Melissa Martin-Joseph

• This is a Regional Leadership role that shares first line of defense responsibility for managing operational risks supporting Caribbean.
• Oversee the Operations Risk Management programs for Caribbean Banking; Operational Risk Events, Key Risk Indicators & Self Identified Issues.
• Lead a diverse Operations Risk Management 1bLOD team.
• Maintain effective relationships and routines with first, second and third lines of defense, risk, governance and other control teams.
• Produce and present monthly issue dashboards to Executives for Caribbean Banking oversight; providing data on issues, risk events and other trending areas of risk.
• Involved in several working groups with key partners including Issue Coordinators, Regional Operating Officers, Area Vice Presidents, Process & Product owners providing advice & council on managing operational risks and the remediation of issues for Caribbean Banking.
• Supports the integration and implementation of new initiatives and activities as required.
• Performs regular in depth reviews on issues and bank alerts to ensure evidence supports sustainable resolution.
• Acts as the key point of contact for any event data collection, key risk indicators, risk and control identification, and monitoring and resolution assessment.
• Proactively identify, measure, and analyze operational risks in Caribbean Banking supporting Business Partners in the development and execution of mitigation strategies where appropriate.
• Work with Business/Functional Units to ensure that control gaps are remediated effectively and resolved sustainably and work to identify opportunities to further leverage & align to the enterprise.
• Within the Operations Excellence Group, I provided continuous coaching and guidance (Train the Trainer) to the Operations Support Officers who were responsible for providing coaching/training to the Sales Teams both for Retail Banking & High Net Worth teams. The training provided was heavily weighted on Credit portfolio and credit administration risks.
• Created an Audit Readiness structure and working group to ensure that Retail Banking was well prepared for successful internal audits. Supervised operations staff and kept employees compliant with company policies and procedures.
• Introduced new methods, practices, and systems to reduce turnaround time.
• Trained and guided team members to maintain high productivity and performance metrics.
• Accomplished multiple tasks within established timeframes.
• Enhanced customer satisfaction by resolving disputes promptly, maintaining open lines of communication, and ensuring high-quality service delivery.
• Resolved staff member conflicts, actively listening to concerns and finding appropriate middle ground.

My key responsibilities were as follows:

• Lead & execute audit engagements relating to all business & functional units across RBC markets; such as, Personal & Business Banking, Branch Operations, Service Delivery, Internal Controls, Group Risk Management, Investment Management & Treasury. This involves assessing the risks, quality of controls and operating procedures of the respective business unit; including RBC Caribbean & Canada.
• Perform Issue Verification tests to ensure Management Action Plans (MAPs) implemented adequately mitigate the associated risks and are sustainable to close gaps.
• Assist with the completion of quarterly monitoring reports for the key control processes within Group Risk Management, Personal & Business Banking and Service Delivery units to identify trends, high risk areas and stay abreast of new developments within the various units.
• Partner and collaborate with audit clients’ including Directors and Senior Management ensuring quality service, professionalism, technical proficiency and knowledge of the respective business.
• Write credible and substantive audit issues, making relevant and value added contributions to audit clients; resulting in satisfactory audit feedback survey results.
• Ensure assigned tasks, such as; the completion of Audit Profiles, Audit Programs and Working Papers, are prepared and finalized within the stipulated time frame, of superior quality and accurately reflect the key risks and controls for the audit entity.

My key responsibilities were as follows:

• Managed credit portfolios, deliver on Sales targets and other business development activities; including seeking new business opportunities and obtaining referrals to ensure sales targets were met.
• Credit Administration & Portfolio Management. The completion of annual reviews and daily management of the portfolio such as overdrawn accounts & delinquency management for clients under my purview. Analyze, examine and interpret clients’ financial statements, bank accounts, etc.
• Complete reports, such as, Borrower Risk Rating worksheets, IAS worksheets, and Watch Lists and Pipeline reports. Utilized Moody’s financial analysis to communicate recommendations to management

My key responsibilities were as follows:

• Supervise Customer Service Representatives.
• Provide support to Personal Banking Representatives.
• Oversee client requests, including, client queries (operational & lending).
• Review Loan Packages prior to submitting for disbursement. Actively listened to customers, handled concerns quickly and escalated major issues to supervisor.
• Handled customer inquiries and suggestions courteously and professionally.
• Answered constant flow of customer calls with minimal wait times.
• Offered advice and assistance to customers, paying attention to special needs or wants.
• Clarified customer issues and determined root cause of problems to resolve product or service complaints.
• Participated in team meetings and training sessions to stay informed about product updates and changes.
• Processed customer service orders promptly to increase customer satisfaction.
• Delivered exceptional customer service to every customer by leveraging extensive knowledge of products and services and creating welcoming, positive experiences.
• Exhibited high energy and professionalism when dealing with clients and staff.