Amos Kalawa

An adept Banker always focused on quality output and at all times ready to maintain a clear focus on organisation's performance and customer satisfaction.

With over Eight years experience in banking and research sector, I have acquired skill-set that has made me a strong performer who can work under pressure,meet strict deadlines and with no supervision. My current role as senior Payments officer in Payments Department in Sidian Bank has also given me a chance to manage a team and bring cohesiveness and team spirit within the department. I am also very time conscious, an efficient planner and very organised in my work.

In addition to Payments department, other departments I have worked in the same institution and beyond include, Clearing, Treasury back office, Documents control and verification, Accounts opening, Loans department, procurement department and as part time research assistant with Ipsos Synovate. The experience gained so far has molded me into a result oriented person always focused on quality output. My report writing skills are unmatched.

I can draft & critically analyse periodic reports and submit the same to stake-holders in time. I am very professional and keen to meet deadlines. My communication skills are also wonderful. I speak and write clearly and effectively.

I also keenly listen to others, correctly interpret messages from others and respond appropriately by further asking questions to clarify and exhibit interest in having two-way communications. I demonstrate openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Senior Officer- Clearing Payments. Sidian Bank; June 2019 To Date.

 Duties and Responsibilities

• Daily reconciliation of GL accounts. • Preparation of Management reports for EFTs, RTGS, Cheques and Pesalink transactions. • Being the link between the bank and other banks on matters relating to Payments. • Oversee and guidance of the Payments team ensuring that all cheques are validated, Payments processed in time and general compliance to KBA guidelines. • Ensuring processing of salaries and Electronic Funds Transfers (EFTs) is done in line with service level agreement between the bank and customers. • Verification of Supporting documents from customers before releasing the funds into their accounts. • Authorizing telegraphic transfers (TTs) and RTGS as well as verifying SWIFT messages in SWIFT Alliance Messenger • Providing guidance and leadership to the Clearing/Payment’s teams through effective planning, communication and training. • Ensuring adherence to integrity and high ethical standards by all Payments staff. • Ensuring clearing staff are aware of ACH rules and communication to respective teams of any changes • Receiving and verifying client instructions on money transfers i.e. RTGS and TTs with regard to company policy, industrial regulation and statutory requirements and forwarding them for approval by the respective authority. • Validation of inward cheques for correctness and compliance to KBA guidelines. • Verifying and authorizing deposits/placements • Allocation of inward cheques to the team and follow-up to ensure keen validation is done in line with KBA requirements. • Follow-up with the branches on overdrawn cheques to ensure pay/unpay decisions are made in time to ensure session 2 participation. • Constant communication with other banks in case they have system challenges that might affect other banks. • Ensuring that all Outward cheques have been scanned, verified and outward files generated through ACH (automated clearing house) in time to avoid penalization by CBK. • Authorization of all clearing entries in the system. • Ensuring that branch/head office unpaying decisions are made within the required timelines and unpaid files sent to CBK within the cut-off time. • Generating of Outward files from sybrin for outward clearing to CBK through ACH • Closing on issues raised by other banks • Ensuring clearing SLA’s are met. • Ensuring that Treasury rates have been maintained in the system on daily basis • Ensuring that all treasury deals have been closed and all revenue collected as per the bank tariff. • Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Enterprise- Risk Management Framework and internal Sidian Policies and Policy Standards. Understand and manage risks and risk events (incidents) relevant to the role. 3 • Ensuring That All Payments and Receipts Are Processed on Value Date.

Key achievements

• Successfully led and managed ISO 20022 project that went live in March 2023.
• Automation of manual salaries.
• Successfully led and managed testing and automation of Bulk Electronic Funds transfers and Standing Orders.
• Led the implementation of remote cheque capture (RCC) for both outward and inhouse cheques.
• Successfully updated the Sidian Bank Clearing policy and processes 2020.
• In liaison with Manager Treasury, updated the Sidian Bank Payments and treasury back Office Policy and processes 2022
• Successfully led, managed and coordinated testing and implementation of the inhouse direct debit mandates.

