Ramesh Pillai is the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the International Institute of Enterprise Risk Practitioners (IERP) as well as the Group Managing Director of Friday Concepts, an International ERM (Conventional and Islamic), BCM, Governance, Risk Management and Compliance boutique consultancy.
Ramesh is currently a Director of a number of leading Conventional Financial Institution in Malaysia and Islamic Financial Institutions overseas – as well as a former Director of a leading Developmental Financial Institution. His Board experience includes chairing the Board Risk Management Committee, Investment Committee and Audit Committee, as well as membership of the Nomination Committee, Board Collaboration Committee and Remuneration Committee. He is also a nominee Director for a Regional Central Bank.
Additionally, Ramesh is currently an adjunct professor in Enterprise Risk Management at a private University. He is the former Risk Management Adviser to the Public Trustee and one of the largest fund managers in the Region as well as to one of the largest Islamic fund managers in the Region. Ramesh holds a Bachelor of Economics with Accountancy (Honours) degree from Loughborough University in the UK. As part of his degree course, Ramesh specialised in Economics and Banking in general and Islamic Banking in particular.
A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) as well as the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA), a Certified Risk Professional (CRP), a certified Enterprise Risk Manager (ERM), a certified Islamic Enterprise Risk Manager (ERMi), a Qualified Risk Director (QRD) and a Qualified Risk Auditor (QRA), Ramesh was also a Regional Director for the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) and was instrumental in the creation of the Malaysian chapter of the Professional Risk Managers International Association (PRMIA). He is an Islamic and Conventional Risk Management resource for the Qatar Investment Authority and is listed in their Q-Finance Directory. Ramesh was a former Risk Management mentor on the ICAEW’s Regional F-TEN program and is a member of the Advisory Board and also on the Panel of Experts of the GlobalRisk Community. Ramesh has also been named a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world.
With over 30 years of Risk Management experience he is also a recognised Global pioneer in Enterprise Risk Management and in the implementation of ISO 31000, ISO 31004 and 31010 practices. Ramesh started his career with Price Waterhouse’s Financial Institutions specialism in London gaining experience in Audit, Consultancy and Corporate Finance assignments. Succeeding the seven years there, he went on to become the Director of Finance and Administration at Picker International Ltd in London. In 1994, he spent a year as the Chief Financial Officer of Rank Video Services (Europe) Limited before accepting a more challenging job experience through an international assignment. Ramesh was handling the responsibilities of a few roles and travelling between Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia as the Acting Regional Financial Controller cum Senior Regional Financial Analyst as well as the Indonesian Financial Controller as well as Deputy Country Head for PowerGen International a FTSE 100 (London) listed company in the power and energy industry.
Upon leaving PowerGen, he headed the Portfolio Management and Credit Administration functions in Citibank before accepting a position in a National Asset Management Company as the General Manager of the Risk Management Division. There, Ramesh was responsible for establishing the Enterprise Risk Management function and Risk Management Policy as well as formulating and documenting the various procedures and policies relating to the Operations of the National Asset Management Company. During his tenure there, Ramesh spent a year on secondment to the Central Bank where he was involved in heading a national interest project working closely with the Central Bank’s staff in general and the Bank Regulations, Bank Supervision and Islamic Banking teams in particular. He was also involved in presentations to the National Syariah Advisory Council in an advisory capacity.
Following his assignment at the Central Bank, Ramesh moved back into the Banking sector where he was the Chief Risk Officer for regional Conventional and International Islamic Banks. His responsibilities included guiding and coordinating the group’s Operational and Enterprise Risk Management initiatives.
Ramesh is also a member of the MBA (Enterprise Risk Management) Studies Committee in a leading Private University. He has published articles in international publications, presented various papers on Risk Management in general and Enterprise Risk Management in particular, Corporate Governance and Bank restructuring issues at National, Regional and International forums and is currently writing a book on Enterprise Risk Management.
