Ketan Baid

Leadership and Strategy

• Lead and manage the Financial Services Risk and Controls Advisory Practice in PwC-India Acceleration Centre for the UK, UAE (Dubai|Abu Dhabi|Saudi Arabia and other non-U.S. territories (AU).| NZ|CA), aligning its activities with corporate objectives, risk management strategies, and industry best practices. With a team size of 72 FTEs and a gross business of $2 million.
• Co-Lead the Centre of Excellence Team of FS Risk & Controls for USA Banking, Insurance, Private Equity, and Fintech clients.
• Develop the strategic internal audit and internal controls testing plan in collaboration with the senior leadership team, tailored to the Financial Services Industry’s unique risks and challenges.
• Provide guidance, training, and mentorship to risk and controls, and internal audit professionals, cultivating a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Develop and strengthen the FS practice within the company in support of the PMO team to penetrate more business for the PwC-India Acceleration Centre.

Risk Management and Internal Controls.

• Continuously assess and evaluate the client’s risk management framework, including operational, financial, and compliance risks across the organization.
• Review and monitor internal controls across the client’s organization, ensuring compliance with corporate policies, regulations, and industry standards.
• Conduct detailed audits of key business areas, including valuation, hedging, loan origination, lease servicing, claims, reinsurance, real estate development, leasing, property management, investment activities, and other departments, to identify potential risks and mitigate gaps in internal controls.

Audit Execution & Reporting

• Lead and conduct internal audits across various business units, joint ventures, partnerships, Asset management, IT, finance and other departments within company.
• Assess the effectiveness and efficiency of operations, ensuring the reliability of financial reporting, IT systems, and compliance with relevant regulations.
• Prepare and present comprehensive audit reports, providing actionable insights, findings, and recommendations to senior management.

Regulatory Compliance and Financial Integrity.

• Ensure adherence to financial regulations, industry standards, and company policies across the Financial Services Industry.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of compliance programs and collaborate with legal and compliance teams to address issues and mitigate risks.
• Stay up to date on the Financial Services Industry regulations, financial accounting standards, and emerging risks, and incorporate them into audit practices.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with senior management, including the managing directors and executive team, to provide updates and insights on internal audit activities and key findings.
• Partner with all departments (e.g., Development, Contracts Management, Finance, Human Resources, IT, Procurement, etc.) To foster a collaborative and unified approach to risk management and internal controls.
• Lead discussions with the CEO and other key stakeholders, presenting audit plans, results, and any critical issues requiring attention.

Continuous Improvement and Innovation.

• Identify opportunities for improving operational efficiency, financial performance, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Leverage data analytics, technology, and automation tools to enhance audit processes and reporting.
• Plan and implement IT systems related to Internal Audit
• Monitor and ensure that all audit practices comply with global standards of internal auditing (e.g., IIA, PCAOB).

• Assess Process Controls: Evaluate existing process controls to ensure they are effective in mitigating risks and achieving operational objectives.
• Supervise Compliance: Ensure adherence to internal policies, regulatory requirements, and industry standards by supervising and reviewing process controls, and compliance activities. Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of internal control frameworks, policies, and procedures.
• Identify Improvements: Identify areas for process improvement and control enhancements. Recommend and implement solutions to address control weaknesses, and optimize operational efficiency.
• Analyze data: Collect and analyze to process, including. Sampling, controls, and their efficiency, as well as compliance metrics, support decision-making and reporting.
• Reporting: Prepare reports on process control assessments, including findings, recommendations, and action plans. Present findings to management and stakeholders.
• Teamwork: Liaise with the governance teams and service delivery teams to assess the level of risk and efficiency of the underlying controls.
• Liaise with assurance teams to supervise progress and support the smooth execution of the annual SOX cycle for all reliance controls.

• I undertook special assignments to improve process efficiencies, increase cost savings, and mitigate key risks.
• I was responsible for developing the framework for newsprint procurement to take advantage of printing cycles and leverage the surplus cash.
• Revamped the insurance management function across the group to rationalize risks covered, sum insured, premiums, and claims processing.
• I was keenly involved in implementing the ERM framework for TimesJobs, ET Money, Magicbricks, and Radio Mirchi verticals of the Times Group.
• I was actively involved in developing the business intelligence framework for the commercial function of the group.
• Discovered and investigated frauds related to marketing and real estate purchases, hence enforcing transparency, improved efficiency, and accountability.

• Lead the Internal Audit to ensure proper governance is maintained across the organization.
• Develop the internal audit plan and undertake internal audits as required to ensure the company meets its financial, operational, and compliance objectives.
• Report on control deficiencies to management, the Audit and Compliance Committee, and make recommendations to mitigate risk and add value.
• Challenge current processes across the company, and identify opportunities for refinement.
• Engage in the remediation of identified issues through follow-up.
• Play an active role in the maintenance and review of policies and procedures, including ensuring they are up to date with all legislation and regulations.
• Play an active role in advising the organization on governance and internal audit matters.

• Operate as the first point of contact for auditors and external stakeholders related to the organization’s SOX compliance program.
• Ensure the design, implementation, and maintenance of effective internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR).
• Prepare and present reports on control deficiencies, remediation plans, and progress to management.
• Partner with leaders in Finance, Information Security, Data Privacy, Compliance, and business areas to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of risk management activities.
• Develop and implement additional value-added enterprise risk management initiatives that support the organization’s overall risk management, and commercial objectives.
• Provide oversight and advice on compliance with the Risk Management and Control Framework.
• Support the development and implementation of a risk management strategy.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to more fully develop and articulate the company’s risk management framework, including clarifying roles and responsibilities of the three lines of defense, and developing and implementing an approach to manage risk within the company’s risk tolerance.
• Supports the department in preparation for any Enterprise Risk Management-related examinations conducted by external parties, such as regulatory agencies or internal audit.
• Supporting the client with the implementation of the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Framework in order to establish an effective, risk-based system to identify, measure, monitor, and control enterprise-wide risks.
• Implementation and maintenance of a risk control self-assessment system for enterprise risk management.
• Building, maintaining, and enhancing business relations with department and business heads for the smooth implementation of risk management activities across the organization.
• Define and maintain policies and SOPs for ERM framework components (risk register, RCSAs, issue management, incident management).

• Assisted in the SOX compliance testing and documentation work for a leading IT Company in India
• To allocate, supervise & handle the day-to-day accounting and payroll works of Australia, Dubai and UK Brighton based companies
• Preparation of the Financial Statements as per the International Reporting Standards (IFRS)
• Timely delivery of monthly Management Reports
• Handling and Resolving all the escalations and queries on real time basis
• Ensuring smooth flow of process and streamlining the process
• Responsible for planning, conducting & finalizing various Statutory & Tax Audit assignments for Indian Clients