Role Summary
The Head of Credit Assessment & Risk Management is responsible for leading and continuously improving the execution of the organization's credit risk framework predominantly in shipping and including other activities, ensuring the effective implementation of the vision, risk appetite, and policies defined by the respective Head Office Divisional Head of Credit Management. This role ensures the company maintains a robust credit governance structure, safeguards working capital, and supports sustainable revenue growth by enabling sound commercial decision-making. In addition to leading daily credit operations, the role contributes to Credit scope transformation initiatives, technology modernization, and team capability building, ensuring the function evolves ahead of market, regulatory, and customer demands.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Credit Assessment & Risk Management
- Lead the end-to-end credit assessment process for customers across global shipping and other divisions operations.
- Ensure compliance with internal policies, external regulations, sanctions, and maritime-trade finance standards.
- Demonstrates strong strategic acumen with the ability to translate market trends, regulatory developments, and business strategy into forward-looking credit risk mitigation actions.
- Balances growth objectives with prudent risk appetite to support sustainable business outcomes.
2. Leadership & Team Management
- Lead, mentor, and develop a global team of credit analysts. Able to build new highly competent team for future new scope transition.
- Establish performance standards and drive a high-accountability, high-service culture within the team with the right balance of productivity level.
- Enhance team capabilities through training on financial analysis, sector-specific risks, systems, and data analytics.
- Champion cross-functional collaboration with Finance, Procurement, Commercial, Operations, Legal, and Compliance teams.
3. Credit Policy, Governance & Reporting
- Ensure compliance to credit policies, procedures, and approval matrices.
- Prepare regular reporting for executive leadership
- Improve governance controls and ensure audit readiness.
4. Transformation, Process Optimization, & Strategic Projects
- Lead transformation initiatives to modernize execution of credit risk management such as automated workflows, and digital documentation, as well as developing future new scope.
- Drive continuous improvement in credit processes to reduce cycle time, improve data quality, and enhance customer experience.
- Manage change management initiatives, ensuring adoption across regions and functions.
5. Stakeholder & Commercial Support
- Support strategic bids, long-term agreements, and high-value customer onboarding.
- Engage with key stakeholders such as Group & Regional Credit Management, Commercial, Procurement, credit insurers, banks, and rating agencies.
Qualifications & Experience:
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, or related field.
- Over 15 years of experience in credit risk management, with at least 5 years as Head of Department for Credit Assessment and Risk Management with multinational corporations, preferably in shipping, logistics and other relevant B2B industries.
- Proven leadership experience in managing a centralized credit team within an agile environment.
- Demonstrated success in leading transformation and digitalization projects.
- Strong analytical, financial modelling, and decision-making skills.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
- High executive presentation skills with advanced proficiency in PowerPoint and project management.
- High mobility: able to travel within and outside Malaysia on a regular basis.
Key Competencies:
- Commercial Acumen, Leadership & Coaching
- Transformational Leadership & Change Management
- Negotiation & Influence, Resilience & Crisis Management
- Strategic thinking and ability to pre-alert HO Credit Management to mitigate risk exposure while balance commercial growth.
Key Success Indicators (KSIs):
Credit Portfolio Quality & Risk Reduction
- Improved Credit terms and Credit limit in accordance of customer's credit worthiness and payment commitment.
- Stable or improved credit risk ratings across the customer base.
Operational Efficiency & Process Performance
- Shortened credit approval cycle times without compromising risk quality.
- Increased automation rates and reduction in manual interventions.
- Improved team productivity by managing high risk profiles and value-added activities.
Team Performance & Capability Development
- Enhanced skill levels across the credit team measured through assessments and performance ratings.
- Upskill from credit helpdesk/ assessment to risk-focus business partner.
- Strong employee engagement, retention, and succession readiness within the department.
Governance, Compliance & Audit
- Zero major audit findings related to credit governance or compliance from internal and external audit.
- On-time, accurate reporting and adherence to all internal risk policies and external regulatory requirements.
Stakeholder Satisfaction & Business Partnership
- Positive feedback from Commercial, Finance, Operations, Legal, and Executive teams.
Transformation & Strategic Initiatives
- Successful delivery of digitalization and transformation projects within agreed timelines and budgets.
- Increased adoption and usage of new systems, dashboards, and predictive analytics tools.
- Demonstrated improvements in process effectiveness post-implementation (e.g., fewer exceptions, faster decisions).
