RAPIDLY MOLILISING A DELIVERY TEAM FOR
FINANCIAL CRIME TRANSFORMATION
Leaders IT
deployed 12 project delivery specialists to support a major Australian bank’s financial crime transformation program, spanning project management, business analysis, scheduling and Project Management Office (PMO).
12
ROLES FILLED
6
BUSINESS ANALYSTS
3
SENIOR PMS
1
MASTER SCHEDULER
1
PMO MANAGER
1
PMO LEAD
BACKGROUND
An independent review into suspected money laundering at one of the bank's branches identified significant deficiencies in its management of money laundering and terrorism financing risk.
The bank's regulators subsequently applied additional capital requirements, required a review of non-financial risk management and commenced an enforcement investigation.
The bank established a financial crime transformation program to remediate its AML/CTF systems, processes and frameworks. The program is expected to run for three years or more.
For a remediation program of this kind, delivery is itself under scrutiny. Additional capital requirements remain in place until remediation is complete, so the bank must be able to evidence progress: findings traced to remediation actions, actions delivered to an agreed plan, and status reported through governance that stands up to Board and regulator review. That places significant weight on project delivery capability.
THE REQUIREMENT
The bank required a project delivery team to establish and run the program, covering governance, scheduling, workstream delivery and business analysis.
Each role required two things: proven project delivery capability, and experience of financial crime, AML/CTF or regulatory remediation in a banking environment. Candidates also needed to work effectively with Risk, Compliance and Financial Crime stakeholders, and to deliver under Board and regulatory oversight. Demand for this combination across Australian banks is high, driven in part by AML/CTF reform.
| PROGRAM NEED | DELIVERY CAPABILITY PLACED |
|---|---|
| Evidence of progress for the Board and regulators | PMO Manager and PMO Lead: governance framework, reporting cadence, RAID and decision logs |
| Confidence that remediation dates will be met | Master Scheduler: integrated schedule, dependencies, critical path and slippage reporting |
| Review findings translated into control, system and process change | 3 Senior PMs and 6 BAs: workstream delivery, requirements and traceability to obligations |
SOLUTION
Leaders IT provided an integrated project delivery capability to support the bank’s financial crime transformation program, mobilising 12 specialists across five critical role types spanning governance, planning, project delivery and business analysis.
The solution brought together three interconnected areas of capability:
01. Governance
A PMO Manager and PMO Lead established and managed the program governance framework, including steering committee cadence, status and financial reporting, RAID management, resource tracking, program documentation and delivery assurance.
02. Planning
A Master Scheduler developed and maintained the integrated master schedule across all workstreams, managing dependencies, critical paths and schedule reporting to provide visibility of progress against remediation milestones.
03. Delivery
Three Senior Project Managers led individual remediation workstreams, supported by six Business Analysts responsible for analysing current-state processes and controls, translating AML/CTF obligations and review findings into requirements, and maintaining traceability through to remediation outcomes.
Rather than sourcing each position as an individual hire, Leaders IT built the capability as
one coordinated delivery structure. Candidates were specifically assessed for relevant banking, regulatory remediation, AML/CTF and financial crime experience, as well as their ability to operate effectively with Risk, Compliance and Financial Crime stakeholders.
The solution also extended beyond mobilisation. Consultants could access Leaders IT’s Launch and Elevate 90-day development programs, providing structured coaching, mentoring and 30-60-90 day support to help them establish credibility, strengthen stakeholder relationships and deliver effectively within a highly regulated environment.
OUTCOME
This Leaders IT successfully mobilised 12 project delivery professionals across five specialist role types, creating an integrated capability across the core functions required to support the financial crime transformation program. The bank gained:
Governance capability through a PMO Manager and PMO Lead supporting program oversight, reporting, RAID management and assurance.
Integrated planning capability through a Master Scheduler managing workstream dependencies, critical paths and remediation schedules.
Workstream leadership through three Senior Project Managers responsible for scope, planning, budget, risk and stakeholder engagement.
Business analysis capability through six Business Analysts translating AML/CTF obligations and findings into defined requirements and traceable remediation outcomes.
Ongoing performance support through Leaders IT’s Launch and Elevate programs, with several consultants participating in structured development support.
The 12-person project delivery team also works alongside the 30-person AML Quality Control cohort provided through Leaders IT, extending the engagement across both the delivery and operational capability supporting the broader program.
The engagement demonstrates Leaders IT’s ability to build an integrated project delivery capability, bringing together the governance, planning, delivery and business analysis expertise required for complex financial crime transformation. By mobilising the specialists as a coordinated delivery structure, supported by Launch and Elevate, Leaders IT provided capability that extends beyond individual placements to support effective program delivery.
WHAT WE DELIVERED:
WHO WE ARE:
Leaders IT, is a practice-led IT and digital consultancy committed to delivering program, project and change management services to clients.
Our consultants specialise in agile and other project delivery and governance methods, using best practices to manage and deliver a program or project. With a strong commitment to driving improvement, we focus on design, and putting in place governance processes for large digital transformation and ICT programs; finding drivers and barriers for organisational change, design and delivery of change programs. This includes assessing business readiness, design and putting in place target operating models, where our team delivers exceptional results.
