Anil Castelino, Card Product Portfolio Digital Onboarding Expert

Location: Dubai City, United Arab Emirates

Can work on-site at your office in

and around Dubai City (up to 50km)

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Baptiste Duhen

Fullstack developer

Amed Hamou

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Audrey Champion

Web developer

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Top skills

Additional skills (11)

A seasoned Cards, Payments, Change and Digital Transformation professional. Passionate about outcome driven innovation, customer centric transformation, with a strong hands on execution mindset.

Over 16 years of experience in managing and leading high-impact projects at the HSBC Group, at Aafaq Islamic Finance (UAE) and through impactful Consulting assignments across the Middle East and Asia Pacific. Skilled at managing Card Product and Portfolio, Payment Solutions, end to end Project Management from initiation to planning, execution and control phases and Agile Project Delivery.

Successfully led complex projects for Retail Banking, Control Functions and Technology verticals. Adept at maintaining strong relationship with stakeholders across all levels including C-Suite leaders, cross functional teams and tech partners.

Recent industry recognitions (team awards):

MEA Finance award: Best Islamic Banking & Finance System Implementation – Y2024
MEA Finance award: Best Digital Transformation Implementation – Y2024

COMPETENCIES and SKILLS

Strategic Innovation
Project Management, Governance
Waterfall and Agile Methodologies
Lean Six Sigma
Analytical Mindset
Problem Solving
System and Process Migration
Partnership Management
Strong Communication Skills
Risk Management, Compliance
PMP Foundation, CSPO® & CSM®
Organisational Skills

AAFAQ ISLAMIC FINANCE PSC
Head – Card Product and Business Strategy
April 2023 - June 2024 (1 year and 2 months)
Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Growth of Credit Cards business:
• Developed and executed strategic roadmap for Card product focused on enhancing CVP and sourcing mix to achieve revenue and business targets.

• Collaborated with Tech, Ops, Credit and Legal teams to design and launch Aafaq Digital (app) a fully digital Card sales and customer onboarding solution.

• 22,500 cards issued over 8 months, achieved 40% reduction in acquisition cost.

Cards Portfolio Strategy:
• Strategic campaigns to improve card activation rates, domestic and international spends. Achieved 600% YoY increase in spends, 3month active base at 75%

• Commissioned periodic competitor analysis, used Mastercard MI reports and offers to drive CNP, recurring transactions and improve portfolio performance.

• Optimized portfolio through CLCM, BT, Cash on Phone, EPP EMI offers, differential pricing. Portfolio ENR improved to average of 78%

• Designed sales trainings. Used Digital Marketing, Mobile App, Tele-Sales and
Contact Center CRM tools to cross-sell, offer CLI and card upgrades.

• Built compelling value proposition by leveraging Mastercard Priceless, merchant partnerships and rewards program management.
Consulting Startup
Business Management Consultant – Banking & Financial Services
August 2019 - March 2023 (3 years and 7 months)
Dubai City, United Arab Emirates
Key Projects:

Digital customer acquisition:
• Delivered digital customer acquisition solution for Cards, Personal Loans and Broking accounts. Firmed up target market, designed customer journey, customer centric workflows to improve digital sales conversion rate.

• Designed profitability aligned customer retention framework. Authored scripts, objection and complaint handling process.

• 4x increase in new customer onboarding, 200% increase in Mutual Fund SIP investments through digital sales.

Conversational AI solutions:
• Implemented conversational AI solutions - multilingual virtual assistant and self-service retail banking solutions

• Designed and implemented AI & ML powered targeted digital campaigns, analytics and bureau data driven digital cross sell.
HSBC BANK
Senior Vice President & Academy Lead (South Asia)
September 2017 - July 2019 (1 year and 11 months)
Program managed set up of Retail Banking & Wealth Management Sales Training Academy across HSBC South Asia markets.

Achievement:
Sales productivity increased by 40%, Complaints reduced by 61%. Increased staff green time and USD 6m savings.

Innovation and Program Management:
• Card sales training modules for staff, managers and third party DSA's dealing in Card & Loan products.

• Designed need identification, selling skill development programs and digital engagement sessions for virtual RM's.

• Instituted certification process for Wealth Management RM's covering Assets, Investments and Insurance business

Cost Save initiatives:
• Set up adjunct trainer pool for Sales and Service trainings. Achieved cost saves of USD 11 m at regional level.

FinTech Practitioner
The London Institute of Banking and Finance
2021
Open Banking and FinTech
Certified Scrum Master and Certified Scrum Product Owner
Scrum Alliance USA
2020
CSM® | CSPO®
Bachelors in Business Finance and Cost Accounting
Bombay University
1998
Business Finance and Cost Accounting

Certified Scrum Product Owner | CSPO®
Scrum Alliance USA
2020
Agile method Agile Scrum
Certified Scrum Master | CSM®
Scrum Alliance USA
2021
PMP® Foundation
SPJIMR - PMI®
2022