Melissa Assad

Enterprise Learning & Talent lead accountable for the strategy, design, governance, and execution of the Enterprise Required Training program. Led Talent Technology initiatives, directing large-scale HR technology implementations and enhancements in close partnership with vendors and internal Technology teams.

• Defined and executed a comprehensive enterprise learning strategy and governance model, merging 2 Learning Management Systems (LMS) into a single platform and consolidating the Enterprise Risk & Compliance program and 5 HR Business Learning programs into a single, standardized program adopted across USAA.
• Established enterprise-wide learning governance, introducing standardized best practices, operating procedures, and control frameworks that aligned all learning teams to a single set of technology, data, and delivery standards.
• Built and managed a high-performing Operations & Technology team of 7 Business Application Analysts at the senior level and below, accountable for enterprise training delivery and Talent platform administration, driving agile execution, clear accountability, and consistent outcomes.
• Successfully led end-to-end implementation of Workday LMS and Percipio LXP, including custom configurations, enterprise reporting, and governance models; retired legacy systems with minimal disruption, improving training completion rates, expanding the skills and development library, and delivering over $1.5M in annual savings.
• Managed deployment of Enterprise Required Training, overseeing distribution and monitoring of 2M+ annual assignments for 62K+ employees, coordinating agile planning across Curriculum, Instructional Design, and Operations & Technology teams to ensure timely completion and compliance.
• Owned LMS and LXP platforms, including elevated access controls, system configuration, performance monitoring, release testing, and ongoing optimization to support enterprise adoption.
• Led HR Learning & Talent technology initiatives, partnering with HRIS, HR Technology, and external vendors to modernize platforms through enhanced integrations, automation, advanced reporting, and workflow redesign, reducing manual effort, improving data accuracy, and strengthening audit readiness.
• Partnered with business leaders, Enterprise Risk, Audit, and external regulators to coordinate audits and examinations, resulting in zero regulatory or audit findings across 80+ annual reviews.

Partnered with Compliance and Learning leaders to design and implement the Enterprise Risk & Compliance (ERC) training program from the ground up, defining platform strategy, training technology roadmaps, and driving enhancements to improve scalability, reporting accuracy, audit readiness, and user experience.

• Designed learning audiences using assignment logic, transitioning 1.5M+ annual training assignments from manual to automated distribution, reducing operational effort, increasing accuracy, and ensuring data integrity, regulatory compliance, and alignment with enterprise risk frameworks.
• Modernized training data by designing dashboards and analytics (Excel, SQL, Tableau), shifting from annual or ad-hoc reporting to weekly updates, delivering real-time visibility into completion and operational performance.
• Led cross-functional initiatives with HR, procurement, reporting, and technology teams to improve HR data quality and improve system data flows, achieving a 15% reduction in over-assignments and a 90% drop in service tickets.
• Partnered with Instructional Design Team to enable advanced LMS capabilities, including personalized learning paths and test-out functionality, balancing regulatory requirements with improved efficiency and user experience.
• Provided independent oversight and effective challenge of assignment logic, leveraging data-driven audience analysis, cost transparency, and controls to achieve increased training assignment accuracy and alignment.
• Established governance for training technology, including system configuration standards, data integrations, reporting architecture, and data management controls to support risk and regulatory oversight.
• Performing ongoing control assessments and monitoring of training systems to ensure compliance with enterprise risk policies, regulatory requirements, and technology controls.
• Drove platform stability and continuous improvement, guiding pre-mortem and post-incident reviews, identifying root causes, and implementing corrective actions to improve system performance and operational resilience.
• Promoted program sustainability and risk mitigation by mentoring team members, standardizing processes, and fostering continuous knowledge sharing on compliance best practices across ERC Training teams.

Led the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of the Compliance training program for Citi’s Institutional Clients Group (ICG), North America.

• Facilitated needs assessment meetings with ICG Compliance teams to develop annual compliance training plans aligned to KPIs, KRIs and key business risks and delivered quarterly updates on progress to stakeholders.
• Partnered with key stakeholders to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the learning portfolio, ensuring alignment with strategic and operational objectives and refining learning solutions to optimize impact.
• Managed multiple Compliance training projects, coordinating with stakeholders, internal instructional design teams and external vendors to deliver high-quality, business-aligned content and assessed training audience selection to ensure alignment with business and regulatory needs.
• Effectively managed business risks for the ICG Compliance Training program, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and mitigated operational risks with no regulatory or audit process issues identified.
• Supervised daily operations of the ICG Compliance Training team to ensure effective and timely rollout of required trainings, curriculum updates, and audit support.

• Responsible for monitoring, investigating, and analyzing transactions flagged for potential sanctions-related violations and ensuring compliance with Anti-Money Laundering regulations and standards.

• Managed complex customer escalations involving regulatory, legal, and executive stakeholders, analyzing written complaints to identify customer concerns, and delivering customer focused solutions aligned with regulatory and legal requirements.

• Led branch operations, transactions, customer service, and staff development. Demonstrated deep expertise of banking product, ensuring regulatory compliance while delivering strong customer outcomes.