Head of FI

The Head of Financial Institutions is a senior leadership position responsible for driving the growth and development of the institution's Financial Institutions (FI) franchise. This role focuses on business development, portfolio management, relationship building with domestic and international financial entities, and ensuring profitability while maintaining compliance with regulatory standards. The position requires strategic oversight of a diverse range of financial institution clients, including banks, DFIs, NBFIs, insurance companies, fintechs, and other related entities.

Key Responsibilities

- Develop and implement the FI business strategy encompassing banks, development finance institutions, non-bank financial institutions, insurance companies, payment rails, fintech firms, exchange companies, Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), and other financial institutions.
- Own and manage the FI portfolio, including revenue generation, profitability, asset growth, trade finance, guarantees, foreign exchange, cash management, and other banking products.
- Establish and maintain senior-level relationships with local and international banks, multilateral and development finance institutions, and other strategic partners in the financial sector.
- Develop and manage correspondent banking relationships, including nostro/vostro accounts, RMA relationships, trade corridors, payment arrangements, and international banking partnerships.
- Maintain a thorough understanding of the competitive landscape, including pricing, products, correspondent networks, and strategies of major banks operating in Pakistan.
- Originate new business opportunities and cross-sell the bank’s lending, trade finance, treasury, cash management, guarantees, structured finance, and risk management solutions.
- Lead credit origination and portfolio management for FI counterparties, ensuring robust financial analysis, credit assessment, exposure limits, and risk mitigation measures.
- Monitor credit quality and counterparty risk, including country risk, sovereign risk, liquidity, capital adequacy, and overall financial performance.
- Ensure strict compliance with State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) regulations and internal policies, particularly regarding correspondent banking, KYC/CDD, AML/CFT, sanctions, and transaction monitoring.
- Manage FI-related regulatory and compliance reviews, including responses to correspondent-bank questionnaires, information requests, and periodic KYC/AML assessments.
- Oversee the annual business plan and financial targets, focusing on revenue, profitability, balance sheet utilization, client acquisition, and portfolio growth.
- Identify market trends and emerging opportunities within Pakistan’s banking and financial services sector and translate these into commercial advantages.
- Represent the bank in engagements with senior stakeholders such as CEOs, CFOs, Treasurers of financial institutions, regulators, government bodies, international banks, and development institutions.
- Lead negotiations on credit facilities, correspondent banking arrangements, bilateral limits, trade lines, guarantees, deposits, and strategic partnerships.
- Coordinate with Credit, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Operations, and Treasury teams to ensure transactions are properly structured, approved, documented, and executed.
- Support the bank’s international business strategy by managing relationships with global correspondent banks, export credit agencies (ECAs), multilaterals, and international financial institutions.
- Ensure appropriate governance and risk controls across the FI portfolio, escalating material credit, compliance, reputational, or operational risks to senior management as necessary.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field.
- Professional certifications such as CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) or FRM (Financial Risk Manager) are preferred.

Required Skills and Experience

- Minimum of 10 years’ experience in financial institutions, treasury, correspondent banking, or related areas.
- Strong expertise in managing bank-to-bank relationships, foreign exchange and money market lines, counterparty limits, and correspondent banking arrangements.
- Solid understanding of SBP regulations, banking products, FX markets, AML/CFT frameworks, and counterparty risk management.
- Experience with Islamic banking or Shariah-compliant financial products and transactions is preferred.

This role offers the opportunity to lead a critical function within the bank, working closely with senior stakeholders and shaping the institution’s presence in the financial institutions sector both locally and internationally.