Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
Generic

GOWTHAMI BITRA, CAMS

Los Angeles,CA

Summary

Financial services professional with a strategic approach to risk, compliance and program governance and a superior ability to coordinate and perform multiple tasks simultaneously. I thrive in fast paced, tight timeline driven environments and excel at managing a complex set of responsibilities with multiple priorities.

Overview

14
14
years of professional experience

Work History

Vice President

Bank of Hope
01.2022 - Current
  • · Implements and documents control reviews; performs and conducts testing based on detailed procedures and processes. Identifies issues, exceptions and patterns, escalates to executive management for resolution and formally documents findings.
  • · Manage and perform QC/QA on the overall team’s work comprising of 45 analysts and provide recommendations to their respective team leads to mitigate risk.
  • · Evaluate the effectiveness of processes to ensure the appropriate risk factors were addressed by the unit leaders and manage all the legal responses pertaining to the program.
  • · Prepare detailed work papers to support findings and provide clear and concise statements regarding findings.
  • · Design a BSA/OFAC program, prepare policies, procedures and job aids and responsible to file all the SARs, CTRs in a timely manner.
  • · Communicates test results to executive management and business partners as directed. Prepare and present written report of testing results and recommendations. Monitors Self Identified issues across the bank and provide training to the related parties.
  • · Identifies areas of risk and make recommendations on operational improvements, processes for compliance, quality and assurance and any additional training essential to mitigate risk. Seek ways to assist the bank in strengthening controls, remain compliant and improve efficiency.
  • · Collaborate with first and second line of defense to identify, assess, remediate self-identified issues and provide regulatory updates on the status of these issues and remediations to the management.
  • · Participate in discussions with the unit leaders regarding review results, risks and solutions to improve quality and consistency.
  • · Manages and develops the accountability policy. Identifies thematic issues that require attention and possible recommendations to cure root causes.
  • · Engage in training event developments to further enhance the staff’s understanding of current AML/CFT/OFAC events and/or weaknesses detected within the department.

Lead BSA Analyst

East West Bank
12.2018 - 01.2022
  • · Lead a team of analysts reviewing transaction monitoring alerts generated in Actimize, conduct investigations and file SARs and PSARs in a timely manner.
  • · Assist the senior management in developing a risk assessment program and prepare detailed High Risk EDD reports.
  • · Responsible for FinCEN 314(a) screening and reporting the true matches. Perform vendor testing and Third party risk management screening.
  • · Prepare OFAC sanction reports and communicate with the technical team to set the alert frequency for false positives based on the screened names.
  • · Conduct OFAC sanctions and other government watchlist screening and research on new, existing and potential customers.
  • · Work closely with the OFAC officer and Senior Manager and Engage the U.S Treasury and external counsel to resolve potential sanctions violations
  • · Perform sanction screening and review OFAC alerts to ensure screening reviews are timely and accurate.
  • · Assist with the analysis and enhancements of high risk programs, ensuring timely updates are made to the systems, applications and document policies and procedures as required.
  • · Perform quality control reviews and provide recommendations for the processes involving all the three regions US, China and Hong Kong and conduct validation testing.
  • · Assist the Sanctions Advisory team to improve current processes and procedures with a specific focus on management information and governance.

Senior Investigator-Global Financial Crimes

Bank of Hope
01.2018 - 12.2018
  • · Perform end-to-end investigations or investigations support functions of external financial crimes activities across one or more lines of business relevant to the Investigators specific area of responsibility.
  • · Assisted the Chief Risk Officer and Chief Compliance Officer in documenting policies, procedures, job aids and training materials.
  • · Prepare Suspicious Activity Reports (“SAR”) in compliance with established regulatory guidelines and time frames, prepare TRMS reports on At Risk Persons and report elderly abuse, fraud committed by external parties, money laundering, or terrorist financing and acts as the liaison to Law Enforcement as required
  • · Perform EDD and KYC on high risk customers, Review and track CTRs for properly filing and review cases submitted to FinCen.
  • · Conduct research and investigation on specific unusual/suspicious account activity based on law enforcement requests to determine whether or not a SAR is warranted.
  • · Conduct interviews with internal and external clients maintaining the highest level of professionalism
  • · Perform quality control functions, training, communications, guidance, monitoring scenario development/enhancement input and testing, or law enforcement liaison responsibilities

Senior Compliance Analyst

HiFX
10.2016 - 01.2018
  • · Conducted AML/CTF/Fraud reviews for high risk accounts and financial activity.
  • · Assist in execution of Global Sanctions Compliance Program.
  • · Communicate with the technical team and act as point of contact for all the escalations related to compliance matters.
  • · Assisted the Chief Compliance Officer in drafting policies and procedures for onboarding high risk corporate clients for both US and Canada.
  • · Investigate, Monitor and prepare reports involving potential OFAC hits, alerts and suspicious activities on ultra-high, high and medium risk accounts.
  • · Account monitoring and post-transaction monitoring on high and ultrahigh risk clients.
  • · Reviewed all payments referred by payment screening ranging upto 1 million and PEP/Sanctions referrals to confirm/clear suggested matches.
  • · Liaises with internal stakeholders and uses compliance systems and tools to gather and interpret key information for mitigating risks and decision making.
  • · Conduct onboarding on both private and corporate accounts using the software Idology and perform Enhanced Due Diligence on customers deemed high risk, implement account restrictions and closures based on risk to the institution.
  • · Monitor proposed changes to BSA/AML Compliance Legislation that may impact the business.
  • Produce internal reports and external Suspicious activity reports(SARs)

Team Lead

HSBC
01.2011 - 08.2014
  • · Worked with HSBC Bank Fraud Detection & Marks and Spencer Bank Fraud detection (Business Area) managed and trained a team of 30 analysts.
  • · Collect and collate monthly management information escalations to the Sanctions Advisory team for senior committees both locally and globally.
  • · Conducted investigations and chargeback training for dispute agents, assisted in implementing a QA program, configured a work flow and document storage system and designed reporting.
  • · Recipient of BAU (Business As Usual) processor award by Marks and Spencer for best performance both in terms of quality and accuracy.
  • · Review Letter of credit for corporate clients.
  • · Conduct research of customer accounts while compiling KYC/onboarding and evaluating possible fraud activity submitted by fraud referrals.
  • · Research and identify suspicious fraud trends, spoofing,Jumio money laundering etc which could lead to account closures.
  • · Prepare Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR) and flagging devices using Iovation to prevent fraud
  • · Maintained HSBC internal control standards, including timely implementation of internal and external audit points together with any issues raised by Internal / external regulators.
  • · Identified and escalated potential showstoppers and provided solutions.
  • · Developed, maintained, and disseminated knowledge on current fraud trends and issues.
  • Coordinated the investigation of fraud issues with the appropriate fraud investigative unit.

Education

Master of Science - Computer Networking And System Engineering

California State University
Los Angeles, CA
12-2016

Skills

  • Effective communicator able to quickly develop relationships and influence stakeholders across all organizational levels
  • Passion for continuous learning and personal growth
  • Highly motivated and driven, with strong desire to excel

Timeline

Vice President

Bank of Hope
01.2022 - Current

Lead BSA Analyst

East West Bank
12.2018 - 01.2022

Senior Investigator-Global Financial Crimes

Bank of Hope
01.2018 - 12.2018

Senior Compliance Analyst

HiFX
10.2016 - 01.2018

Team Lead

HSBC
01.2011 - 08.2014

Master of Science - Computer Networking And System Engineering

California State University

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GOWTHAMI BITRA, CAMS