Rania Kawwa

Third-Party Risk Management and Vendor Governance professional with 20+ years of experience in banking, procurement, strategic sourcing and supplier management, including extensive experience within a regulated banking environment Currently managing enterprise third-party risk assessments at Arab Bank, covering cybersecurity operational, financial, compliance and regulatory risks across the vendor lifecycle. Experienced in vendor due diligence, risk classification, criticality assessment, risk mitigation, regulatory compliance, contract risk management, supplier governance and stakeholder coordination. Proven ability to work with Cybersecurity, Compliance, Legal, Procurement, business owners and vendors to identify, escalate and mitigate third-party risks and strengthen governance frameworks.

MCIPS, CMA and Certified Third-Party Risk Professional, combining hands-on TPRM expertise with 15+ years of procurement and supplier governance leadership, including vendor selection, contracting, performance management and risk-based supplier oversight within banking.

Third-Party Risk Assessment Manager at Arab Bank (2024-09 – Present)

• Lead enterprise third-party risk assessments for new and existing vendors across cybersecurity, operational, financial, compliance and regulatory risk domains within a regulated banking environment.
• Oversee end-to-end vendor due diligence, evaluating supplier documentation, control effectiveness, financial stability, compliance posture, operational resilience and risk exposure.
• Assess vendor risk classification, criticality and business impact to support risk-based onboarding, monitoring and governance decisions.
• Partner with Cybersecurity, Compliance, Legal, Procurement and business stakeholders to identify, assess, escalate and mitigate third-party risks and ensure timely remediation.
• Design and implement risk-based vendor onboarding and ongoing monitoring practices aligned with procurement governance, regulatory requirements and the Bank’s TPRM framework.
• Strengthen vendor governance and contract risk management across the third-party lifecycle, including supplier oversight, risk mitigation and compliance monitoring.
• Monitor identified third-party risks and remediation actions, supporting effective risk tracking, escalation and closure of outstanding issues.
• Prepare due diligence summaries and risk information for stakeholders to support informed vendor approval and risk-based decision-making.
• Maintain and monitor the third-party/vendors risk register, tracking identified risks, remediation actions, and escalation of overdue items.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of TPRM processes, due-diligence criteria and vendor governance controls to improve consistency, efficiency and risk visibility.
• Translate regulatory expectations relating to banking outsourcing, third-party risk, data protection and operational resilience into practical vendor due-diligence and governance controls.
• Utilize AI-enabled tools across TPRM and contracting activities to improve due-diligence efficiency, contract analysis, obligation tracking and identification of potential risk and compliance gaps.

IT Procurement Manager at Arab Bank (2022-10 – 2024-08)

• Managed strategic sourcing and supplier governance across a $20M+ annual IT procurement portfolio, including vendor selection, due diligence, negotiation, contracting and ongoing supplier performance.
• Administered end-to-end RFI/RFP/RFQ processes including technical coordination, commercial evaluation, TCO analysis, vendor selection, and contract finalization.
• Achieved a 23% cost reduction across multiple IT procurement categories through supplier rationalization, strategic negotiation, and sourcing optimization.
• Led procurement for the Arab Bank Data Center project (~$4M), achieving significant savings against planned KPIs.
• Negotiated long-term service and maintenance agreements with international vendors, securing favorable commercial terms, extended support coverage, and improved SLAs.
• Developed and monitored procurement KPIs covering savings, supplier performance, cycle time, and contract compliance.
• Enhanced procurement workflows through SAP and Ariba optimization initiatives, improving efficiency and stakeholder experience.
• Mentored procurement team members and supported professional development, including CIPS certification pathways.

Fixed Assets Procurement Manager at Arab Bank (2008-01 – 2022-10)

• Led procurement operations for fixed assets, furnishing, and infrastructure across banking operations and branch projects, over a 14-year tenure of sustained delivery.
• Spearheaded adoption of SAP and Ariba Buyer platforms, enhancing procurement transparency and workflow automation.
• Delivered major cost savings through regional sourcing strategies, supplier development, and local market optimization.
• Achieved 40%+ savings on furnishing requirements for new imaging branches while maintaining quality and design standards.
• Managed supplier relationships, contract renewals, and procurement planning to ensure timely project delivery and operational continuity.
• Acted as primary liaison between suppliers, technical teams, and internal stakeholders, resolving commercial and operational issues.

Technical Support Engineer at Al Kurdi Group (2006-05 – 2007-08)

• Supported procurement and sourcing activities aligned with technical and operational specifications.
• Negotiated pricing and delivery schedules with suppliers to achieve cost-effective procurement outcomes.
• Contributed to supplier performance improvement through relationship management and regular vendor evaluations.

Senior Marketing Engineer (Senior Proposals Engineer) at Al-Ghanem Trading & Contracting Co. – Industrial Services Group (2005-06 – 2006-04)

• Led cross-functional proposal and commercial activities across Qatar, UAE, and KSA markets.
• Conducted market analysis and identified regional business development opportunities supporting revenue growth.

Marketing Engineer (Proposals Engineer) at Al-Ghanem Trading & Contracting Co. – Industrial Services Group (2001-01 – 2005-06)

• Managed marketing and proposal activities for power transmission products and industrial solutions.
• Built strong client relationships and supported acquisition of key regional accounts.

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Industrial Engineering – University of Jordan (2000)