Head of Hong Kong Client Onboarding, Wealth Management Operations – Executive Director

Take on a senior leadership role within Wealth Management Operations, accountable for end-to-end Hong Kong client onboarding agenda, balancing a best-in-class client experience with robust AML/KYC and control standards.

As an Executive Director within the Wealth Management Operations team, you will lead the Hong Kong based Client Onboarding team and act as a senior partner to the Business, Compliance, AML/KYC, Controls, Technology, and other stakeholders to drive capacity, quality, and timely delivery. You will set strategy and governance, provide oversight of complex case execution and escalations, and champion continuous improvement through operational discipline and targeted transformation. You will establish clear performance expectations and a strong risk culture, ensuring consistent execution against regulatory requirements and firmwide policies while building a high-performing team capable of operating at scale in a dynamic environment.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Hong Kong Client Onboarding team, setting direction, performance standards, and a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Own the Hong Kong onboarding operating model and governance, ensuring consistent execution of policies, procedures, and controls across the onboarding organization.
• Partner with senior Business leaders and stakeholders to align onboarding priorities to commercial objectives, client experience expectations, and risk requirements; proactively manage trade-offs and capacity constraints.
• Serve as the senior escalation point for complex, sensitive, or high-risk onboarding cases; drive timely decisioning and ensure issues are documented, remediated, and communicated appropriately.
• Provide senior-level advisory on AML/KYC frameworks, interpreting policy intent into practical operating guidance; influence enhancements across the KYC review lifecycle (including standards, controls, and documentation quality).
• Drive audit and regulatory exam preparedness, acting as the accountable owner for Hong Kong onboarding engagement, responses, walkthroughs, and file reviews; ensure sustained adherence to firmwide control policies and regulatory expectations.
• Oversee end-to-end onboarding performance, including account opening and system maintenance, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and quality; implement consistent management routines and operational discipline.
• Own service delivery and performance management, including SLAs, KPIs, volumes, throughput, aging, quality/error rates, and risk indicators; deliver transparent reporting, insights, and action plans to senior management.
• Lead strategic change and transformation initiatives, coordinating cross-functional programs with Technology, Product, and global AML/KYC partners to improve scalability, automation, and client experience.
• Strengthen issue management and control execution, ensuring escalations, incidents, and recurring defects are root-caused, remediated, and prevented through durable fixes.
• Set the talent strategy for the function, including hiring, succession planning, capability building, training/standards, and knowledge sharing; coach leaders and build a strong leadership bench.

Required qualifications, capabilities, and skills

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum 12–15 years of experience in financial services, including significant client onboarding and/or AML/KYC operations experience, with demonstrated senior stakeholder engagement.
• People leadership experience, including leading managers and building high-performing teams.
• Fluency in Chinese (Mandarin and/or Cantonese) required to engage with local clients and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and partner with senior Business and control stakeholders, driving outcomes without direct authority.
• Strong risk and control mindset, with ability to make balanced decisions in complex, high-pressure situations.
• Excellent executive communication skills (written and verbal), with strong negotiation and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Proven ability to operate in a fast-paced environment, manage multiple priorities, and lead through ambiguity.

Preferred qualifications, capabilities, and skills

• Professional certifications in AML/KYC (e.g., CAMS, ICA) preferred.
• Experience leading transformation initiatives (process re-engineering, automation, workflow tooling, operating model redesign) in a regulated environment.
• Experience working across multiple APAC jurisdictions with an understanding of common regional regulatory expectations.