10 | Q2 2022 Apr22088 Best International Banking & Finance SME 2021: Madhulika Syal Introducing Madhulika Syal: a strategic management leader with a twist. Working for 21 years for diverse businesses, she has surpassed her own expectations of personal and professional advancement. Here we look to Madhulika as she explains some of her achievements and skills – inspiring and motivating us to take hold of our own success just the same. With much experience in Internal Audits & Controls, Risk Management, Compliance, Fraud Identification and Implementation – at a global level – Madhulika has adapted herself through a multitude of positions. Building herself up, on a foundation of honesty and respect, Madhulika has created a path for herself in the corporate world. She tells us that she has “successfully worked with major global regulators across the UK, US & APAC region. I am currently working at a top management capacity as Vice President – leading and heading a team of six professionals for managing end-to-end audits and controls functions with prior experience in heading endto-end operations.” Madhulika says she also deals with “FS Risk Practice including RA, ITRA, RT and TPRM impressive success in leading completion of various banking transformation, ad-hoc compliance, regulatory and governance projects such as GDPR, due diligence efforts, SEPA implementation, FATCA, AML, sourcing review, data protection, special investigation, and more.” She always finds a way of working her magic with any size team and through a wide variety of processes. She ensures suitable audit strategies success in the setup of entire internal audit practice in the UK for consulting broad-based expertise in preparing and providing standing and recurring operational risk deliverables – such as business unit operational risk profiles and results of scenario analysis to business partners. With a “front-led major role in coordinating bank audits, compliance and government audits, risk-based audits and so on; I ensured completion of the audit assignments within time,” Madhulika explains. She also works with “budgets and calendar schedules while managing multiple tasks – contributing in achieving cost savings through Technical, Financial & Operational Audits Insightful professional with success in coordinating multiple audit projects.” Madhulika’s vast array of experience across many sectors and throughout many ventures has produced the strength that she holds today. She tells us, “These projects include issue identification and execution of corrective action plans in accordance with regulatory and departmental guidelines with expertise in assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of business.” By working closely and intensively with the financial service industry, Madhulika possesses a high volume of knowledge regarding the processes that have been and must be put into place for businesses to be able to operate seamlessly. Whether a business needs aid with internal audits and controls, risk management, compliance, fraud identification, implementation at a global level, or any number of other things, this company can help them to handle it with tenacity and comprehension. Thus, her services have become synonymous with the word ‘holistic’, as she considers every variable and factor before deciding on the best course of action. Recognised by both clients and peers, Madhulika’s ability to act quickly, efficiently, effectively, and with respect, allows a bond of trust to form between herself and the individuals she works with. With procedures and policies acted upon in accordance with regulations, she was able to set up a business upon the ideas of consulting-based expertise, preparing and providing risk deliverables, and operational risk management summaries. Fundamentally, her existence has only benefitted the financial world in the macro scale. Madhulika believes that positivity and gratitude are some of the most important things throughout a business and career venture. She says, “Gratitude is one of the most underestimated ways anyone can enrich their lives. Gratitude means thankfulness, counting your blessings, noticing simple pleasures, and acknowledging everything that you receive. For me, it means learning to live my life as if everything is a miracle and being aware on a continuous basis of how much I have been given.” We can all take a leaf out of his book and explore what we are truly grateful for as this will, more often than not, inspire us to be the best that we can be. Madhulika adds, “I am expressing my gratitude for the current situation where I am spending a lot of time with my baby. I am grateful to my mum who was my pillar of support. She offered me unconditional support and fought very well with her disease until the last breath. My friends hold special place in my heart. With their unconditional support both mentally and emotionally I get by my stressful days. The feeling in me is quite enriching my heart and soul.” With this, Madhulika shares, “I am recollecting a famous quote from Lionel Hampton, ‘Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind’.” The Covid-19 pandemic hit everyone hard but it didn’t stop Madhulika from making a difference. She always looks on the bright side and she informs us that things have been about overcoming challenges for the past couple of years shares, “I now work from home, which I considered as a luxury, as it is now a necessity. I do miss interacting with colleagues face to face. Looking at the situation, I am balancing it by implementing ritualisation, positive thoughts of working like this, setting up time for tasks. This has actually improved my multi-tasking skills.” Madhulika perfectly understands the weight of the situation and has done everything she can to keep herself and others safe. With positivity flowing through her she enthuses, “There is a lot of time spent with my family – which is a positive side for me. I have learnt how to draw work life balance in the unexpected situation like this. This journey of me is reaffirming my believe that when you are no longer able to change a situation, you are challenged to change yourself. So the change in me is continuing.” Moreover, with Madhulika’s experience and belief in business, she has cultivated a people-
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