams accountable across a highly matrixed, multi-geography organization, navigating competing priorities and ambiguous accountabilities across 29 markets.
• Translate complex risk and control issues into business terms to secure buy-in from non-controls audiences and drive timely decision-making at senior levels.

Execution & Accountability

• Deliver results with exceptional execution skills and high personal accountability.
• Manage competing priorities across multiple markets to deliver high-quality, timely outputs.
• Manage compliance monitoring routines, audits, and governance cycles concurrently.

Collaboration & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Act as a principal partner to Operations, Product, Geography, and Technology teams across a geographically diverse cluster.
• Navigate complex, highly matrixed organizations across 29 markets with varying regulatory and operational contexts.
• Build strong relationships across multiple countries, products, and control functions within MEA and globally.

Additional Information

• Full-time position.
• Reports directly to the MEA Cluster Controls Head (Director).
• Cluster-based role entailing development of relationships and work with senior stakeholders across multiple countries, products, and control functions in MEA cluster as well as globally.
• Opportunity to shape risk and control culture and monitor Citi's compliance with regulatory requirements across multiple financial products and countries in MEA.
• Flexible team that values people, encourages ownership, welcomes ideas, values diversity, and supports bringing your whole self to work.
• Job Family Group: Controls Governance & Oversight.
• Job Family: Cross-disciplinary Controls.
• Citi is an equal opportunity employer and provides consideration to qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.