Seasoned Digital Transformation Leader and Certified Advanced Product Owner with 12 years of experience in banking and payments, driving software development, customer journey optimization, product innovation, and stakeholder management. Proven ability to define and execute product vision and roadmaps, translating customer needs into user-centric digital solutions through agile methodologies. Skilled at bridging business and technology to deliver measurable value, align stakeholders, and enable data-driven decision-making. Recognized for leading cross-functional teams that enhance customer journeys, streamline processes, and deliver products meeting both business objectives and regulatory standards.
Hi, I’m
Akhil Manhas
Manager - Systems, Integration & Delivery
Utrecht
Summary
Overview
12
years of professional experience
1
Language
3
Certificates
6
years of post-secondary education
Work History
ING Bank
Product Owner & Customer Journey Expert
06.2025 - Current
Job overview
- Lead end-to-end product ownership — from requirement analysis, business solution design, and technical feasibility to delivery and continuous improvement.
- Collaborate with UX/UI teams to create and review Figma designs, copy ensuring intuitive and compliant customer journeys.
- Partner with engineering teams on architecture decisions, user stories, feature design, and code reviews prior to production release.
- Manage sprint planning, backlog refinement, defect triage, testing (acceptance and functional certification), and agile ceremonies to ensure on-time, high-quality delivery.
- Drive product innovation by exploring emerging AI trends, proposing new app features, and improving design responses to enhance user experience and business value.
Synechron Business Consulting
Manager - Systems, Integration & Delivery
11.2024 - Current
Job overview
- Managed Salesforce for credit card onboarding and case management, improving support workflows and service efficiency.
- Oversaw data migration and customized Salesforce to meet business needs, ensuring smooth system transition.
- Implemented a ticketing system to streamline support, speed up response times, and track issue resolution.
- Led Splunk onboarding to monitor key banking apps, enabling stable operations and proactive incident handling.
- Drove change management, including training and adoption, to reduce disruption and boost productivity.
- Supported data governance for credit risk apps, ensuring quality, compliance, and process transparency.
- Worked with teams to optimize data flow and align support with regulatory requirements.
- Contributed to the 2026 Technology Roadmap, representing support in strategic planning.
Royal Bank of Canada
Manager | Product Lead
04.2022 - 06.2024
Job overview
- Delivered tech solutions saving ~$0.68M in FY'23 by optimizing support processes and systems.
- Led digital transformation strategy, cutting ticket resolution time by 30% and reducing incidents by 80%.
- Managed a global team of 15 (onshore/offshore) supporting Market Risk applications.
- Acted as the primary contact and Product Owner for stakeholder-driven changes.
- Drove automation, root cause analysis (5 WHYs), and participated in executive SteerCo reviews.
- Contributed to product roadmap aligned with support transformation goals.
- Engaged stakeholders to align support needs with long-term vision and requirements.
- Created clear user stories, acceptance criteria, and a support-focused product strategy.
- Prioritized and maintained a dynamic backlog reflecting evolving support priorities.
BNP Paribas
Senior Business Analyst
05.2021 - 03.2022
Job overview
- Supported post-implementation process, driving continuous improvements for reconciliation applications.
- Served as escalation point for complex issues, ensuring timely resolution and customer satisfaction.
- Led workshops to guide customers through process transformation and system adoption.
- Managed stakeholder communication and alignment for ongoing support initiatives.
- Prioritized issues and delegated tasks to subordinates, optimizing team efficiency and focus.
