Syed Wasim
Dubai,UAE
Summary
7Senior Project Manager with 17+ years of experience in Banking and Payments IT , delivering large-scale digital transformation initiatives across the UAE and GCC markets . Proven track record in launching credit, debit, and prepaid card products , implementing scheme and Central Bank mandates , and leading complex card migration and digital wallet programs. Experienced in managing full project lifecycles across SDLC and Agile environments, coordinating with cross-functional IT teams, fintech partners, processors, and scheme representatives. Skilled in regulatory compliance, vendor management, stakeholder communication, and delivering secure customer-facing financial solutions. Recognized for driving high-quality delivery, reducing operational risk, and enabling banks to enhance digital payment capabilities
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work history
Senior project manager
Network International
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
06.2018 - Current
- Led multiple end-to-end card product launches including credit, debit, and prepaid cards across UAE and GCC markets , ensuring full compliance with scheme rules and regulatory standards.
- Successfully delivered UAE Central Bank mandates and Visa/MasterCard scheme requirements , coordinating with Compliance, IT Security, and Product teams to achieve timely certification and audit readiness.
- Managed and delivered large-scale Prepaid Card Migration Projects , ensuring seamless customer transition and alignment with operational, fraud, and risk frameworks.
- Spearheaded the delivery of a new Digital Wallet platform for the bank, enabling customers to perform:
Domestic & international remittance ,
Retail POS transactions ,
Account-to-Account (A2A) fund transfers ,
With enhanced KYC, security, and onboarding flows. - Collaborated with cross-functional technology teams (IT, Payments, Core Banking, Digital Channels, Infrastructure, DevOps, and InfoSec) to design, build, test, and deploy new customer-facing payment solutions.
- Drove full SDLC/Agile delivery including requirements finalization, solution design, SIT, UAT, performance testing, and production readiness.
- Engaged with global vendors, fintech partners, scheme representatives, and third-party platforms to manage integrations, certifications, SLAs, and delivery timelines.
- Developed comprehensive project plans outlining scope, timelines and resource allocations.
- Implemented risk management strategies to identify potential project challenges and mitigate impacts.
- Facilitated stakeholder meetings to ensure alignment and effective communication throughout project lifecycle.
- Coordinated with vendors and external partners to secure necessary resources and services for projects.
- Reviewed project deliverables to ensure compliance with organisational standards and client expectations.
- Tracked project progress diligently, ensuring adherence to set deadlines.
Project Manager
ATTRA infotech
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
06.2014 - 06.2018
- Managed and delivered 20+ card product launches across multiple banks, including credit, debit, and prepaid cards
- Enabled banks to adopt E-commerce transaction security frameworks such as 3D Secure, risk-based authentication (RBA), OTP/ACS , and protocol updates mandated by the schemes.
- Managed end-to-end project delivery including requirement analysis, technical design coordination, SIT/UAT management, defect resolution, and production go-live.
- Built and maintained strong relationships with client stakeholders and scheme representatives to ensure smooth project execution and timely approvals.
- Delivered multiple integration projects involving payment gateways , fraud engines , core banking systems , and switch platforms .
Data Migration Technical lead
ATTRA Infotech
Bangalore, India
06.2011 - 06.2014
- Managed a cross-functional technical team responsible for data extraction, transformation, validation , and loading (ETL) activities for large banking clients.
- Reviewed and validated technical specifications and data mapping documents for the upgraded CMS platform, ensuring alignment with issuing bank requirements and scheme standards.
- Designed and reviewed migration strategy , including migration approach, data cleansing rules, pre-migration checks, and post-migration reconciliation.
- Led cutover planning , coordinating with IT, operations, and vendor teams to minimize downtime and ensure seamless migration within agreed maintenance windows.
- Worked closely with test teams to support SIT/UAT , defect resolution, and parallel run validations to ensure reliability and accuracy of migrated data.
Software Developer
Mahindra Satyam
Hyderabad, India
09.2008 - 06.2011
- Developed and enhanced bank host application and middleware components to support new product features requested by business and regulatory teams.
- Delivered code changes for credit/debit card modules , customer onboarding, account maintenance, and transaction processing functionalities.
- Collaborated with business analysts to understand requirements and translate them into technical design and development tasks .
- Provided BAU production support , resolving incidents, defects, and performance issues within SLA to ensure uninterrupted banking operations.
- Performed root-cause analysis (RCA) for recurring issues and implemented long-term code fixes to improve system stability.
- Participated in code reviews , testing support (SIT/UAT), and release activities to ensure quality and compliance with banking IT standards.
- Enhanced system integrations with external services including payment gateways, card systems, and middleware layers.
- Worked closely with cross-functional IT teams to ensure smooth implementation of changes into production.
Education
Bachelor of Engineering - Mechanical
Visvesvaraya Technological University
Bangalore/India08.2008
Skills
Project Planning & Execution
Agile / Scrum / Waterfall
Change Control Management
Stakeholder Management
Banking & Payments Domain Expertise
Digital Wallets
E-commerce Payment Security (3DS, RBA, OTP/ACS)
Jira / Confluence
MS Project / Smartsheet
Cross-Functional Coordination
Client Relationship Management
Certification
Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)
Certified Scrum Master
Timeline
Senior project manager
Network International
06.2018 - Current
Project Manager
ATTRA infotech
06.2014 - 06.2018
Data Migration Technical lead
ATTRA Infotech
06.2011 - 06.2014
Software Developer
Mahindra Satyam
09.2008 - 06.2011
Bachelor of Engineering - Mechanical
Visvesvaraya Technological University