Christina Mendez
Jacksonville
Summary
Strategic risk and compliance management professional with expertise in risk assessment and mitigation, control testing, and regulatory compliance. Led cross-functional teams to enhance audit readiness and reduce regulatory scrutiny by implementing key controls. Seeking to leverage data analytics and stakeholder collaboration skills in a challenging new role.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Internal Audit (IA) Risk Monitoring & Response Manager, Senior Vice President
CITI
08.2023 - 11.2024
- Led a remote team of three overseeing Citi’s IA Audit Plan Priorities and IA’s global top-down risk identification program to provide an independent analysis of Citi’s top and emerging risks across all three lines of defense.
- Managed team performance, ensured adherence to service delivery requirements, quality benchmarks, and control procedures.
- Monitored industry and enterprise best practices and leveraged external resources to assess trends and recommend strategic priorities for IA.
- Developed comprehensive risk reports, dashboards, and analytics to identify and assess new or material risks.
- Developed and implemented two key controls within IA, resulting in closure of two high-priority Matters Requiring Attention (MRAs), reducing regulatory scrutiny and enhancing audit readiness.
Operational Risk Manager, Senior Vice President
CITI
02.2021 - 08.2023
- Promoted to Operational Risk Manager, and continued performing Risk Officer duties with greater autonomy and expanded decision-making responsibilities.
Operational Risk Officer, Vice President
CITI
04.2017 - 02.2021
- Partnered with internal and external stakeholders, including Operations, Legal, Compliance, and Operational Risk peers, to assess the spectrum of risks arising from the origination, servicing, and default-related activities of Mortgage Banking and ensure any identified risks were managed appropriately.
- Instituted measures for a strong control environment and used tools and techniques to effectively identify and assess trends and risks.
- Led the identification and quantification of emerging risks or changes in existing risks and worked with business partners to implement or enhance controls to effectively manage risk exposures.
- Probed beyond symptoms to determine the underlying causes of problems and determine the applicable scope.
- Assessed compensating controls and remediation plans to ensure issue resolution and provided Risk approval prior to implementation.
- Coordinated with other risk management colleagues to perform holistic quarterly and annual risk assessments for the Mortgage Banking line of business.
Compliance Testing Manager, Vice President
JP MORGAN CHASE
07.2016 - 04.2017
- Promoted to Compliance Testing Manager in less than two years due to demonstrated leadership and quality outcomes.
- Established and managed a team of three, dedicated to performing quarterly compliance testing for mortgage banking originations and capital markets.
- Participated in the development of the annual test plan, reviewed and approved quarterly test scopes and sampling methodologies, and managed each phase of the Compliance Testing process.
Senior Compliance Officer, Assistant Vice President
JP MORGAN CHASE
05.2014 - 07.2016
- Planned and executed quarterly, risk-based compliance testing for mortgage banking servicing and default, both internally and for two subservicers.
Operational Governance Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst
EVERBANK
09.2012 - 05.2014
- Spearheaded the development of the Operational Governance QA Department, utilizing investor and regulatory guidelines to draft QA test procedures and initial test attributes.
- Conducted comprehensive QA reviews throughout Operations to identify procedural or compliance gaps, or violations, and document any new opportunities to mitigate the presence of operational or compliance risk.
- Drafted summary reports for senior management and conducted meetings with the relevant business units to communicate findings.
- Performed ongoing monitoring of investor and regulatory requirements to identify any relevant changes.
- Served as Interim QA Manager during several management transitions.
Acting Audit Manager - Securitized Collections Audit
JP MORGAN CHASE
05.2012 - 09.2012
- Stepped into the Acting Audit Manager role, leading a remote team of six and overseeing critical audit functions during a leadership transition.
- Hosted daily meetings, delivered team updates and assignments, and provided coaching and feedback as necessary.
Senior Business Analyst - Securitized Collections Audit
JP MORGAN CHASE
03.2010 - 05.2012
- Conducted pre-audit reviews to identify potential process gaps and procedural errors in advance of each impending audit for the Mortgage Collections department.
- Analyzed existing procedures and performed comprehensive loan assessments for all collections activities conducted on a selected sample of defaulted mortgage loans.
- Assessed review results holistically, determined appropriate remediation activities, communicated results and recommendations to management, and created appropriate action plans.
- Coordinated with senior management to draft appropriate responses for audit findings.
- Developed and maintained necessary controls within the Collections Audit department, including various control and exception reports.
Education
B.A.S. - Supervision and Management
Florida State College at Jacksonville
Jacksonville, FLSkills
- Risk Assessment & Mitigation
- Risk Monitoring
- Risk Reporting
- Control Testing
- Data Analytics
- Regulatory Compliance
- Mortgage Banking Operations
- Stakeholder Collaboration
- Cross-Functional Team Leadership
Certification
- Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) - 2016 | American Bankers Association (ABA)
Timeline
Internal Audit (IA) Risk Monitoring & Response Manager, Senior Vice President
CITI
08.2023 - 11.2024
Operational Risk Manager, Senior Vice President
CITI
02.2021 - 08.2023
Operational Risk Officer, Vice President
CITI
04.2017 - 02.2021
Compliance Testing Manager, Vice President
JP MORGAN CHASE
07.2016 - 04.2017
Senior Compliance Officer, Assistant Vice President
JP MORGAN CHASE
05.2014 - 07.2016
Operational Governance Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst
EVERBANK
09.2012 - 05.2014
Acting Audit Manager - Securitized Collections Audit
JP MORGAN CHASE
05.2012 - 09.2012
Senior Business Analyst - Securitized Collections Audit
JP MORGAN CHASE
03.2010 - 05.2012
B.A.S. - Supervision and Management
Florida State College at Jacksonville
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