ERA Environmental Solutions
Consultant & Business Analyst
03.2020 - 04.2021
Job overview
- Spearheaded development of digital transformation of new technologies, improving productivity by 34% while reducing onboarding cost in 4 weeks
- Annual training costs and total training hours reduction by 30% & 40% resp
- Generated 20% more user engagement, enhanced satisfaction by 30%
- Organized learning and networking sessions for prospective customers
- Led change and release management
One BCG
Senior Consultant & Business Analyst
03.2018 - 07.2019
Job overview
- Led IT consulting, analytics, solutions delivery & services portfolio expansion
- Demonstrated payment gateway working to 15+ bank reps in Qatar
- Identified inefficiencies, bottlenecks, opportunities for optimization & delivered digital solutions, reducing chargebacks by 40%
- Developed customer success plans ensuring value realization & retention
- Successfully led payment gateway & AML process transformation
- Performed onsite need analysis, process assessment and benchmarking
Accenture Solutions Pvt Ltd
Business & Test Analyst
12.2013 - 03.2018
Job overview
- Led global implementations of commercial cards, P&C Insurance projects for First Data, CITI Group, CNH Industrial & Allianz
- Elicited & documented detailed business/technical requirements
- Collaborated with stakeholders to refine acceptance criteria
- Conducted UAT per business requirements & user expectations
- Led sprint & product demonstrations with client & feedback integration
- Drove defects triage & coordinated with IT teams for timely resolution
- Release management and Sprint demonstration
Education
Concordia UniversityMontreal, Canada
Masters of Engineering from Quality Systems Engineering
08.2019 - 05.2021
University Overview
- 3.75/4.3 GPA
- Recipient of Dean's Honor List, 2021
Chitkara UniversityIndia
Bachelors of Engineering from Electronics & Communications Engineering
09.2009 - 08.2013
University Overview
- 7.39/10 GPA
Skills
Customer Journey Mapping
Timeline
Product Owner & Customer Journey Expert
ING Bank
06.2025 - Current
Manager - Systems, Integration & Delivery
Synechron Business Consulting
11.2024 - Current
Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner
01-2024
DevOps Institute SRE Foundations
04-2023
Certified Scrum Product Owner
10-2022
Manager | Product Lead
Royal Bank of Canada
04.2022 - 06.2024
Senior Business Analyst
BNP Paribas
05.2021 - 03.2022
Consultant & Business Analyst
ERA Environmental Solutions
03.2020 - 04.2021
Concordia University
Masters of Engineering from Quality Systems Engineering
08.2019 - 05.2021
Senior Consultant & Business Analyst
One BCG
03.2018 - 07.2019
Business & Test Analyst
Accenture Solutions Pvt Ltd
12.2013 - 03.2018
Chitkara University
Bachelors of Engineering from Electronics & Communications Engineering
09.2009 - 08.2013
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Dutch
Limited Working
Software
ServiceNow
Salesforce Service Cloud
JIRA Service Management
Splunk
Power BI/Tableau
Confluence
Certification
Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner
Accomplishments
Accomplishments
- Successfully delivered 20+ global project throughout career
- Achieved ~$680K cost savings by designing and deploying scalable technology solutions across support operations.
- Led a digital transformation initiative, enhancing support workflows — reduced ticket resolution time by 30% and cut production incidents by 80%.
- Implemented automation and onboarding accelerators, boosting support team productivity by 34% and cutting onboarding costs within 4 weeks.
- Optimized training strategy, reducing annual training costs by 30% and training hours by 40% without compromising service quality.
- Improved user engagement by 20% and elevated customer satisfaction scores by 30% through experience-driven support enhancements.
- Delivered a live demonstration of payment gateway workflows to 15+ bank representatives in Qatar, showcasing system reliability and transaction flow.
- Identified and eliminated operational inefficiencies, leading to a 40% reduction in chargebacks through targeted process improvements and digital interventions.
Key Roles Responsibilities
Key Roles Responsibilities
- Define product strategies, prioritize roadmaps, and ensure smooth delivery of digital solutions.
- Map and optimize customer journeys to align products with user needs and business goals.
- Own and manage product backlogs, write user stories, and lead sprint demos.
- Lead end-to-end project implementations, improving efficiency and scalability.
- Drive process improvements and propose innovative solutions for enhanced customer experience.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams (UX, engineering, business) to ensure alignment and quality delivery.
- Advise leadership on emerging technologies, app enhancements, and AI-driven opportunities.
- Analyze data and feedback to derive insights, optimize strategies, and improve customer satisfaction.
- Mentor team members, troubleshoot complex issues, and ensure knowledge sharing.
- Establish best practices, foster accountability, and maintain alignment across stakeholders.