MOHAMMED AZARUDDIN

The Treasury Operations team encompasses a range of critical processes, including margining across Prime Brokerage (PB), FX, Cleared OTC, Repo, and ISDA agreements, along with Reconciliation and Cash Management activities:

• Issued and agreed on margin calls across various processes, including Prime Brokerage (PB), FX, Cleared OTC, Repo, and ISDA, while investigating and resolving disputes.
• Reconciled cash and trade breaks, promptly escalating discrepancies to relevant teams for resolution.
• Updated Independent Amounts and applied appropriate haircuts in line with policy guidelines.
• Delivered training sessions for new hires, creating a supportive learning environment to ensure their successful integration and performance.
• Analyzed operational data to identify trends and inform decision-making, contributing to continuous process improvements.
• Collaborated cross-functionally to identify and implement opportunities for enhanced efficiency and streamlined workflows.
• Enhanced operational efficiency by optimizing processes and introducing new systems and tools.

Project :

Brain stormed & implemented a semi-automated system to generate wire transfer backup documentation for required accounts, working closely with the Operations Control team to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and audit readiness in the payment processing workflow.

The Prime Brokerage Margin team is responsible for account sign-off, margin call issuance, tri-party /third-party operations, cash and security settlements, and reconciliation, along with driving new project initiatives and governance to support seamless BAU operations:

• Set up new Prime Brokerage (PB) accounts by coordinating with negotiation and client data management teams to ensure all required client details are captured and risk policies are applied as per organizational standards.
• Applied risk-based policies tailored to client profiles to meet specific client and firm requirements.
• Conducted UAT testing for new accounts to validate functionality before go-live.
• Issued margin calls for accounts in deficit, ensuring timely and accurate margin coverage.
• Referred to Bloomberg/Refinitiv Eikon to identify missing CUSIP parameters and updated data across eligible traded products.
• Validated trades and journal entries across asset classes (Corporate Actions, Collateral, Futures, FX, Swaps) and coordinated with stakeholders to correct discrepancies.
• Onboarded new Triparty clients, ensuring setup completion and operational readiness.
• Reviewed and updated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Desk Procedures & Documentation (DPADs) for accuracy and compliance.
• Managed cash wire settlements, coordinating with Counterparty Risk, Non-Market Risk, and Finance teams for exclusions and approvals.
• Executed trade settlements, validating holdings and market values against client instructions.
• Processed Free of Payment (FOP) / Asset Transfers accurately and in a timely manner.
• Worked closely with the pre-match team to ensure trades were matched and settled within SLA.
• Investigated and repaired trade fails caused by amendments in trade economics to facilitate market settlement.
• Escalated complex or improbable issues to relevant business functions for timely resolution.
• Provided peer oversight and supported team members in daily business-as-usual (BAU) operations.
• Maintained and reported daily/monthly volumes, exceptions, KPIs, KRIs, and depth charts, and participated in team discussions.
• Trained and mentored new hires, providing necessary access and guidance to perform BAU effectively.
• Successfully managed transition of new business from EMEA and North America regions.

Project:

Initiated a comprehensive training forecast to secure sufficient backup resources across all processes, ensuring smooth business continuity and minimizing operational risks during peak times or staff absences, thereby reducing dependency and delays.

OTC Derivatives Collateral Management involves issuing and agreeing on margin calls, managing cash and securities settlements, and reconciling Initial Margin with custody and broker statements. It also includes handling tri-party /third-party arrangements, supporting migrations, and participating in project governance to ensure efficiency and compliance:

• Extensive experience in OTC Collateral Management Operations with a sound understanding of ISDA, CSA, and the OTC derivatives trade life cycle.
• Created and maintained Settlement Instructions (SSIs) using the SWIFT platform for accurate and secure settlement.
• Involved in User Acceptance Testing (UAT), including test execution, validation, and sign-off activities for process/system changes.
• Proficient in:
  Margin requirement calculations, issuing/responding to margin calls.
  Collateral monthly interest management.
  Liaising with counterparties to ensure effective dispute resolution.
• Ensured adherence to SLAs, consistently met client expectations, and ensured compliance with internal policies and procedures.
• Confirmed all derivative transactions aligned with ISDA standards, coordinating with prime brokers, custodians, and executing brokers to ensure timely clearance and settlement.
• Conducted daily/weekly/monthly reviews of counterparty exposures, managed dispute calls, and processed collateral movements in internal systems.
• Performed Custody Reconciliation using Transaction Lifecycle Management (TLM) tools.
• Proactively managed trade exceptions, investigated root causes, implemented preventive measures, and reported escalations to management.
• Participated in regular discussions with management to drive issue resolution and enhance process efficiency.
• Initiated and led calls with stakeholders to address ongoing issues and ensure timely resolutions.
• Delivered training to team members on:
  Daily margining processes
  Monthly interest calculation
  Client reporting and query/dispute management
  Reconciliation processes
• Played a key role in the transition/migration of processes, ensuring seamless handover and business continuity.

Project:

Actively contributed to the testing phase and collaborated in defining key requirements during the development of the Cash Payment Engine project. This initiative focused on automating the processing of incoming payments received via the SWIFT network to enable their automatic release without manual intervention. Additionally, the project ensured that corresponding accounting journal entries were generated accurately and promptly, improving operational efficiency, reducing processing time, and minimizing the risk of errors in payment settlements. Throughout the development, worked closely with cross-functional teams to validate system functionality and provide feedback for continuous improvement.

The teams predominant function were to furnish account level statements to account holders, Government & Public institutions:

• Handled client account-related requests for both individual and institutional clients.
• Responded to inquiries from authorized government and private institutions for purposes such as housing, medical assistance, or credit investigation.
• Provided account-level statements to audit firms to support audit and compliance reviews.
• Monitored and accumulated daily transactions for individuals and institutions to identify missing SSN (Social Security Number) and TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number).
• Updated missing SSN/TIN information in Form 112 of FinCEN, in compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act.

Project:

Contributed to standard work instructions for the effective and fair usage of system peripherals, aimed at optimizing workflow efficiency and ensuring quick output.

The team is responsible for settlement and reconciliation of foreign exchange and money market

• Executed settlement of Foreign Exchange (FX) and Money Market deals.
• Performed reconciliation of NOSTRO and VOSTRO accounts to ensure accurate fund balances and transaction records.
• Tracked and reported unsettled trades to senior management under Past Due Utilization Desk for timely resolution.
• Allocated funds to various internal business units based on operational requirements and deal flow.
• Collaborated closely with front office traders to carry out pre- and post-settlement activities, ensuring trade accuracy and compliance.