Job Description

overview

Our client, a leading organisation, is seeking an accomplished Chief Credit Officer (CCO) reporting to the Chief Executive of the Bank. The incumbent provides strategic leadership of the Bank's Credit Underwriting function, serving as the Bank's principal authority on credit underwriting assessment and recommendation, and subject matter expert on all credit related matters within the institution.

The CCO holds personal delegated sanctioning authority and leads the Credit Underwriting Team ("CUT") in the assessment and approval of credit proposals within approved authority limits. For exposures exceeding individual delegated authorities, the CCO presents well-documented recommendations to the relevant credit forums for approval, ensuring sound credit judgement at every sanctioning tier.

The CCO supports the Bank's strategic objectives by ensuring prudent lending practices, safeguarding asset quality and balancing business growth with appropriate risk management. The credit recovery function shall operate independently with separate reporting line while maintaining close coordination with the Credit Underwriting function.

Key Responsibilities:

Credit Underwriting & Sanctioning:
Oversee credit underwriting processes to ensure sound credit decision-making, consistency, and adherence to approved risk parameters.
Ensure credit proposals are assessed in line with approved credit policies, delegated authorities, and the Bank's risk appetite.
Ensure credit proposals are underwritten to a consistently high standard, supporting the sustainability of the Bank's lending portfolio across all business segments.

Portfolio Quality & Risk Standards:
Work with sales teams to ensure credit files for facilities due for review or renewal are current, complete, and submitted in a timely manner prior to underwriting assessment.
Oversee the loan review process to ensure consistency and discipline in underwriting standards across all credit proposals submitted to CUT.
Contribute actively to the development and periodic review credit policies, underwriting standards, procedures and frameworks providing first line input in alignment with business strategy, regulatory expectations and Group requirements.
Ensure effective implementation of credit scorecards and analytics within the underwriting process.

Governance, Controls & Compliance:
Maintain strong governance and internal controls within the credit underwriting and sanctioning process.
Ensure appropriate segregation of duties, and approval authorities within the Credit Underwriting function.
Oversee the loan approval process to ensure underwriting discipline as well as independent and objective credit challenge.
Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, prudential guidelines, and directives issued by the Bank of Mauritius, as well as internal policies.

Stakeholder & Regulatory Engagement:
Act as the primary liaison with internal and external auditors, regulators, and other stakeholders on credit-related matters.
Work closely with Business, Risk, Compliance, Legal, Finance, and Operations teams to support balanced and commercially sound credit decisions.
Support strategic business initiatives through effective credit partnership while preserving the Bank's risk standards.

People Leadership & Culture:
Lead, coach, and develop high-performing teams across the Credit Underwriting function and ensure robust succession planning, talent management and capability development.
Promote a culture of accountability, credit discipline, risk awareness and continuous improvement.