CEO Insights Magazine

Responsible for monitoring, overseeing, and managing the compliance issues and matters within the organization, compliance officers are one of the paramount knights of the enterprise who ensure compliance with laws, regulatory requirements, policies, and procedures. Ensuring that a company complies with its outside regulatory requirements as well as its internal policies, compliance officers are accountable for making sure that their proprietor plays by the rules. While the present Indian industry is brimming with such prolific talents who possess the potential of eventually leading their respective companies ahead of their desired destiny, there are few others who stand out by the virtue of their impeccable expertise and unmatched leadership skills. One such persona is Royston D’ Silva (Chief Compliance Officer,Emirates NBD Bank (P.J.S.C), India) who is implementing his past experience across Emirates NBD’s present-day operations to catalyze its growth rate. A career banker by profession, Royston joined Emirates NBD Bank (PJSC), India (ENBD India) in March 2017 as Chief Compliance Officer & MLRO and Designated Director for FIU reporting. Prior to that, he was Head of Compliance & MLRO in Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB). Equipped with more than 25 years of experience in banking in India with banks like ADCB, Mizuho Corporate Bank, and ICICI Bank, Royston has garnered magnanimous expertise across the verticals like Compliance, Corporate governance, Treasury, Corporate and Retail Banking and finance.

To highlight the nuances of his journey as one of the proficient compliance officers of India, Royston engages in an exclusive interaction with CEO Insights.

Define Emirates NBD Bank (P.J.S.C), India as an organization and its current position in the industry?
Determined to establish a strong and sustainable presence in India, ENBD India, has maintained a Representative Office in India since March 2000. The representative office was closed in March 2017 and it has been upgraded to a bank

with the first branch of Emirates NBD Bank in Mumbai. ENBD is also in process to set up two more branches (post RBI approval) and due to commence business from Q3 this year in Gurugram and Chennai. Apart from offering a range of banking services that meet the exclusive needs of both our personal and corporate clients, the India Branch of ENBD India also offers an exclusive banking experience to its NRI clients in UAE through retail banking solutions as well as immediate transfers facilities on the overseas remittances.

The Indian operations remain strategically important to ENBD as part of its global footprint. ENBD India has direct head office linkages and uses its extremely rich and vibrant network of its Group across the globe to ensure the exponential growth of its business. Liquidity and risk management practices are aligned to ENBD’s global practices, with the former benefiting from the latter’s oversight and management expertise. The branch has brand presence in India and an established clientele, especially among the non-resident Indians and United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based corporations’ subsidiaries operating in India. ENBD India had assets totalling INR31,256 million at end-March 2021.

ENBD Group serves its customers from various segments including businesses, governments, and institutions with a range of financial products and services including retail banking, corporate and institutional banking, Islamic banking, investment banking, private banking, asset management, global markets and treasury, and brokerage operations, the ENBD Group is a key participant in the global digital banking industry with 94 percent of all financial transactions and requests conducted outside of its branches.

What has been the success mantra that constantly helps you arrive at positive outcomes?

Being associated with various organization for more than 25 years, I have always been pragmatically engaged to bring out the best result through my strategic operations. As the Chief Compliance Officer of the Bank, my success mantra is to ensure that the bank does its business in the proper governance and regulatory framework.

How do you plan to apply your exceptional understanding of this domain to Emirates NBD Bank(P.J.S.C), India and take it to the next level?
Being in the Banking industry for more than two decades I have worked in various departments within the organizations that I have been associated with. All these years of acquired experience helped me to hone my skillsets and garner the expertise that is apt for the current competitive world. By leveraging my previously acquired expertise, my colleague and I started Emirates NBD Bank (P.J.S.C), India from the scratch and with my present roles and responsibilities as a compliance officer, I have been helping the bank to grow intrinsically by the virtue of my experience and knowledge.

How is Emirates NBD Bank(P.J.S.C), India gearing up for its future endeavours?What advice would you give to the upcoming leaders in the same industry?
Growing impressively ever since its inception, the ENBD India is opening two more branches in India and leveraging the Group extensive operations in the UAE, Egypt, India, Turkey, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Russia, Bahrain, and representative offices in China and Indonesia.

I would advise them to refrain from following the tick box concept. Thinking out of the box, they should apply their judgment by considering every possible operational hurdle before running a business and working diligently. .

Royston D' Silva, Chief Compliance Officer, Emirates NBD Bank(P.J.S.C), India
Royston holds a Master’s degree in Finance, Post Graduate in International Business, Diploma in Financial Management, CAIIB and other certification including Corporate Risk Management. Apart from having a likeness for watching cricket and exploring different places Royston relishes on food cooked by his wife Fern.

Awards & Recognition:
Compliance Champion of the year award among its peers from the entire industry in India. Received various awards in all the organization worked till date.