Dr. Lia Dias Abeygunawardena
Richfield,MN
Summary
Seasoned financial services professional with extensive experience in operational risk, branch operations, and regulatory compliance. Known for leading teams, supporting audits, and improving procedures to strengthen controls and reporting. Brings strong collaboration and change and risk management skills.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Lead Control Management Officer
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Minneapolis, MN
01.2000 - 09.2026
- Developed reports and briefing materials to inform management decisions at Wells Fargo.
- Reviewed operational procedures to support Wells Fargo risk and control requirements.
- Monitored changes in the organization's policies and procedures to ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
- Supported audits, reviews, and documentation requests across Wells Fargo banking operations.
- Coordinated branch operations and liaised with the leadership team to enhance management support at Wells Fargo Bank.
- Streamlined communication between Wells Fargo departments and branch leadership to improve collaboration.
- Trained staff on Wells Fargo policies, service expectations, and process updates.
- Worked with cross-functional teams to achieve goals.
- Expanded business operations through new process development and strategic planning.
- Utilized various software and tools to streamline processes and optimize performance.
Capital Markets Operational Risk Consulant 3
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Eagan, Minnesota
01.2015 - 01.2017
- Conducted operational risk assessments across Wells Fargo Bank business processes.
- Reviewed controls ensuring alignment with bank policies, regulations, and procedures.
- Monitored risk issues and coordinated remediation with business partners.
- Documented findings for audit, governance, and management reporting.
- Evaluated control testing results and identified process gaps.
- Advised teams on risk mitigation practices and control expectations.
- Prepared risk summaries with reporting tools, tracking action items to enhance accountability.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to enhance operational risk oversight and promote compliance.
- Performed in-depth and comprehensive gap analyses to determine the root cause of process gaps and regulatory compliance failures.
- Reviewed reports submitted by business units regarding their assessments of operational risk exposures.
Loan Administration Manager 3
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
Minneapolis, Minnesota
01.2010 - 01.2015
- Supported daily administration for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage operations teams.
- Assisted with performance reviews and recommended training programs for staff growth.
- Kept current on industry trends, best practices, and new technologies affecting loan administration.
- Prepared detailed reports and maintained administrative records for management review.
- Complied with laws, regulations, corporate policies, and procedures.
- Handled daily operations for loan administration department, including staffing, budgeting, and scheduling.
- Supported loan administration workflows for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage servicing operations.
- Monitored daily collateral exceptions and resolved servicing discrepancies across loan portfolios.
- Advised senior management on risks related to various loan types.
- Developed procedures for tracking key performance indicators tied to loan administration activities.
- Created strategies to streamline loan administration processes and improve efficiency and cost savings.
Education
Ph.D. - Business Administration And Management
Trident International University
Chandler, AZ07-2024
MBA - Business Negotiating And Managing Conflict
Jones International University
CO01-2014
BBA - Accounting
Jones International University
CO01-2012
Skills
- Operational risk
- Control testing
- Regulatory compliance
- Risk management
- Audit support
- Process improvement
- Report preparation
- Documentation
- Credit risk analysis
- Operational oversight
- Operations management
- Financial analysis
- Policy review
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Team collaboration
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
- Talent acquisition
- Team leadership
Timeline
Capital Markets Operational Risk Consulant 3
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
01.2015 - 01.2017
Loan Administration Manager 3
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
01.2010 - 01.2015
Lead Control Management Officer
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
01.2000 - 09.2026
Ph.D. - Business Administration And Management
Trident International University
MBA - Business Negotiating And Managing Conflict
Jones International University
BBA - Accounting
Jones International University