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ESSAM FAWZY
Senior Program Manager
Riyadh
Summary
Customer focused, result oriented, decision-making and innovative Senior Program Manager bringing over 20 years of experience in program & delivery management with exceptional background in banking, financial services, and digital transformation domains. Proven track record in managing complex programs and delivering high-impact results, Known for delivering successful outcomes and fostering collaborative environments. Demonstrated success in leading cross-functional teams and driving project excellence. Recognized for strategic planning and problem-solving abilities, consistently meeting and exceeding goals. Expert in digital payment, transaction banking implementations, customer experience transformation, vendor, stakeholder and client engagement management. Significant risk management skills to support your mission of simplifying life through innovative solutions for customer-centric industries. Proven success building and motivating program teams to meet project goals. Demonstrated leadership in systems implementation, program execution and process improvement engagements.
Overview
35
35
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior program manager
Capgemini-Invent
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
12.2024 - Current
- Manage a strategic digital transformation program for Ministry of Municipality to develop and transform MyCity Super App full fledge of municipality services, featured with financial services through payment gateway and data management through AI.
- Play a strategic role as client engagement and relationship manager to the ministry client while manage the program teams located in UK, Italy, Dubai and Riyadh for the successful delivery.
- Oversee the project governance, testing strategies, vendor & stakeholder management and reporting to steering committee, weekly portfolio meetings.
- Problem solving, issue resolution, QA, UAT and internal/external communication.
- Manage the program plan and apply corrective action plan, tools, methodologies, techniques and best practice to keep the program on target.
- End-to-end program management through Agile, BRD, solution, Planning, KOM, implementation, UAT until go-live and manage business operations excellence.
- Manage the end-to-end customer journey, UI/UX enhancement through define and execute the road map for the successful delivery and customer satisfaction.
- Manage, monitor and control projects financials, payment milestones and vendor invoicing
Vice President - Program Delivery
RAK Bank
Dubai, UAE
08.2021 - 12.2024
- Play a pivot role as the voice of business, assist in business case, budget preparation, transform the business requirements into technical specification and digital transformation solutions.
- End-to-end program and delivery management through Agile, BRD, solution, planning, KOM, implementation, UAT until delivery, go-live and business operations.
- Manage the end-to-end customer journey, digital payment & transaction banking integrated with core banking, regulatory compliance and risk management programs including fraud protection and transaction monitoring for the successful delivery.
- Oversee the project governance and stakeholder management and reporting to steering committee, weekly portfolio meetings through PBM.
- Manage, monitor and control projects financials, payment milestones and vendor invoicing.
- Apply techniques, methodologies, data-driven decision making, risk mitigation and best practice to meet project objectives.
- Manage the go-live releases, rollout plans, production support and operational excellence through the coordination with change & release management.
IT Digital Transformation Program Manager
Saudi British Bank
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
03.2019 - 08.2021
- Managed cross-functional teams and vendors to deliver complex large-scale IT digital transformation programs within digital channels.
- Directed end-to-end program management from SOW, KOM, integration, risk and change management, financial management and UAT until go-live.
- Directed and motivated project team to proactively determine performance metrics of digital payment platform and the integration with core banking.
- Coached the project teams to meet all program interdependencies and challenging objectives using best practice.
- Consistently adhered to policies, regulatory compliance, implementation of Agile, applied IT strategies, techniques and methodologies throughout the project lifecycle to deliver e-Channels projects within project objectives.
- Enhanced the communication management through regular project status reporting.
- Delivered Corporate banking 'SABBcorp' featured with soft token dual factor authentication, digital offering model and enhanced customer experience.
Senior program manager
Arab finance services
Manama, Bahrain
08.2017 - 03.2019
- Led PMO, cross-functional teams and vendors in delivering Fintech programs for mobile wallets within schedule, budget, scope, quality and customer satisfaction using cloud technologies while focus on client engagement.
