Lance Payne
Credit Risk and AI professional
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About
Senior Credit Risk Leader with 10+ years' experience across retail banking, consumer finance, and specialty lending. Proven expertise in second-line oversight, credit risk appetite design, IFRS 9 impairment, ICAAP, stress testing, and model governance. Experienced in leading multi-disciplinary credit risk teams, representing risk at executive and funding partner level, and embedding robust frameworks that enable sustainable growth within clearly defined risk appetite.
Strong track record of enhancing portfolio insight, strengthening governance, improving ECL accuracy, and delivering forward-looking risk strategy aligned to PRA/FCA expectations.
Experience
Associate Director, Credit Risk & AI Oversight at Willis Limited (2023-08 – 2024-08)
Senior 2LOD oversight role across European unsecured retail exposures.
- Provided independent challenge to 1LOD underwriting and portfolio strategy
- Updated and refined credit approval protocols, policy standards, and monitoring tools
- Partnered with senior leadership to review and calibrate risk appetite and capital allocation
- Oversaw portfolio MI covering asset quality, concentrations, and stress sensitivities
- Introduced AI-enabled underwriting oversight dashboard, reducing decisioning time 40% while improving default outcomes by 15%
- Supported impairment forecasting processes aligned to IFRS 9 standards
- Represented Credit Risk in the implementation of an AI-enabled Credit Report Starter Tool, ensuring strategic alignment with risk objectives, compliance with credit policy frameworks, and effective adoption by frontline teams through structured governance and stakeholder engagement
Vice President, Credit Risk at Citigroup Global Markets (2021-11 – 2023-08)
Portfolio oversight and model governance for unsecured retail lending portfolios.
- Maintained and enhanced credit risk modelling frameworks including behavioural and bureau augmentation models
- Improved profitability by 3% through optimisation of risk-based decisioning
- Oversaw governance documentation for credit model changes and committee approval
- Provided portfolio performance insight including vintage, delinquency, and stress analysis
- Worked cross-functionally with product and finance to align risk appetite with growth objectives
- Supported RWA optimisation initiatives across retail exposures
Senior Manager, Credit Risk at Woodsford TradeBridge (2020-06 – 2021-09)
Led credit risk strategy for unsecured consumer and SME point-of-sale portfolios across UK and EU.
- Owned credit risk framework and underwriting standards across a £550m portfolio
- Built IFRS 9-compliant PD/LGD models and ECL dashboards, reducing provisioning error by 33%
- Developed stress testing and scenario analysis to inform capital planning
- Presented regularly to Credit Committee and funding partners
- Designed portfolio monitoring MI to identify concentration and emerging risk trends
- Improved underwriting turnaround by 17% while maintaining asset quality
Senior Credit Risk Analyst at Hiscox Underwriting Ltd (2018-01 – 2020-03)
Senior Credit Risk Analyst role with governance and oversight responsibilities.
- Authored credit governance framework and reporting standards for Executive Committee
- Led stress testing and scenario analysis across global unsecured portfolios
- Improved oversight accuracy by 35% and reduced credit exceptions by 25%
- Contributed to ICAAP documentation and capital impact analysis
Education
MSc in Data Science & AI – University of Exeter (2022 – 2022)
Certificate in Designing & Building AI Products – MIT (2024 – 2024)
