Manager, Risk Management

International Card Services (ICS) brings together our International Consumer and Small & Medium Size Enterprises (SME) issuing activities, as well as our Commercial Large Market sales and account development teams. ICS issues Cards in 27 countries, and is responsible for two Joint Ventures covering around a dozen countries. The leaders in these countries are empowered to make decisions at a local level, in partnership with other local business leaders. Local teams are supported by two cross-market teams – the Centre of Excellence, and Risk & Control Management.

Commercial Rating and Underwriting (CRU) sits within the Credit & Fraud Risk division and forms a key component of the institutional credit risk management function within American Express. The CRU team plays the critical role of assessing and managing the risk of institutional exposures across all business units within American Express, and in all regions globally. Credit exposures are primarily generated through corporate card programs, via merchant service relationships where non-delivery risk exists, and among the securities portfolio held for firm-wide liquidity.

In addition to determining the internal credit rating which drives the probability of default of each exposure, CRU also provides underwriting (i.e. approval and limit sizing) for wholesale card and lending products. As a bank holding company, American Express must comply with the highest global banking standards.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Portfolio Managers in CRU are responsible for assessing and monitoring credit risk across a portfolio of large exposures in their assigned region, industry, and business line. The ultimate objective is to help minimize the risk of loss and support internal stakeholders in driving profitable growth of our corporate business.
• For large exposures, credit assessment is via fundamental credit analysis and incorporates a thorough review of business, its financial statements, calculation and interpretation of key credit metrics and ratios, industry and country risk, as well as consideration of signals from internal and external rating model outputs.
• Portfolio Managers additionally underwrite larger credit programs across our commercial services business, requiring an understanding of the need for and appropriateness of credit extension, profitability of a relationship and program structures.
• CRU Portfolio Managers interact with various constituents across the firm including front office sales, second line of defense, business unit risk partners, and credit administration to perform their critical role.
• Portfolio Managers are also responsible for providing secondary review of decisions relating to smaller exposures in their area of expertise, as well as providing guidance and mentoring to CRU Analysts.
• Portfolio Managers are also required to stay up to date with general corporate development and market sentiment, and be able to speak and write confidently on the outlook for the industries and markets in their area of responsibility.