Global AML Center (GAC) Operations & CAO – Vice President

Overview

Senior leadership role within the Global AML Center (GAC) in Hyderabad, owning AML/KYC operations and transformation delivery and taking on Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) responsibilities for the GAC site.

What you'll do

• Provide senior leadership for GAC operations in Hyderabad and act as key point of contact for local India management and global stakeholders.
• Own end-to-end delivery across assigned AML/KYC portfolios against agreed service, quality, risk and productivity standards.
• Keep active oversight of volumes, pipeline, ageing and capacity, and raise emerging pressure before it affects delivery or compliance.
• Set clear priorities across BAU, new business, remediation and regulatory commitments, and move resources as demand changes.
• Help shape GAC's strategic direction and multi-year transformation roadmap.
• Lead strategic change initiatives from idea through to delivery and adoption, with business cases, measurable outcomes and benefits tracking.
• Act as business lead for technology change across KYC platforms, workflow tools and data capability.
• Identify and drive opportunities for automation, AI, digitization and workflow integration.
• Champion data-led decision making through MI, dashboards and real-time visibility of pipeline, risk and performance.
• Turn process, policy and methodology changes into sustainable system and operational changes.
• Prioritize the change portfolio and balance investment, capacity and risk.
• Build a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, and grow change and digital capability within the team.
• Act as CAO for GAC, partnering with the GAC Head on business management, planning and the leadership agenda.
• Lead annual budget, headcount and workforce planning, including capacity models, run-rate tracking, attrition and backfill planning.
• Track expenses, productivity and cost efficiency, and support business cases for investment and location strategy.
• Run the GAC management operating rhythm, including leadership meetings, governance forums, management reporting and executive or board materials.
• Coordinate senior stakeholder and regulatory reporting, ensuring information is accurate, consistent and on time.
• Track key initiatives, decisions and actions across the leadership team.
• Oversee administrative controls, including policies and procedures, entitlements and access, business continuity and resilience planning.
• Partner with HR, Finance, Procurement, Real Estate and Technology on hiring, onboarding, workforce management, space and infrastructure.
• Lead the Hyderabad site and culture agenda, including employee engagement, communications, town halls, recognition and talent programs.
• Maintain a strong control environment in line with AML/KYC policies, procedures and regulatory requirements.
• Identify and address emerging operational and regulatory risks before they affect the business, and escalate where needed.
• Ensure new technology, automation and AI solutions are put in place with appropriate controls, governance and risk oversight.
• Support audit, regulatory and governance requirements.
• Work with Business Units, Compliance, Technology and Risk teams to resolve dependencies, close control gaps and drive accountability.
• Represent GAC in senior forums with clear, fact-based views on delivery, strategy, risk, capacity and required decisions.
• Influence senior stakeholders to secure support and investment for strategic and technology initiatives.
• Attract, develop and retain strong talent, and build leadership depth and succession across the Hyderabad organization.
• Hold managers and teams accountable for outcomes while empowering them to make decisions.
• Lead teams through change, building adoption and new ways of working.

What you'll need

• Strong understanding of KYC/CDD/EDD, client onboarding, periodic reviews, screening and financial crime controls.
• Strategic thinking: the ability to set direction and turn a long-term vision into executable plans.
• A proven track record of leading technology-enabled transformation, automation or digital change in a regulated environment.
• An understanding of how workflow platforms, data, automation and AI can redesign operating models.
• Proven ability to lead large, complex teams, including managing other managers.
• A forward-looking approach to risk, with the ability to anticipate issues rather than react to them.
• Strong analytical skills, with experience using MI, KPIs and capacity data to drive decisions.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively.
• Strong business management and financial acumen, including budgeting, headcount and workforce planning.
• Ability to run a disciplined management rhythm and produce clear executive and board-level materials.
• A collaborative leadership style that balances empowerment with accountability.
• 15+ years of relevant experience in AML/KYC, financial crime or operations within a large global financial institution.
• Demonstrated experience leading strategic transformation and technology change programs, from business case to adoption.
• Significant senior people leadership experience, including leading leaders.
• Bachelor's degree required.
• Strong knowledge of global AML/KYC regulatory requirements.
• Excellent verbal and written English and advanced MS Office skills.

Nice to have

• Experience in a business management role, including budget, headcount and governance ownership (strongly preferred).
• Experience with KYC workflow platforms (e.g., Fenergo/FenX), automation tools or AI solutions.
• Change or project management credentials (e.g., PMP, Lean Six Sigma, Agile).
• Professional certifications such as CAMS or ICA.
• Proven ability to present to and work effectively with an executive audience.

Details

• Location: Hyderabad, India.