Officer – Treasury Back Office and Payments Sidian Bank; February 2018 – June 2019

 Duties and Responsibilities 

• KRA reconciliations through ITAXPG • Prompt processing of customer outward and inward Telegraphic Transfer and RTGS instructions. • Obtain cross rates from Dealers/Treasury operations to a different foreign currency account. • Processing transactions arising from the treasury dealings, commercial papers, treasury bills and bonds, capturing, modifying and verifying manual SWIFT messages in SWIFT Alliance Messenger • Frequent monitoring of SWIFT queues. • Processing of log files • Processing international foreign currency cheques, that is sending for clearing and crediting the clients account thereafter. • Ensure rates on banking system are up to date. • Ensure all relevant documents relating to transaction are properly filed and archived. • Monitors Nostro account balances for all currencies; • Respond to SWIFT related customer queries and complaints. • Processing of outward files Cheques and forex cheques (inwards and outwards) • Ensuring that over the counter unpaying of cheques for other banks is done immediately requests are received • Direct debits mandate maintenance in sybrin. • Assisting branches on all matters relating to payments • Processing of bulk and Individual electronic funds transfers (EFTs) initiated by customers through mobile banking and internet banking channels. • Answering all queries to branches relating to Payments. • Reconciling, correspondent bank’s statements and ensuring that customer funds are credited in a timely manner and that bank commissions are charged promptly in line with company and industrial policy set by CBK. • Monitoring and reporting on expected cash flows in overseas accounts to ensure liquidity for clients and bank payments. • Settling and reconciling issues in various accounts within set time frames in accordance with company policy. • Remitting of local funds and international transfers. • Confirmation of foreign drafts. • Confirming and settling Bank deals on the SWIFT banking platform. Key achievements • Automation of Fixed and call deposits customer receipts. • Change of Deposits from AA to MM format.

Officer – Accounts Opening & Maintenance/ Documents controls & Verification. Sidian Bank; August 2016 to February 2018. 

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Regulatory compliance and implementation of effective anti-money laundering procedures and controls avoiding conflict with Central Bank and Bank policy guide • Review of accounts opening documents to ensure that they comply with the AML and KYC policy requirements. • Reviewing of all accounts opening documents from branches ensuring compliance to KYC and AML • Quality control on all documents from the branches ensuring that they comply with the AML and KYC policy requirements. • Supporting branches on channels queries, account reactivations, account closures, KYC and AML related queries. • Processing of accounts closures, reactivations and reinstatements. • Follow up with the search teams to ensure that searches on certificates for limited companies as well as Saccos are done in line with the SLA’s • Providing information to clients with regards to the bank services/product promptly both on telephone and on a one on one as well as general enquiries emanating from walk in clients. • Consistently achieved referral and sales goals by effectively promoting bank products and services hence increasing the share wallet. • Opening accounts and reactivating dormant accounts as per KYC and AML act. • Customer satisfaction by addressing all customers’ enquiries, queries, complaints and compliments to ensure smooth flow of business. • Preparation of Interim statements of accounts for clients and dispatching end of month statements, • Processing Cheque book, ATM card applications as well as issuing them to customers upon receipt from printers. • Preparation of Bankers cheques and foreign drafts. • Account opening as per KYC and AML act. • Ensuring that all existing files are up to date with regards to required documentation (KYC) and ensure proper filing. Key achievements • Trained branches and other business units during decentralization of accounts opening.

Operations Officer – Loans Processing Sidian Bank; January 2015 – August 2016

 Duties and Responsibilities 

• Prompt and efficient processing of loan disbursements, recoups, refunds, term deposits and bank guarantees/bonds into the core banking system. • Prompt and timely marking of limits to avoid cheques being unpaid. • Timely processing of Contractual Savings Standing Orders as required. • Prevent income leakage by ensuring recovery of all commissions on loans, guarantees/bonds and recoups/refunds. • Ensure management of costs • Daily reconciliations of loans and recoups processed against the system entries, and submission of the documents to registry. • Accurate filing of all recoups/refunds, amendments and other client instructions for easier retrieval.

Part-time Research Assistant. Ipsos Synovate; January 2014 to August 2014 

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Assisted in the editing of the research data in the Editorial department • Assisted in collecting data in the field through questionnaires, interviews and observation • data coding • data entry in the system • data interpretation • data analysis

Bachelor of Economics: University of Nairobi 2010 to 2014: Second class Honours; (Upper Division).

Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education: Burieruri Boys Secondary school 2005 to 2008; (A-) Minus.

Kenya Certificate of Primary Education: Antuanuu Primary School: 1996 to 2004; 415 out of 500 Marks.

Kenya Accountants & Secretaries National Examination: 2012; CPA Part 1; Pass