ROBERT LEVINE

Robert.Levine@levineservices.com

 

SUMMARY

 

Highly experienced finance and risk consultant with a record of success leading teams and projects in credit risk, market risk, and operational risk improvement and audit / compliance initiatives around the globe.  Published finance author delivering client-centered and innovative articles, research reports, and books. 

 

TECHNICAL SKILLS

 

·         Finance / Banking / Audit: formal credit, risk, and financial engineering training, deep functional expertise with financial markets products and middle office processes; advanced Reuters training in financial markets, instruments, and risk management techniques; passed examinations for Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Fraud Examiner (CFE), and Protection Professional (CPP),hands-on knowledge of major banking / trading / finance systems (Reuters Dealing/Information, Bloomberg Professional/Trading Systems, Midas, Alltel / Systematics / ACBS, Portia, Paragon, Summit, SunGard RXM / Adaptiv / Credient Credit Risk Products, SunGard Adaptiv Collateral, SunGard IntelliMatch,  Kondor+ / KVaR+ / KreditNet, ARTS, FENICS, OPICS, C*ATS, ADP Impact, Wall Street Systems, Oracle Financials), EDIFACT

·         Risk Management:  Expert knowledge of Basel II Accord (credit, market, and operational risk) and risk modeling.  Experience modeling default and counterparty default risks, downgrade risk and credit-spread risk.  Strong experience with VaR models and systems, stress testing, and with hedge fund / prime brokerage risks.

·    Project Management: Reuters Project Management training and certification

 

EXPERIENCE

 

June 2002 – Present

President Levine Services, LLC (independent consultancy) New York, U.S.A., Holland, Israel

 

Brought UBS Investment Bank’s hedge fund / prime brokerage and energy trading into a Basel II – and Sarbanes-Oxley - compliant credit risk architecture linked to new security master databases and market data sources – reducing risk weighted assets by tens of billions of dollars, optimizing regulatory capital usage, closing internal control gaps, and cutting systems costs by seven figures while deploying an improved credit control environment with data quality improvements of 45%

Developing an integrated risk framework for credit and market risk measurement within UBS Investment Bank which strengthened market risk measurement following large subprime losses

Designed a methodology for measuring risk on synthetic equity swap trading done within the UBS prime brokerage

Implemented SunGard’s RXM, Adaptiv / Credient Credit Risk Server, Collateral, and IntelliMatch products for credit and issuer risk management, collateral administration, and enterprise reconciliation at ING Group’s banking and insurance businesses in the Americas, Amsterdam, Spain, Germany, and Australia

o    Led a group of five consultants and permanent employees in New York and Amsterdam in business analysis / requirements definition and verification, data modeling and quality controls, project planning and tracking, design of interfaces with front and back office systems, data analysis and conversion, design of Basel II – compliant risk reports, user acceptance testing, reconciliation system design, and support

o    Brought credit risk systems into compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

o    Redesigned credit and front office business processes and policies

o    Integrated a new security master database (BV Asset Control) with the credit systems environment

o    Trained credit, front office, and finance users in new credit processes and systems

o    Products included IR / FX / credit derivatives, bonds / equities, mortgage-backed securities, bond and equity repos, convertibles,  lending book, futures and options, base metals, total return / equity swaps

Author of Implementing Systems Solutions for Financial Risk Management, Power Sabbatical, and Data-Driven Operational Risk Management

Wrote technology articles (security, business recovery, risk management, and other) for major publishers, including Info-Tech Research Group (regular contributor), Bitpipe (regular contributor), WikiBon technology Wiki, Information Security and Control Association, and Auerbach publications

 

November 2000 – June 2002

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi North America (New York)

Vice President, Office of the CIO

 

As department manager of 15 staff and consultants with a $5 million operating budget, project managed the successful resolution of regulatory criticisms of security and disaster recovery by performing a gap analysis versus policy / regulation, securing funding, preparing and monitoring project plans and directing 13 security staff and technologists in implementing improved security measures and operating procedures

 

April 1997 – November 2000

Reuters Limited – Project Manager, Audit Manager

Tel Aviv, Israel; London, UK; New York, U.S.A.

 

Led Reuters marketing efforts in Israel for its risk management products (Kondor+ for position keeping, KVAR+ for value-at-risk management, and KreditNet for credit risk management) by defining project plans for pre-sales efforts, demonstrating the system’s capabilities to potential clients, responding to RFIs / RFPs, implementing and configuring the system and its interfaces with other client systems (using TradeKast), and providing post-sales support & training

Designed and implemented a financial and management accounting and reporting solution for Reuters using Oracle Applications and supporting processes and staff, leading to the rollout of a shared services center saving $15 million per year

 

March 1995 – April 1997

Barclays Bank PLC, NA (New York / San Francisco)

Manager of Internal Audit – Technology & Financial Markets

 

Managed a staff of 5 auditors and contract personnel in performing financial, operational, fraud, and information technology audits of retail, private, commercial, and investment banking businesses across multiple branch locations in the US and Canada

 

January 1994 – March 1995

Deutsche Bank North America (New York)

Auditing Associate

 

Assessed business risk, developed audit plans and business review programs for the Bank’s trading divisions, middle and back office support functions, credit and market risk management, and IT development, operations, and data centers

Represented Internal Audit on the implementation team of a global credit risk management system, providing guidance on control requirements and ensuring compliance with U.S. and German regulation

Developed and executed test plans for the Firm’s first value-at-risk system for market risk management

 

 

February 1993 – December 1993

The Bank of New York (New York)

Senior Programmer / Analyst, Internal Audit

 

Developed audit software using Paradox, Culprit, and Focus that aided financial auditors by focusing on risk indicators / exception conditions with the commercial and retail lending portfolio booked in ACBS systems.

 

May 1989 – November 1992

Bank Leumi Trust Company NY (New York)

Credit Administration Analyst, Auditor

 

Developed a loan management database (in Paradox) linking various legacy systems, resulting in more accurate & timely MIS of lending activity, including improved classification and regulatory reporting of bad debt

Monitored wholesale banking risk for the Bank’s portfolio of loans, trade finance deals, and retail banking activity

Produced management reporting for capital calculations, bad debt and write-offs, and ad-hoc MIS purposes

Developed software for assuring data quality and integrity in Impacs / Systematics / ACBS  banking systems

 

EDUCATION

 

Swiss Management Center  Zug, Switzerland

         DBA Finance (c), 2008     

Baruch College, City University of New York    New York, NY

         MBA Business Administration & Policy / Computer Methodology, 1992  

New York University    New York, NY

         BS Economics, Magna cum Laude, 1988

 

LANGUAGES / INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

 

Hebrew – Excellent, Spanish – Good      Business Travel to over 30 countries, lived in 4 countries

 

REFERENCES:          Available on Request