Francis Zulu
Chilanga
Summary
Dynamic leader with extensive experience at Standard Chartered Bank, specializing in risk management and stakeholder engagement. Successfully spearheaded client management initiatives that improved operational efficiency and enhanced team performance. Proficient in audits and change management, delivering exceptional customer service and innovative solutions consistently. Future goals include leveraging expertise to drive strategic initiatives and foster collaboration across teams.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Lead – Global Subsidiaries, Client Management {CIB}
Standard Chartered Bank
06.2024 - Current
- The role is responsible for:
- The leadership and proactive management of multiple Client Management teams and deliver the highest quality client service for the corporate segment and across the client tiers
- Ensure that Risk Management matters that are brought to the job holder’s attention are subject to direct remedial action and/or ensure adequate reporting to the relevant superiors and/or Risk Committees
- Proactively manage risks and establish/monitor controls to improve the overall state of the risk management and operating framework and across team
- Provide inputs into the Credit Issues Committee (CIC) pack, working closely with the Enablement team to ensure outcomes and relevant actions are completed within timelines
- Ensure effective and timely escalation of issues / roadblocks to Frontline and act as the main point of escalation between Client Management and Frontline
- Ensuring uniform approach towards the implementation of Client Management model in the country with a focus on service differentiation based on client tiering and value
- Ensure the teams are proactively managing the relationship health of the accounts they are responsible for and delivering the highest quality client service
- Ensure alignment between CIB business and Client Management with regular engagement regarding business priorities, issues, and address any gaps
- Drive continuous improvement of the operational efficiency and effectiveness of processes to increase the consistency of systems and processes
- Monitor the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of the operations from time to time and provide corresponding actions for improvement with respect to the changing business or customer needs
- Accelerate the shift to digital and ensure the digital value proposition is aligned with clients’ needs and preferences
- Fully understand the CCIB business strategy and leadership expectations and ensure Client Management activities within the team are effectively managed in accordance with the Bank’s strategic focus
- Demonstrate high level of preparedness by self and team for any Audit and ensure NIL audit failures/ NIL adverse audits grading in reviews
- Understand the risk and control environment in their area of responsibility and drive rectification as required
- Develop awareness of changes in the policy and regulatory environment, predict challenges and identify initiative opportunities to manage change implementation at the right time
Associate Director – Client Delivery, Corporate and Institutional Banking (CIB)
Standard Chartered Bank
12.2019 - 06.2024
- Key Responsibilities:
- Credit Risk Control
- Providing independent control over the credit process to minimize risk of loss for the CIB Business
- Validate and approve all credit securing documentation for all CIB customer accounts in accordance with Bank's policies
- Review of Regulatory (Bank of Zambia) Returns e.g Monthly Prudential Returns
- Ensuring documentation and approval conditions have been perfected and met, deferral or waiver held prior to release of CIB facilities
- Review the daily CIB credit facility reports for CIB and timely escalate any red flags
- Ensure collaterals are registered with the Collateral Registry (PACRA and Ministry of Lands)
- Drive execution of processes, working closely with stakeholders and the value chain to deliver excellent client service, getting clients to the point of ready-to-transact as quickly as possible, across both simple and complex cases
- Provide insight and suggestions to improving processes, identifying opportunities to streamline and automate
- Engage clients throughout process, ensuring seamless delivery and client experience in the CIB Business
- Work in partnership with all relevant stakeholders effectively within the end-to-end Client Due Diligence process
- Escalate or enforce compliance requirements and follow any other relevant internal controls and procedures as they relate to process, products, policies and regulations
Country Head of Client Onboarding and Account Management (Risk and Operations) - Commercial Banking
Standard Chartered Bank
04.2017 - 12.2019
- Key Responsibilities:
- Risk Management
- Responsible for ensuring, leading and monitoring strict adherence to regulatory requirements, best practices and a state of ever-readiness for audit & regulatory reviews with respect to Risk and Operational processes in the Commercial Banking Business in Zambia
