Amanda Hilaire
Ghana, Accra- |-
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Dynamic and results-driven executive leader with a proven track record in corporate strategy, enterprise change management, and financial oversight. Adept at driving sustainable business growth, implementing large-scale change initiatives, and leading high-performing teams. A visionary with extensive experience in financial services, investment management, and development banking, excelling in governance, stakeholder engagement, and digital transformation. Passionate about creating sustainable value and fostering innovation.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Business Growth & Strategic Leadership
Financial Management & Financial Oversight
Corporate Governance & Risk Management
Strategic Transformation Development & Change Management
Stakeholder & Board Engagement
Governance and Assurance
Enterprise-wide Digital Innovation
Large-Scale Programme & Portfolio Leadership
Regulatory Compliance
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Chief Programmes Officer (CPO) Feb 2022 – Apr 2024
Development Bank Ghana: Ghana, Accra
Role Overview
Recruited as a strategic executive to lead enterprise programme management, transformation, and change across the organization. Accountable for setting DBG’s strategic direction, overseeing multiple investment initiatives, and ensuring effective governance.
Responsibilities:
Provided strategic oversight of DBG’s transformation and programme portfolio.
Collaborated with the CEO and board to define policies, investment strategies, and risk frameworks.
Directed the enterprise-wide digital strategy in coordination with IT and cybersecurity teams.
Led engagement with key external stakeholders, including government agencies, financial institutions, and investors.
Work with Internal Audit to determine and report the risk value for the Bank’s Programme portfolio and how this risk should be managed.
Work with CEO and ExCO to develop DBG’s diversity policy/programme for internal and external utilisation.
Head of PMO May 2019 – Feb 2022
Schroders Investment Management: London, UK
Role Overview
Head of PMO recruited to define and build out the PMO framework and services to help bridge the gap and create transparency between the Regulatory Enterprise Change and SWIFT programme. The SWIFT programme was Joint venture won by Schroders from Lloyds to provide investments services for £80bn out of their £110bn Assets under management.
Responsibilities:
Financial forecasting and Budget management- including the setup of financial reporting processes to identify any variances, resource plan for 200+ FTE with a combined budget of £32million that inputted into the overall Group Change Annual Operating plan.
Build out and Management of Core Programme PMO team (8 FTE)- defined, reviewed and rolled out Programme PMO framework ensuring all relevant stakeholders complied with the governance, processes, controls and responsibilities required during the delivery of the SWIFT Programme.
Resource Allocation and Recruitment - Responsible for group headcount reports (consultants, permanent and temp resources) for the group into the Group Head of Change. Production of time booking reports, resource forecast versus actual and the allocation of PMOs within the Group. Managed the end to end process of the resource on-boarding process.
Risk and Change management – determine and report the risk value for the portfolio, transferring any open risk post implementation into operational risk/ BAU.
RAID Management- Active liaison with the project managers, sponsors and delivery teams to ensure Programme plan updates, conducting status meetings to the Programme Steering Committee and facilitating issue resolution.
Vendor/ Third Party Management- Managed third party relationship, invoice payments and contractual agreements, to ensure effective delivery against cost, time and scope.
Head of PMO Feb 2017 – Feb 2019
HSBC-Global Corporate Structuring:London, UK
Role Overview
Head of PMO brought in to be part of the Group corporate structuring management team for delivery of multiple work streams on the Regulatory transformation programme. Project Earth and Moon was created as a three-way division of HBEU into the retail focused (RFB) Ring fence bank, a wholesale focused (NRFB) non- ring-fenced bank and a service company (ServCo).
Responsibilities:
•Financial forecasting and Budget management- including the setup of financial reporting processes to identify any variances, resources plans for 2000+ FTE with a financial forecast of $2billion that inputted into the overall Group corporate Annual Operating plan.
•Management of corporate PMO team (7 FTE Global)- liaising with Group Audit to close out any open audit points in conjunction with half yearly audit process.
•Performance Management- Management of perms staff against objectives, liaising with line managers on performance and allocation of grades.
•Communication Strategy- Engaged with external regulators and financial authorities, ensuring regulatory adherence..
•Regulatory Reporting- Managed monthly and quarterly regulatory reports to FCA and other regulators.
•Process definition and project assurance, ensuring adherence to the relevant governance and compliance frameworks.
Head of ProjectsJun 2015 – Feb 2017
Bank of New York Mellon: Belgium/ London
Role Overview
Head of Projects recruited to manage and oversees major strategic and regulatory change programme for Client Asset Protection(CAP). On successful completion of CAP, Client Asset Oversight Enhancement Programme (CAOEP) was created to provide a framework for governance and oversight around the global CAP enhancements post completion.
Responsibilities:
•Managed the overall programme expenses, with an annual budget target of $1.4million across a team of 30.
•Change Management- RAID logs provided appropriate approvals and ensured procedures had been adhered to with regards to changes to key deliverables.
•Designed vendor management processes and streamlined third-party risk assessment.
•Acceptance Process- Creation of an internal auditing framework to ensure all regulatory principles and work streams had been appropriately signed off and closed.
•Coordinated the Technology and Non- technology work streams defining the work stream governance arrangements and ensure synergy between the two projects.
•Risk and Quality Assurance- Ensuring the overall integrity of the programme - focusing inwardly on the internal consistency of the programme, and outwardly on its coherence with infrastructure planning, interfaces with other programmes and corporate, technical standards.
Lead Change ConsultantDec 2014 – May 2015
F&C Asset Management/ Bank of Montreal (BMO): London, Uk
Role Overview
Head of Projects recruited to manage and oversees major strategic and regulatory change programme for Client Asset Protection(CAP). On successful completion of CAP, Client Asset Oversight Enhancement Programme (CAOEP) was created to provide a framework for governance and oversight around the global CAP enhancements post completion.
Responsibilities:
Gap Analysis – creating and identifying current and target state assessments for overall project and programs.
Led large-scale regulatory enterprise transformation, ensuring compliance with industry standards and enhancing corporate governance structures.
Designed and implemented an enterprise-wide PMO, optimizing portfolio management and enhancing business agility.
Lead Change ConsultantDec 2013 – Dec 2014
Barclays CapitalLondon, UK
Change ConsultantOct 2012 – Nov 2013
UBS London, UK
BOARD & LEADERSHIP ENGAGEMENT
Board Member & Governance Consultant
Member of Industry Committees on Financial Innovation & Compliance
Mentor & Advocate for Emerging Leaders in Finance
EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS
Harvard Business School – Strategy Execution (Certified)
Harvard Business School: 2024
Bachelor of Arts, Accounting (Hons)
University of Bedfordshire: 2009
Professional Scrum Master (PSM 1, Certified)
Scrum.Org: 2019
PRINCE2 Certification (Certified/Expert)
APM Group: 2009
ACCA (In progress)
