UMESH GROVER
Johannesburg
Summary
Visionary IT Head with over 17 years of experience in driving technology transformation and aligning IT initiatives with organizational objectives. Demonstrated expertise in managing multimillion-dollar budgets and leveraging emerging technologies, including AI and cloud computing, to propel digital transformation. Proven ability to build and lead high-performing teams while fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Results-driven Application Development Manager skilled in agile project management and strategic planning, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality solutions.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Application Development Manager
First National Bank
12.2021 - Current
- Directed enterprise-wide IT strategies, achieving 20% cost reductions through optimized processes and strategic vendor partnerships.
- Spearheaded critical projects, including Golden Source Client Implementations and First ID Master, enhancing data accuracy and customer experience.
- Implemented a configurable platform for app and AOP screens, accelerating delivery cycles by 30%.
- Managed a $25M budget while ensuring high-quality deliverables within tight deadlines.
- Served as a strategic advisor to the CIO, influencing organizational IT roadmaps.
- Prepared reports outlining the status of various projects under development.
- Tracked project budgets and expenses throughout the lifecycle of each project.
- Communicated relevance of organizational goals, policies and procedures to IT department staff.
- Procured IT resources for strategic and operational computing requirements.
- Reviewed project progress and identified areas of improvement to ensure successful completion of projects.
- Reviewed program plans to develop and coordinate activities.
- Provided guidance on best practices in application development processes and procedures.
- Assisted in troubleshooting issues related to applications during production stages.
- Evaluated vendor offerings for compatibility with organization's objectives.
Client Data Architect
Rand Merchant Bank
09.2017 - 11.2021
- Architected and implemented a Core Party Data Platform, improving global data consistency and compliance.
- Developed a Neo4J-based, customer-centric data warehouse, enhancing complex relationship modeling by 40%.
- Streamlined data operations, reducing discrepancies by 50% through innovative cleansing strategies.
- Designed API frameworks to enhance interoperability across master data management systems.
- Analyzed business requirements for data solutions to ensure compliance with enterprise architecture guidelines.
- Developed processes to monitor performance of databases and tune them for optimal efficiency.
- Worked closely with software engineers in order to design efficient database schemas and queries.
- Evaluated existing databases for potential optimization opportunities.
- Designed physical databases to support the application development process.
- Collaborated with stakeholders on gathering requirements for dashboard reporting needs.
- Investigated problems related to the production environment including performance issues, query tuning.
- Developed and maintained data architecture standards, models, diagrams and documentation.
- Identified gaps between current state of the system and desired future state of the system.
- Created conceptual, logical and physical data models for use in different business areas.
Solutions Design, Development & Implementation Lead
Rand Merchant Bank
05.2015 - 09.2017
- Delivered a Master Record Management system, improving data quality, and KYC compliance.
- Enhanced analytics capabilities for the Financial Crime Unit, reducing manual intervention by 30%.
- Developed ETL processes, ensuring real-time data availability for enterprise decision-making.
- Brought in additional project personnel and resources to meet demands.
- Developed a comprehensive implementation plan to ensure successful outcomes for the project.
- Monitored performance metrics during and after implementation to evaluate success of new initiatives.
- Assigned specific tasks to personnel, balancing scheduling demands, available resources and personal skill sets to achieve best possible project outcomes.
- Conducted regular meetings with stakeholders to review progress, identify challenges and develop solutions.
- Facilitated communication between internal teams and external vendors regarding issues that arose during implementations.
- Ensured compliance with company policies and procedures throughout all stages of implementation.
- Monitored milestones and deliverables to stay ahead of schedules and proactively spot potential roadblocks.
- Analyzed data from various sources to identify areas for improvement within the organization.
- Provided technical assistance as needed when troubleshooting problems encountered during implementations.
- Managed budgeting and scheduling requirements associated with implementations, ensuring they are completed on time and under budget.
Production Manager / Delivery Manager
Tata Consultancy Services
10.2013 - 12.2014
- Achieved a 90% reduction in production incidents, stabilizing banking operations in key African markets.
- Introduced systems to meet regulatory compliance deadlines, positioning the bank as a market leader.
- Strategized long-term business needs and applied customer feedback for process improvements.
- Collaborated with development teams on design specifications for new applications or features.
- Offered training sessions to end users to educate on updated systems.
- Identified root causes of application errors and implemented solutions to prevent recurrence.
- Maintained up-to-date knowledge of industry trends, best practices, standards, regulations.
- Conducted regular reviews of system performance metrics against established benchmarks.
- Maintained composure and patience in face of difficult customer situations, applying de-escalation techniques and positive customer support.
- Referred major hardware or software problems or defective products to vendors or technicians for service.
- Participated in regular meetings with senior management regarding project status updates.
- Collected, analyzed and reported on data for use in operational planning.
- Monitored daily operations of the application support team.
System Implementation Lead
Tata Consultancy Services
08.2010 - 02.2012
- Led the implementation of TCS BαNCS custody systems across 13 markets, modernizing legacy infrastructure.
- Migrated heterogeneous data sources using advanced ETL tools, ensuring seamless transitions.
- Analyzed user needs and developed software solutions to meet the requirements.
- Streamlined acquisition of reporting requirements and specifications to disseminate across multiple business lines and IT support teams.
- Documented system issues and provided resolution recommendations to management team.
- Performed data migration from legacy systems to new implementations.
- Managed multiple projects simultaneously while meeting tight deadlines without compromising quality standards.
- Conducted training sessions for end-users on newly implemented systems.
- Provided technical support for all users during the transition period.
- Consulted with management to reach agreement on system principles.
- Conferred with clients regarding information processing or computation needs.
Developer
Tata Consultancy Services
11.2007 - 08.2010
- Automated reporting solutions improve efficiency by 25%.
- Engineered SWIFT message processing interfaces to streamline financial operations.
- Analyzed code and corrected errors to optimize output.
- Refactored existing codebase for improved readability and maintainability.
- Resolved customer issues by establishing workarounds and solutions to debug and create defect fixes.
- Programmed applications and tools using object-oriented languages with goals of code abstraction, stability and reuse.
- Developed requirements for system modifications and new system installations.
Education
Master of Computer Application & Management -
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU)
Delhi, India01.2007
Bachelor of Computer Application & Management -
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU)
Delhi, India01.2004
Matric -
Lancers Convent
Delhi, India03-2001
Skills
- Executive leadership
- Strategic IT Planning
- Digital Transformation
- Vendor Management
- IT Governance
- Infrastructure Optimization
- Budget control
- Risk Mitigation
- Cloud Solutions
- AI/ML applications
- API frameworks
- Data security
Accomplishments
- Delivered a 25M IT transformation project 3 months ahead of schedule, achieving 15% cost savings.
- Enhanced system performance, reducing downtime by 25% through proactive infrastructure optimization.
Technical Accumen
Oracle, SQL Server, Neo4J, PostgreSQL, Java, C#, PL/SQL, Power BI, SSIS, Control-M, Informatica, English, Fluent, Hindi, Native
Timeline
Application Development Manager
First National Bank
12.2021 - Current
Client Data Architect
Rand Merchant Bank
09.2017 - 11.2021
Solutions Design, Development & Implementation Lead
Rand Merchant Bank
05.2015 - 09.2017
Production Manager / Delivery Manager
Tata Consultancy Services
10.2013 - 12.2014
System Implementation Lead
Tata Consultancy Services
08.2010 - 02.2012
Developer
Tata Consultancy Services
11.2007 - 08.2010
Master of Computer Application & Management -
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU)
Bachelor of Computer Application & Management -
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU)
Matric -
Lancers Convent
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