- Ensuring that Operational and Money Laundering/Sanctions/Bribery (AML) risks in the Business are clearly identified, quantified and properly tabled in the appropriate governance forums of the bank
- Prepare and present Country Commercial Banking risk-related papers at different risk and governance forums of the bank
- Serve as a senior escalation point for stakeholders on all Operational and AML risk related processes for the business
- Responsible for formulating responses to audit queries in a timely manner and ensuring that there are no material audit findings relating to Operational and AML processes in the Commercial Banking Business in Zambia
- Execution
- Responsible for creating an appropriate risk culture and standards of excellence that ensures positive client experience through adherence to set turnaround time and productivity in the Business
- Responsible for creating effective relationships and key stakeholder management with and across the Standard Chartered Bank networks to identify and address issues/ concerns
- Ensuring there is a clear and uniform approach towards implementation of the global operating model for all processes (Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, Account Opening, Account Maintenance, MIS, and off-boarding), and adherence to Departmental Operating Instructions (DOIs)
- Responsible for continuously improving productivity and efficiency of processes and people within the Risk and Operations team in the Business
- Maintaining oversight on and participate in Service Review Meetings with various third party vendors/suppliers and support teams in-country and abroad within the Standard Chartered Group for services related to the Risk and Operations team in the Business
- People and Talent
- Responsible for developing a high-performance team and provide appropriate training with the aim to achieve optimum quality deliveries
- Responsible for employing, engaging and retaining high quality people with succession planning for critical roles and appropriate recognition and reward for high performance / potential in the team
- Responsible for setting the appropriate tone and expectations for team and work in collaboration with risk and control partners, global process teams, and local business teams
- Formulating and monitoring job descriptions and objectives for direct reports and providing feedback and rewards in line with their performance against those responsibilities and objectives
Internal Auditor – (Reporting to the Head of Internal Audit)
Indo Zambia Bank
01.2015 - 04.2017
- Key Responsibilities:
- Support the Head of Internal Audit in carrying out risk assessments and ratings so as to ensure that emerging risks across the bank are timely identified
- Regularly review various reports of the Bank so as to remain abreast with key trends within the business
- Draft Audit notification memos and conduct Audit opening/exit meetings with auditees
- Perform audit assignments across the different functional Units/branches of the bank as per the audit calendar and bring to the notice of the Departmental Heads irregularities and deficiencies observed during the audit
- Preparing of draft audit reports which incorporate replies auditees
- Track the implementation/delivery of the agreed issues and action plans for the audits assigned and escalate audit findings/gaps that remain unresolved
- Make recommendations to senior management on how to address audit findings/gaps so as to ensure an acceptable risk environment within the bank
- Establish and maintain effective professional working relationships with the various business Unit stakeholders
- Deputise the Head of Internal Audit at various business meetings whenever delegated to do so
- Conducting investigations into cases of reported frauds, cash shortages and other malpractices and submitting detailed reports thereof to senior Management for appropriate action
Branch Operations Manager
Zambia National Commercial Bank
12.2011 - 01.2015
- Key Responsibilities:
- Responsible for managing the timely preparation and submission of the annual budget for the branch
- Prepare and submit various finance, performance, operational and regulatory returns to Head Office units
- Proactively monitor budget expense lines to ensure expenditure is in line with budget
- Devising action plans to optimise revenue generation so as to meet budget
- Managing the branch's various suspense accounts to ensure that all entries therein are reconcilable and are not long outstanding
- Act as a contact person for audits and coordinate timely preparation of audit responses for the branch
- Maintaining and updating the branches’ fixed asset register
- Responsible for enforcing operating procedures and controls to ensure accountability and an effective internal control environment
- Performing physical and system authorization of entries
