A prudent risk management leader in the region, Ramesh is majorly responsible for the reduction in credit risk losses for the bank thereby leading to a very healthy portfolio. This has directly contributed to its growth and no wonder, Deutsche Bank is headed for growth in the MEA region. Under his able leadership, the bank registered the lowest NPL (Non-Performing Ratio) in Turkey in the years 2018 and 2019 (Source: SNL) amidst the most turbulent period for Turkish economy in decades.
Ramesh possesses a rich experience in Risk Management (Corporate, FI, Sovereigns, Structured financing, Investment Banking & Retail Banking) and Relationship Management (Corporate Banking) covering conventional and Islamic Banking. He has efficaciously handled all tiers of corporate business including SMEs, mid, large and very large corporates.
By virtue of his varied roles with Multinational and Regional Banks in Managerial capacity, he has gained exposure of handling credit risk of 28 different countries across Middle East, Africa, Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey & France) and India.
WORKING TOWARDS GROWING AND ENABLING GROWTH
Ramesh is extremely passionate about teaching and training and contributes by sharing his knowledge and experience by teaching management level students so that he could bring theory and practice together. “I teach various management and finance subjects to students in Dubai as part of my inner drive to impart education in the field of finance,” he says.
According to him, the 3Ps of growth on which every leader should focus are People, Productivity and Performance. He has introduced multiple initiatives for people development under the vision ‘Grow & Enable Growth.’ He asserts, “Holistic development of an individual is always at the forefront of my priorities.”
He brought about various initiatives for knowledge and skills enhancement of his team in the organisations he has worked with. By virtue of various training programs initiated by him, his teams have shown significant improvement in self-awareness, emotional competency, self-motivational skills, empathy & social skills.
A TRUE-BLUE VISIONARY
According to Ramesh, the acid test of a good leader is whether he or she can survive the adversities posed by the changing market scenario. According to him, “How a leader navigates or saves his ship during rough weather is the most important.” He asserts, “Challenge the challenge, else you will be challenged.”
Ramesh is of the view that a true leader should have empathy for his people, be a crisis manager and a good communicator. Describing his leadership style, he asserts, “Participative, Peoplefocused hands-on leadership” has been my style. Leaders either micro manage or have a laissez-faire approach, both of which prove counterproductive. Finding mid-way leaders in today’s world where results delivery is the key KPI, has become difficult. In such an environment, while no micro management is resorted to, I believe in knowing the way to do every function within my remit. This has helped in managing manpower planning, succession planning, workload analysis and employee coaching in an effective manner.”
His earnest efforts, dedication and passion have enabled Ramesh to come a long way. He vehemently believes that “being appointed as the Vice Chairman of the UAE Banking Federation’s Risk Committee was the career high point. This was a risk consultative committee chosen amongst risk professionals from 52 different banks within the country.”
He further elaborates, “This was achieved through gaining the confidence of the fellow bankers in the country which in turn was gained through consistent practice of effective risk management during my tenure in risk management in this country.”
Sharing his vision for the future growth of the organisation, he delineates, “Facilitating risk management to achieve a near zero credit risk loss in the Middle East and Africa region in the next 2-3 years is the short term goal.” “Establishing an industry-best business and risk model across the region is the long term vision,” he adds.
DEDICATED TO BUILDING A BETTER SOCIETY
Ramesh is an altruist by nature and is deeply dedicated to making this world a better place. He emphasizes, “CSR is key not only to my company but also to me in my personal capacity. Deutsche undertakes multiple CSR initiatives not only in UAE but in other Middle Eastern countries as well through the Bank’s Middle East Foundation. CSR is core to our values in the Middle East, we have a separate department for this, and a regular budget is allocated annually.”
He further elaborates, “In my personal capacity, I have been involved in teaching and supporting Refugee mentorship programs. I have focused on the needy segment of the society and have personally coached them for various professional exams over the years and as a result, it is gratifying to have built a pool of professionals in UAE and India”
He adds, “We have distributed free hygiene kits to hundreds of workers in the country. For those rendered unemployed without shelter and waiting to be repatriated back home, free clothing and food was collected and distributed.”
A GLORIOUS SAGA OF AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Ramesh has garnered numerous awards and accolades in his illustrious career spanning around 2 decades.
He was felicitated with ‘Excellence in Finance Industry – Leaders’ award for his rich contribution to the finance industry in the Middle East. He is also the recipient of the ‘Hichki Teachers’ Award’ for his outstanding contribution to the field of education in the UAE.
Amongst various awards recognizing his holistic contribution, the ‘EMEA Paragon Award for Leadership’ in the MEA category stands a testament to his leadership in many walks of life.