- Executed end-to-end program management of digital payment and transactional banking includes business case, transformed business requirements into technical solutions, planning, development, integration, quality assurance/control, budget control, UAT, risk management, transaction monitoring and fraud management.
- Maintained attention to detail and followed up which resulted in on time deliveries within budget with no missed deadlines; customer high satisfaction.
- Managed the program challenges and tough deadlines through strategic oversight, creative thinking out of the box and taking corrective actions and decisions to keep program on track.
- Exceeded against executive stakeholders needs and client engagement to manage expectations through strong governance, excellent communication, client management, presentation skills and strategic program direction.
- Delivered the mobile wallet 'bwallet' for Batelco-Bahrain featured with eKYC deployed in AWS cloud, integrated with payment gateway, card tokenization and digital transaction banking through MCS with monthly 300k transactions.
- Delivered the Open Loop mobile banking 'eFloos' for Bank Sohar featured with tokenized cards, eKYC and integrated with payment gateway, settlement and clearing through wallet switch mpClear that increased customer base 60%.
- Served as principal contact with client and organization to ensure 100% client satisfaction with delivered services.
Project director – RMEA & APAC
OBERTHUR Technologies
Dubai, UAE
01.2013 - 07.2017
- Strategically managed the complex large-scale program delivery within OPEX G CAPEX business models.
- Led regional PGL management, leading innovation, digital transformation, mobile banking, integrated master planning, scope management, resource management, change management, vendor G client management.
- Full accountability for implementation methodologies, technology infrastructure, overall risk management, capacity planning, resource allocations and partnerships throughout the IT programs.
- Employed financial and business acumen to manage budget, billing milestones, resolve issues, support go-to-market plans and conduct feasibility studies for new opportunities.
- Engaged directly at senior management level both internally and externally within matrix organization to provide projects status reports and extensive face to face client meetings requiring up to 50% travel monthly.
- Directed the project team with influential and motivational leadership for delivering mobile solutions for 12 customer contracts valued Euro 20m in annual revenue recognition.
- Successfully implemented action plans for incident management and process automation which resulted in ongoing achievement of KPIs and SLAs.
- Developed coaching, training and team building to motivate and create a highly skilled knowledgeable PM team to meet challenging objectives.
- Combined analytical, problem solving, strong communication skills, interpersonal skills, leadership, industry experience with excellent management engineering experience to achieve revenue target.
Senior program manager
National commercial bank
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
06.2012 - 01.2013
- Fully accountable for cost-effective purchasing decisions and play pivotal role in managing relationships with external contractors.
- Drive continuous improvement in the way deliver to business.
- Fully accountable for purchasing decisions and managing relationships.
- Ensure best practices are in place for program execution and management and provide performance reports.
- Develop and present reports to management for use in decision making and strategic planning.
- Successfully transformed business requirements into technical specifications and solution design.
- Significantly implemented the automation of auto loan, mortgage and eCorporate replacement programs using methodologies, best practice and emerging technologies to realise business benefits.
- Managed the full program life cycle for corporate, core banking and digital payment, including product development, plan, risk controls, quality, budget and BAU.
Senior program manager
Mode holdings
Manama, Bahrain
02.2008 - 05.2012
- Managed the design, development, migration and deployment phases of transaction banking and mobile wallet programs integrated with payment gateway and e-Government portal.
- Co-developed with cross-functional teams, product feature enhancements to meet customer, market and technology requirements.
- Created customer on-boarding KYC, AML, fraud, dispute, reconciliation, settlement processes, risk management, security and compliance procedures to meet regulations and audits.
- Spearheaded and delivered and automated a complex RTGS financial transactions project ‘Remittance Hub’ interfaced between mobile/POS devices and ATMs.
- Launched mobile wallet ‘Zain Wallet’ to Zain Bahrain using STK and USSD channels first ever in Middle East that integrated with remittance hub, cards, kiosk, ATM, international wallets, western union, bill payment and RTGS.