- Handling customer queries in liaison with our Head office departments
- Ensuring customer instructions are executed promptly in line with the service level agreements
- Perform daily vault and ATM cash reconciliations
- Was also a certified Change Agent for the Business Efficiency/process re-engineering projects undertaken in the bank
- Responsible for coaching branch staff on bank processes and procedures
- Planning and conducting random snap checks on ATM and vault cash on a regular basis
- Open loan accounts in the banking system and ensure timely disbursement of funds to clients upon satisfaction of facility covenants and conditions
- Monitor the general performance of the branch’s loan portfolio and initiate action to resuscitate assets showing delinquency signs
- Prepare and submit various finance, performance, operational and regulatory returns to Head Office units
- General Supervision of all staff in the branch
- Undertake performance management processes for direct reports etc
- Deputise the branch manager
Management trainee
Zambia National Commercial Bank
11.2010 - 12.2011
- Provided a supporting role on a rotational basis on all bank functions and they included but not limited to the following:
- Corporate banking
- Credit
- Risk and quality
- Full branch operations
- Treasury function
- Finance Function
- Internal audit function
- Market development
Assistant Internal Auditor
BDO Zambia Audit Services
06.2009 - 11.2010
- Key Responsibilities:
- Participate in carrying out Audit Risk Assessments/Planning by analysing the financial performance, business plan, market conditions etc
- Perform controls testing and document process workflows of various audit clients
- Undertake external Audit assignments that covered the following sections of the Financial Statements; Share Capital, Payables, Receivables, Cash and Cash equivalents, Inventory and Fixed Assets etc
- Document audit findings on working papers for the review of the Audit Manager
- Collate, check and analyse spread sheet data
- Examine company accounts and financial control systems
- Check that financial reports and records were accurate and reliable
- Gauge levels of financial risk within organisations
- Ensure procedures, policies, legislation and regulations were correctly followed and complied with
Education
Master of Science - Accounting and Finance
University of Zambia
01.2018
Full ACCA Qualification - Certified Chartered Accountant
01.2011
Bachelor of Accountancy Degree -
Copperbelt University
01.2008
Grade 12 Certificate -
Hillcrest National Technical High School
01.2003
Skills
- Risk management
- Internal and external audits
- Regulatory compliance
- Stakeholder engagement
- Performance monitoring
- Operational efficiency
- Team leadership
- Change management
- Customer service
- Problem solving
- Problem resolution
- Client management
Affiliations
- Information Systems Audit and Controls Association - ISACA
- Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants – ZICA
- Association of Chartered Certified Accountants – ACCA
- Economics Association of Zambia - EAZ
References
- Ms Bernadine Ngulube, Country Head – Client Management, Standard Chartered Bank Zambia Plc, Lusaka, +260-967 448024
- Mr. Joseph Ngulube, Head – Training & Development, Zambia National Commercial Bank Plc, Lusaka, +260-977 818973
- Mr. Boyd Mate, Copperbelt University, Kitwe, +260-979 913584
Hobbies and Interests
- Travelling and seeing new places
- Reading books
- Watching soccer
- Listening to music
- Taking part in church/community related work
Personal Information
- Gender: Male
- Nationality: Zambian
Mobile Numbers
- +260977446413
- +260979627416
Accomplishments
- Graduated top of the Management Trainee cohort of the Zambia National Commercial Bank PLC (2010 Cohort)
- CEO Meritorious award for driving Business Process Re-engineering Project at Indo zambia Bank.
- Recognized for being among the Standard Chartered Bank Zambia's top performers in the presence of the cluster CEO for Southern Africa and the Regional CEO for Africa and the Middle East.
Timeline
Lead – Global Subsidiaries, Client Management {CIB}
Standard Chartered Bank
06.2024 - Current
Associate Director – Client Delivery, Corporate and Institutional Banking (CIB)
Standard Chartered Bank
12.2019 - 06.2024
Country Head of Client Onboarding and Account Management (Risk and Operations) - Commercial Banking
Standard Chartered Bank
04.2017 - 12.2019
Internal Auditor – (Reporting to the Head of Internal Audit)
Indo Zambia Bank
01.2015 - 04.2017
Branch Operations Manager
Zambia National Commercial Bank
12.2011 - 01.2015
Management trainee
Zambia National Commercial Bank
11.2010 - 12.2011
Assistant Internal Auditor
BDO Zambia Audit Services
06.2009 - 11.2010
Master of Science - Accounting and Finance
University of Zambia
Full ACCA Qualification - Certified Chartered Accountant
Bachelor of Accountancy Degree -
Copperbelt University
Grade 12 Certificate -
Hillcrest National Technical High School