MUHAMMAD SOHAIL AKBAR
Karachi
Summary
Trade compliance and operations leader with 14+ years at Meezan Bank across foreign exchange operations, trade finance, and KYC/CDD and TBML compliance. Leads trade customer onboarding and drives digital automation through portals, RPA, and OCR using IT and PMO teams. Coordinates with business units, trade hubs, and customers to strengthen compliance and operational effectiveness.
Overview
1
1
Certification
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Unit Head, Trade Customer Onboarding, KYC and Digital Process Transformation (TBML Compliance Unit)
Meezan Bank Limited
Karachi
10.2025 - Current
- Led Trade Customer Onboarding and KYC function, ensuring compliance with SBP guidelines and internal policy to mitigate risks.
- Lead digital transformation of onboarding and KYC/CDD processes, from requirements through implementation, with IT and PMO teams.
- Oversaw customer and counterparty screening and KYC maintenance in Temenos (T-24), enhancing accuracy and compliance.
- Managed relationships with trade hubs, business units, and stakeholders to provide expert advice on sanctions, TBML, and terrorist financing regulations.
AVP, Team Leader, Foreign Exchange Monitoring Unit
Meezan Bank Limited
Karachi
01.2021 - 09.2025
- Screened customers and counterparties at onboarding; advised trade hubs on sanctions, TBML, terrorist financing and local regulations.
- Led NTB trade customer onboarding process and KYC monitoring to ensure compliance with SBP guidelines.
- Enhanced KYC/CDD mechanism, maintaining accurate customer records in Temenos (T-24) to support regulatory adherence.
- Established automated NTB process with IT and PMO teams, improving operational efficiency and accuracy.
Trade Finance Officer, Imports, Head Office (CPU)
Meezan Bank Limited
Karachi
03.2014 - 12.2020
- Managed forward booking of L/Cs, disbursed and retired F.E.25 Murabaha loans, and issued and redeemed shipping guarantees to facilitate import financing.
- Settled import documents against sight and usance L/Cs; handled advance payments, direct remittances and Bill of Entry collection.
- Executed SWIFT operations for import payments, marking BDA for EIFs on WEBOC and reporting EIFs to SBP for compliance purposes.
- Prepared Musawamah declarations and reviewed transaction reports in Temenos (T-24) to ensure accurate documentation of import transactions.
Trade Finance Officer, Trade and Credits Hub
Meezan Bank Limited
Karachi
06.2013 - 02.2014
- Negotiated terms with customers and coordinated with Treasury Department to facilitate seamless transactions.
- Issued and certified Form E; liaised with customers and Head Office (CPU) to ensure compliance in import and export activities.
- Prepared ITRS reports, completed withholding tax and Export Development Surcharge returns, and managed monthly import/export balancing.
Operation Officer
Meezan Bank Limited
Karachi
01.2012 - 05.2013
- Prepared ITRS and SBP reports, ensured compliance with SBP directives, and provided assistance to walk-in customers as IT coordinator.
- Processed and reviewed transactions in Temenos (T-24), ensuring accurate handling of inward and outward foreign remittances and SWIFT activity.
- Managed locker operations, term deposit certificates, and security stationery, streamlining clearing, pay orders, and cheque book issuance.
Internships
Meezan Bank Limited
Karachi
12.2011 - 01.2012
- Corporate and Investment Banking
Internships
Meezan Bank Limited
Karachi
07.2009 - 08.2009
- Information Technology
Education
Post Graduate Diploma - Data Sciences in Artificial Intelligence
NED University
Karachi01-2027
MBA - Finance
Bahria University
01-2011
B.E. - Computer Engineering
Bahria University
01-2009
HSC - Pre-Engineering
Bahria Foundation College
01-2004
O' Levels -
The City School
01-2002
Skills
- Customer onboarding
- Digital transformation
- Compliance management
- Regulatory compliance
- Temenos and Fircosoft expertise
- Foreign exchange operations
- Stakeholder management
- Team leadership and advisory
- Seminar facilitation
Certification
- Islamic Finance Certification Program, IBA-CEIF | 2023
- Advanced Professional Certificate Course (APCC) in AML/CFT, NIBAF | 2022
- Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Certification, IFMP | 2021
- Foreign Trade Certification Program, NIBAF | 2018
REFERENCES
Available on request.
KEY PROJECTS
Live / In Production:
Trade Customer Onboarding Portal, including a Dashboard View
Trade Turnover Updation in Core: analysis of income tax returns and financial statements using data parsing and OCR, RPA
Cash Intensive Trade Transactions Identifier, RPA
Trade Turnover and Financial Worth Variance Identifier
Revamping of Trade CRPs in Temenos per the latest SBP TBML Framework,
Upcoming Projects:
EDD Form and Credit Reports Depository System
Trade Advisory Red Flags Portal
RPA - Auto-Closure of Pricing Transactions in Trade IQ
Automation and Management of Inactivation and Activation of Trade CRPs
Timeline
Unit Head, Trade Customer Onboarding, KYC and Digital Process Transformation (TBML Compliance Unit)
Meezan Bank Limited
10.2025 - Current
AVP, Team Leader, Foreign Exchange Monitoring Unit
Meezan Bank Limited
01.2021 - 09.2025
Trade Finance Officer, Imports, Head Office (CPU)
Meezan Bank Limited
03.2014 - 12.2020
Trade Finance Officer, Trade and Credits Hub
Meezan Bank Limited
06.2013 - 02.2014
Operation Officer
Meezan Bank Limited
01.2012 - 05.2013
Internships
Meezan Bank Limited
12.2011 - 01.2012
Internships
Meezan Bank Limited
07.2009 - 08.2009
Post Graduate Diploma - Data Sciences in Artificial Intelligence
NED University
MBA - Finance
Bahria University
B.E. - Computer Engineering
Bahria University
HSC - Pre-Engineering
Bahria Foundation College
O' Levels -
The City School