Brandon Christie-Wood | Strategic Operator

Profile

Strategic operator in complex financial environments

With experience spanning corporate banking, financial crime, investor relations and client services, I bring a rare blend of operational rigour, analytical depth and automation expertise. My career is defined by measurable impact, cross‑functional collaboration and a commitment to clarity, accuracy and continuous improvement.

I specialise in building predictive forecasting models, “golden source” data assets and automated MI/reporting frameworks that reduce operational drag while strengthening control environments. I’m most effective when I’m diagnosing inefficiencies, designing scalable tools and enabling senior leadership with accurate, actionable insight.

Predictive modelling & forecasting Control‑strong process design Automation & MI reporting Cross‑border stakeholder management

Experience

Associate Director, Client Delivery

March 2025 – March 2026

Standard Chartered Bank, London

Promotion recognising the level and impact of projects delivered since joining SCB. Mandated to streamline key processes, refine operating and organisational models and ensure globally consistent standards and controls across Client Delivery.

Continued development of a predictive forecasting model for CDD, High‑Risk, CBR and Sanctions, defining the book‑of‑work planning process and reducing overdue percentages from >20% to 1.4% across monitored categories—avoiding business restrictions.
Automated data mining for a central “golden source” data asset, improving reliability and reducing manual effort across multiple management tools.
Built a Python‑driven management email update process: scheduled data download, auto‑populated templates and controlled release via a checking workflow.
Designed and deployed an automated tool for Compliance, transforming FCA annual declaration data production from ~18 hours to ~10 minutes.
Automated MI and productivity reporting for several management forums using Python and recorded macros, materially reducing recurring reporting workload.

Analyst, Client Delivery

Apr 2023 – Mar 2025

Standard Chartered Bank, London

Newly created role focused on reducing overdue rates of periodic reviews for NTB/ETB KYC and Sanctions cases, while strengthening workflow transparency and control.

Independently designed and built a Tableau‑driven predictive forecasting model used by client management and senior management in the UK, Poland and India to plan case burns and stay within group thresholds.
Built a central “golden source” data source tracking core categories of focus, feeding multiple management tools and ad‑hoc reporting requirements.
Introduced weekly overdue and case‑burn email updates and a rolling six‑month workflow status record, giving senior management full visibility of upcoming workload.
Delivered group and individual training to Client Management teams across UK, DE, PL and IN on new tools and processes.
Owned weekly/monthly MI and productivity reporting and created a target calculator to allocate case‑burn requirements across seven Pods, improving departmental efficacy.

Data Control Analyst, Financial Crime Middle Office

Sep 2020 – Apr 2023

SMBC BI, London

Managed high‑volume client and SSI registrations across multiple settlement and banking systems, ensuring accuracy, regulatory alignment and timely completion while coordinating with Compliance, Risk, Operations, Legal and Front Office.

Designed new reconciliation procedures for bulk upload amendments, reducing effort from 6 people / 30 hours to 2 people / 5 hours.
Built a database of international non‑working days, cutting annual holiday update effort from 6 people / 90 hours to 4 people / 30 hours.
Owned customer registration and account maintenance across SMBCBI systems, including SSI registration, vendor information, bond registration and currency/holiday calendar maintenance.
Led data reconciliation and cleansing initiatives, securing approvals and driving remediation with regular stakeholder updates.
Supported UAT for system upgrades, escalating issues and following through to resolution while maintaining real‑time and post‑validation checks.

Client Service Associate (Investor Relations)

Apr 2018 – Sep 2020

The Ingenious Group, London

Key member of Client Services, delivering high‑performance outcomes across query management, investor servicing and operational improvement.

Delivered consistently high service performance in a department handling 21,000+ annual queries, with 90% resolved within 48 hours and 80% within 24 hours.
Optimised workflow by triaging and allocating queries by complexity and capability, ensuring specialist cases reached the right people.
Took ownership of high‑risk and escalated cases, coordinating with senior stakeholders to deliver accurate, timely resolutions that improved investor satisfaction.
Designed, built and maintained the firm’s central “golden source” database of periodic investment updates, becoming a critical asset for Client Services and Business Development.
Produced monthly investment intelligence reports for a major intermediary group, equipping leadership with accurate, strategically relevant data for high‑stakes meetings.
Developed and delivered structured training programmes for new team members, contributing to a 50% improvement in customer response times.

Earlier roles

Prior to 2018

Euler Hermes · Policy Administration, Client Service Specialist, Assistant Account Manager (Broker Distribution).
Reliance Mutual Insurance Society · Pension Administration and Client Services Associate.
Friends Life · Pension Administration and Client Services Associate.
Prior roles in factory/warehouse, solar farm installation, construction and customer service—grounding in practical operations and frontline service.

Skills & capabilities

Core operating strengths

Strategic & operational

Process optimisation Operating model design Workflow transparency SLA management Operational risk management AML / KYC Client relationship management

Data, modelling & automation

Predictive forecasting models “Golden source” data assets Data modelling & analysis Data cleansing & reconciliation Error testing & UAT MI / productivity reporting Automation of reporting workflows

Tools & platforms

Excel (Advanced · 15+ years) PowerPoint (Advanced) Word (Advanced) Tableau (6+ years) MS Dynamics (CRM) Power BI Python (automation‑focused) SQL (basic) PowerShell Salesforce Oracle · Citrix Sage Adobe Acrobat Suite CoPilot · Claude · GitHub Bespoke in‑house systems

Methods & ways of working

Six Sigma & Lean (Green/Black Belt‑equivalent practice) Defect reduction Data‑driven problem solving Cross‑functional collaboration Training design & delivery Stakeholder communication

Selected impact highlights

Reduced overdue regulatory case percentages from >20% to 1.4% across monitored categories through predictive modelling and workflow redesign.
Cut FCA declaration data production time from ~18 hours to ~10 minutes via an automated compliance tool.
Reduced bulk upload reconciliation effort from 30 hours (6 people) to 5 hours (2 people) at SMBC BI.
Halved customer response times in Client Services through training, workflow optimisation and data improvements.
Designed and maintained multiple “golden source” databases that became critical assets for leadership reporting and decision‑making.