Head of FI

The Head of Financial Institutions is a senior leadership position responsible for driving the growth and profitability of the institution’s Financial Institutions (FI) franchise. This role involves developing and executing business strategies, managing key relationships with domestic and international financial entities, and overseeing a diverse portfolio that includes banks, DFIs, NBFIs, insurance companies, fintechs, and other financial service providers. The incumbent will ensure compliance with regulatory requirements while identifying new business opportunities and maintaining a competitive edge in the market.

Key Responsibilities

- Develop and implement the FI business strategy encompassing banks, DFIs, NBFIs, insurance companies, payment rails, fintechs, exchange companies, BaaS, and other financial institutions.
- Own and manage the FI portfolio, focusing on revenue, profitability, asset growth, trade finance, guarantees, FX, cash management, and other banking products.
- Build and sustain senior-level relationships with local and international banks, multilateral institutions, development finance institutions, and other strategic partners.
- Develop and maintain correspondent banking relationships, including nostro/vostro accounts, RMA relationships, trade corridors, payment arrangements, and international banking partnerships.
- Maintain comprehensive knowledge of the competitive landscape, including pricing, products, correspondent networks, and strategies of major banks operating in Pakistan.
- Originate new business opportunities and cross-sell lending, trade finance, treasury, cash management, guarantees, structured finance, and risk-management solutions.
- Lead credit origination and portfolio management for FI counterparties, ensuring thorough financial analysis, credit assessment, exposure limits, and risk mitigation.
- Monitor FI credit quality and counterparty risk, including country risk, sovereign risk, liquidity, capital adequacy, and financial performance.
- Ensure compliance with State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) regulations and internal policies, particularly related to 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 reviews.
- Oversee the annual business plan and financial targets, including 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 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 and escalate significant credit, compliance, reputational, or operational risks to senior management.

Required Qualifications

A Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related discipline is essential. Professional certifications such as CFA or FRM are preferred.

Required Skills and Experience

Candidates should have at least 10 years of experience in Financial Institutions, Treasury, Correspondent Banking, or related fields. Strong expertise in managing bank-to-bank relationships, FX/money market lines, counterparty limits, and correspondent banking arrangements is required. A solid understanding of SBP regulations, banking products, FX markets, AML/CFT, and counterparty risk is essential. Experience in Islamic banking or Shariah-compliant financial products and transactions will be considered an advantage.

This role demands a strategic thinker with excellent leadership, negotiation, and relationship management skills, capable of driving growth while ensuring rigorous compliance and risk management.