- Launched mobile wallet to Mobibanc Ivory Coast, integrated with payment gateway, HSM using USSD channels.
- Migration of mobile wallet from STK to USSD including front-end, back-end, interfaces, process and data bases.
Senior Project Manager
Gemalto
Dubai, UAE
05.2006 - 01.2008
Project Manager
Arab National Bank
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
04.1998 - 04.2006
- Lead and manage the end-to-end delivery of large-scale government transformation projects.
- Act as the primary point of contact for clients, ensuring alignment of project deliverables with client expectations.
- Proactively manage scope, ensuring changes and additions are governed to avoid scope creep and budget overruns.
- Implement and maintain robust governance frameworks, ensuring compliance with organizational and client-specific standards.
- Oversee the creation of weekly status reports, dashboards, and risk registers to maintain transparency across all stakeholders.
- Identify, assess, and manage project risks to ensure effective mitigation strategies are in place.
- Monitor and report on project health, addressing risks related to timeline slippage, financial deviations, and resource constraints.
- Collaborate with resource managers to optimize team allocation based on project needs and timelines.
- Manage project budgets, oversee invoicing, and monitor financial performance, ensuring accurate and timely billing.
- Develop strategies for efficient utilization of resources to reduce costs while maintaining quality.
- Coordinate and manage change requests, ensuring alignment with project objectives and resource capabilities.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with senior government stakeholders to facilitate collaboration and trust.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance project delivery efficiency.
- Ensure the accuracy and integrity of project data, leveraging insights for informed decision-making.
- Establish and enforce quality standards for all project deliverables.
- Conduct regular quality assurance reviews and implement corrective actions where necessary.
- Align project delivery with broader organizational goals and client strategic objectives.
- Manage project timelines and identify critical path activities, implementing strategies to address potential delays.
Senior System Analyst
CCFI
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
05.1991 - 04.1998
Education
B.Sc. - Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Alexandria University
Alexandria, Egypt06-1989
PMP Certification - Project Management
PMI
Bahrain 06.2011 - 09.2011
Skills
- Project management
- Project planning
- Stakeholders/Vendor/Client Management
- Problem solving/Risk Management
- Budget control
- Retail/Corporate Banking
- Digital Payment/Transaction
- Mobile Wallet/Mobile Banking
- Digital Transformation
Accomplishments
- Successful implementation of SABB mobile banking that processed over 80,000 transactions valued at 150 million SAR through innovative digital transaction/payment/eKYC.
- Implementation of bwallet mobile wallet with 300,000 transactions monthly.
- Resolved product issue through consumer testing and digital transformation, significantly increasing customer engagement by 60% of eCorporate platform.
- 60% increase in customer satisfaction and value proposition through comprehensive change management
- Achieved an increase of 45% in customer base and 50% services penetration in myCity app through digital transformation, technology upgrade and software migration.
Certification
- PMP - Project Management Professional
Languages
English
Full Professional
Arabic
Bilingual or Proficient (C2)
Timeline
Senior program manager
Capgemini-Invent
12.2024 - Current
Vice President - Program Delivery
RAK Bank
08.2021 - 12.2024
IT Digital Transformation Program Manager
Saudi British Bank
03.2019 - 08.2021
Senior program manager
Arab finance services
08.2017 - 03.2019
Project director – RMEA & APAC
OBERTHUR Technologies
01.2013 - 07.2017
Senior program manager
National commercial bank
06.2012 - 01.2013
PMP Certification - Project Management
PMI
06.2011 - 09.2011
Senior program manager
Mode holdings
02.2008 - 05.2012
Senior Project Manager
Gemalto
05.2006 - 01.2008
Project Manager
Arab National Bank
04.1998 - 04.2006
Senior System Analyst
CCFI
05.1991 - 04.1998
B.Sc. - Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Alexandria University