Arni Akmar

Strengthening Independent Risk Oversight

• Developed and implemented risk tolerance levels and early warning indicators for proactive risk identification and monitoring.
• Introduced daily market updates alongside continuous tracking of early warning indicators to support timely risk mitigation.
• Successful implementation of Annual Risk KPIs and Work Plan, directly contributing to the IILM Corporate KPIs.

Supporting the Execution of the Strategic Plan

• Worked closely with the Board Risk Management Committee (BRMC), acted as the BRMC Secretariat and assisted the BRMC in delivering its duties and responsibilities.
• Provided risk opinions to the BRMC, ensuring risk mitigation was integrated into key strategic initiatives.
• Collaborated with the Business Operations team (i) to draft Guidelines on Liquidity Investment Undertakings and Pass-through Placements, as well as (ii) to establish a limit monitoring process for Commodity Murabahah Placements.
• A Whistleblowing Committee Member – in charge of strengthening the Whistleblowing Policy.

Proactive Risk Management

• Maintained the IILM Risk Matrix, consistently evaluating impacts, likelihoods, and mitigation effectiveness.
• Conducted regular forward-looking P&L reviews to pre-empt risks.
• Led stress test exercise with mitigation measures presented at Board meetings.
• Initiated biannual reviews of asset obligors and primary dealers to strengthen credit risk monitoring.

Enhancing the Risk Management Framework

• Conducted annual reviews of the Risk Management SOP and Business Continuity Management (BCM) Framework.
• Adhered to the BCM protocols, including the business impact analysis and disaster recovery exercises.
• Ensured a smooth LIBOR transition in 2022–2023, mitigating financial and operational risks.

Process Improvement

• Partnered with PwC in 2023 for an independent review of the risk, BCM, and stress testing frameworks.
• Worked with an IT consultant to close ISO 27001 gaps in the Information Security Management System and to enhance cybersecurity measures.
• Contributed to policy enhancements, including reviews of the Succession Planning Policy and Intra-Marriage Policy.
• Supported Finance on IFRS 9 Expected Credit Loss (ECL) assessments.

Promoting Risk Awareness

• Delivered a minimum of two staff training sessions annually, followed by quizzes to assess effectiveness.
• Mentored and developed junior team members to build a stronger, future-ready Risk Management Unit.

• Identified, evaluated, measured, mitigated and monitored market risk, focusing on equity derivatives’ positions and Islamic products.
• Constant engagement with Business Units to deliberate on Market Risk VaR and RWA usages to ensure Business Units understand and manage their positions efficiently.
• Articulated sound risk management practices by ensuring constructive limit structures are in place, commensurate with market conditions, and aligning with risk tolerance levels and trading strategies.
• Worked closely with product originators and cross-functional product teams, coordinating system testing to establish operational support and infrastructure readiness for equity and Islamic products to be introduced at the regional level, including Singapore, Thai and Hong Kong Offices
• Enhanced controls on the trading floor by monitoring Treasury Related Key Risk Indicators (KRI), covering off-market transactions & volume churning activities.
• Participated in the Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process - ICAAP, covering Capital Projection and Stress Test Exercises at the Group level.
• Performed impact analysis on Market RWA following the introduction of Basel’s Fundamental Review of Trading Book (FRTB).
• Involved in the operational readiness for the IBOR Transition & Standard Initial Margin Model (SIMM).
• Partnered with Group Compliance to address regulatory requirements pertaining to equity products in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Thailand.
• Performed mark-to-market for financial valuation of Equity & Derivatives, in line with the Market Risk Capital Adequacy Framework.
• Collaborated with the Quantitative team to validate market rate sources & financial models.
• Acted as the Secretary of the (i) Group Underwriting Committee for Debt and Equity Capital Markets and (ii) Group Risk & Compliance Committee.

• Supervising the statutory and special audit assignments.
• Discussions with clients and management teams throughout the audit phase, particularly towards finalising the audited financial statements and other reports of special assignments.
• Involved in the preparation of the Long Form Accountants’ Report & Short Form Accountants’ Report.
• Reviewed trade payable reconciliations prepared by Management to evaluate the reasonableness of the amounts reflected as reconciling items and amounts written off/back in trade payable accounts.