Head of Corporate & Commercial Finance

SummaryThe Head of Corporate & Commercial Finance holds end-to-end ownership of the organization’s corporate and commercial lending business, spanning origination, portfolio management, credit risk oversight, and client relationship management. The role is responsible for defining and executing a forward looking, market driven, and risk balanced corporate and commercial finance strategy that enables Finance House to achieve its growth and profitability objectives in the market.The incumbent will drive disciplined, scalable, and sustainable portfolio growth while ensuring strong asset quality, regulatory compliance, and risk governance. The role combines strategic leadership, deep credit and market expertise, and strong executive influence to manage complex corporate and institutional relationships, structure bespoke financing solutions, and optimize risk-adjusted returns across the portfolio.This is a highly complex, senior leadership role with significant impact on portfolio growth, asset quality, profitability, capital efficiency, and the organization’s overall risk posture. Decisions made by the incumbent have material financial, operational, regulatory, and reputational implications and require a balance of commercial judgment, credit discipline, and strong stakeholder management.Key ResponsibilitiesLeadership & StrategyDesign, build, and lead a high-performing Corporate & Commercial Finance Unit, ensuring optimal talent utilization, capability development, and operational excellence.Act as a senior business leader, partnering closely with Risk Management, Credit, Legal, Operations, Finance, Treasury, Compliance, and Technology teams.Define, own, and continuously evolve the corporate and commercial finance strategy and risk appetite, aligned with Finance House’s business objectives and UAE market dynamics.Provide strong leadership to drive sustainable, profitable asset growth while maintaining prudent risk standards and portfolio resilience.Translate market intelligence, sector trends, and regulatory developments into actionable business and portfolio strategies.Origination, Structuring & Portfolio GrowthDrive acquisition and expansion of high quality corporate and institutional clients across key UAE sectors including trading, contracting, manufacturing, logistics, real estate, healthcare, education, and GRE related entities, where applicable.Lead the origination, structuring, and negotiation of complex corporate and commercial financing solutions including term loans, working capital facilities, trade finance, guarantees, and structured transactions.Ensure pricing, tenor, collateral, and covenant structures appropriately reflect credit risk, capital consumption, and return expectations.Grow fee-based and non-funded income streams through advisory services, trade finance, guarantees, and cross-sell opportunities.Credit Risk & Portfolio ManagementMaintain end-to-end accountability for the performance, quality, and sustainability of the corporate and commercial credit portfolio.Oversee credit underwriting, approval, and review processes in line with internal credit policies, delegated authorities, and Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) regulations.Monitor portfolio performance, concentrations, sector exposures, and single-obligor limits in line with approved risk appetite and regulatory thresholds.Identify early warning signals, stressed exposures, and emerging risks; drive proactive remediation, restructuring, or exit strategies as required.Balance growth objectives with capital efficiency, provisioning, and risk-adjusted returns.Governance, Regulatory & ComplianceEnsure full compliance with all applicable CBUAE regulations, circulars, and prudential standards relevant to corporate and commercial finance.Ensure adherence to internal policies, credit approval frameworks, KYC/AML requirements, sanctions screening, and documentation standards.Maintain strong governance over credit documentation, collateral perfection, and legal enforceability to safeguard the company’s interests.Act as the primary owner for internal audits, external audits, and regulatory examinations related to the unit; ensure timely closure of findings.Ensure portfolio practices align with IFRS 9, provisioning methodologies, and internal risk and finance frameworks.Client Relationship & Market LeadershipBuild and sustain senior level relationships with promoters, shareholders, CFOs, and treasury heads of corporate and institutional clients.Personally manage strategic and complex client relationships, including negotiations, restructurings, and escalations.Define and monitor service delivery standards to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction and long-term client retention.Represent Finance House in key client engagements, industry forums, and relevant market interactions.People Development & Capability BuildingLead, mentor, and develop relationship managers, credit analysts, and support teams to build strong commercial, credit, and risk capabilities.Oversee structured training programs in corporate credit analysis, financial modelling, risk assessment, and UAE regulatory requirements.Build succession plans and support Emiratisation and national talent development initiatives, where applicable.Foster a performance driven, ethical, and risk-aware culture across the unit.Knowledge & Skill RequirementsThe incumbent must demonstrate deep expertise and hands-on experience in:Corporate and commercial credit appraisal, financial analysis, and risk structuring.UAE corporate lending market practices, sectoral risks, and legal frameworks.Portfolio management, exposure monitoring, and early warning systems.Credit policy formulation, delegated authority frameworks, and governance controls.Risk adjusted pricing, capital efficiency, and portfolio profitability optimization.Stakeholder management across business, risk, legal, compliance, and regulators.Managing complex client negotiations, restructurings, and stressed assets.QualificationsBachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or a related discipline.Professional qualifications such as CFA, FRM, or equivalent are an added advantage.ExperienceMinimum of 12–15 years of experience in banking or financial services, with significant exposure to UAE corporate and commercial finance.Proven experience leading a corporate or commercial lending unit or portfolio at a senior management level.Demonstrated experience working with CBUAE regulations, audits, and regulatory inspections.Strong executive communication skills with experience in senior management reporting and board-level engagement.