Michela Sapori
Leigh on Sea,Essex
Summary
Subject Matter Expert in Swift Messaging and ISO 20022 standards with extensive experience in client and regulatory change management, project coordination, and workstreams leadership. Proficient in settlement and payments, Clearstream and CFF set up, fund administration, and investment banking. Adept at staff development, strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, process improvement strategies, solutions development, technical documentation management, technical writing and reading. Fluent in Italian with a strong knowledge of iFAST and Xceptor. Committed to driving operational excellence through innovative solutions and continuous improvement.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work history
Technical and Change Senior Manager
SS&C (previously known as IFDS and DST)
London
04.2013 - 04.2026
- Subject Matter Expert in Swift formatting and key business contact for anything in relation to payments for local as well as Cross border payments, including regulatory changes and transition of new regulations into Operational processes
- Played a key role in supporting the migration from SWIFT MT messaging to ISO 20022 standards
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure successful implementation of ISO 20022 requirements
- Supported analysis of mapping, testing and validation during the migration activities
- Design and managing the implementation of payment mappings required from source files to banking provider's core payment systems, with thorough analysis of technical documentation
- Workstream leader and project support within our Global clients within the SS&C, IFDS Luxembourg and Ireland/State Street Joint Venture for project and changes in relation to multi currency accounting, settlement, regulatory changes, as well as suppliers initiatives
- Workstream leader for projects and changes in relation to new on boarding Clients
- Managing and delivering Clients and Internal Change requests to the business
- Managed large-scale projects and initiatives, introducing new systems, tools and processes to support attainment of challenging objectives
- Ensuring Client request and project scope are met through conducting Gap analysis and design stages of Projects
- Support system automation and risk reduction through improved design, process flows and operating models Lead development changes with business teams to ensure successful implementation
- Managing the Operational Readiness work stream through training, operational documentation, risk awareness and appropriate controls in place
- Managing project support in terms of communication and workshops with clients to fully understand and document operational and service requirements on new service developments
- Supporting testing through creation of matrix and identification of scenarios, output reviews and controls to mitigate risks and support testing sign off
- Completion of project documentation, such as creation and maintenance of the AID log, project milestones and progress log
- Attendance at project meetings, workshops, gap and requirement analysis, operating model design and client meetings
- Lead changes and point of contacts for Clearstream initiatives Used exceptional planning and organisation skills to manage multiple, large-scale projects across different sites
- Assessed all product lifecycle phases, identifying and recommending opportunities for development
- Updated system information and ensured documentation accuracy and validity
- Streamlined processes by analysing product lifecycles and recommending appropriate improvements
Senior Manager
SS&C (prev. DST)
London
03.2013 - 04.2013
- Ensure completion of the team daily processes in line with the Service Level Agreement (SLA) and Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
- Responsible for the team daily function as follow:
- FX Processing
- Daily and Month End Reporting
- Regulatory Reporting
- Treasury Monitoring
- Bank accounts Credit Facility Management
- Core Dealing system (iFAST) Static data set up and maintenance of Standing data according to Client's requirements
- Team and individual performance management
- FTE monitoring and headcount management
- Evaluated and approved hiring, firing and promotions requests
- Point of Escalation for queries from internal parties as well as Clients
- Performance of regular development and 1-2-1 meetings with members of the team
- Generated Key Performance Indicator to drive better performance
Operation and Risk Management: FX Control - Invest
Goldman Sachs
London
04.2006 - 03.2009
- High expertise in Swift STP. Nominated as key contact for all of FX Operation teams for queries related to payment formatting and execution
- Complete review of payment flows to highlight inefficiencies and control gaps and implementation of process enhancements
- Team Leader of the Investigation Team (7 people) reporting into the London control team Manager and the European FX Operation Manager
- Team oversight, ensuring day-to-day completion of tasks in a timely and controlled manner
- People development and management. Team Headcount and performance analysis
- Management of Operational Risk related to all aspects of the Currency business, including payment risk related to fraud and money laundering
- Management of the payment control queues ensuring payments approved within currency cut-offs
- Close liaison with IT to ensure early identification of potential critical flow problems and ongoing system enhancement requests
- Overseeing key control functions that mitigate risk in order to protect the firm's assets and reputation in a high volume market environment
- Identification and resolution of breaks between upstream and downstream systems
- Daily oversight and approval of the FSA segregated Client Money requirements
- Close liaison with Treasury Cash Management to ensure early identification of Fails (non receipt of funds) in order to promptly optimise the balance on the firm's account
- Point of escalation for client's post settlement queries
- Work stream lead for several projects and changes, either regulatory or enhancement initiatives, such as:
- ISO 13616 (2007) International Bank Account Number-Project work stream leader to bring the requirements to the department to ensure compliance for all existing and future payments
- Responsibilities included initial impact analysis and understanding of the scope of the Regulations, liaison with the Banking providers in order to implement and provide the IBANS for all our accounts, develop a solution to data patch the IBANs onto the static data (over 26,000), operational readiness and transition ahead and post live date, managing timelines and project status updates to Senior Management
- Overseeing migration of the FEX Standard Settlement Instructions to Bangalore, India and the implementation of oversight controls in the UK
- I was sent to India for 2 weeks to provide training for new managers and analysts
- Responsible for analysis and subsequent improvement of Payments STP stats (from 27% to 90%) Responsible for reduction of the interest claims due to late or incorrectly formatted payments Full review of internal business accounts and trades to mitigate risk for incorrect bookings
Assistant Manager, Foreign Dept and SWIFT
Intesa SanPaolo
London
02.1999 - 04.2006
- Manager of the Foreign Department and a team of seven people
- Team headcount and performance review
- Team training and coaching
- Project management and the general administration and running of the department Liaising with Relationship Managers
- Overseeing the management of the customers accounts
- Ensure that each transaction adhere to the Money Laundry and Bank of England regulations; Key contact for major customers
- Overlooking a portfolio of main clients on the operational side
- Overseeing and managing client's assets in liaison with our traders
- Responsible for meeting deadlines and currencies cuts-off-time
- Checking and releasing of Swift payments (CHAPS, MT103, 202)
- Responsible for the correct execution of payments on value date
- Dealing with the IT department in order to ensure the smooth running of the system; Thorough technical knowledge of MT103, MT202, MT210 and CHAPS payments; FEX and positioning control for Euros, GBP and USD
- Senior payments and settlements clerk (February 1999-October 2000)
- Manual input of SWIFT payments
- Reimbursement of staff expenses as well as responsible for safekeeping
- Supported long-term business need strategies, generating customer relations feedback for process improvements
- Maintained smooth-running business operations by delegating priorities to staff abilities
- Investigated issues affecting group operations, prepared reports and helped correct problems
Education
Higher National Diploma - Tourism & Language
Istituto "Marco Polo"
Level 3 certificate - Investment Operations
CISI
Web Site Design - undefined
Cavendish College
LondonLCCI Diploma - Marketing - PR & Advertising
LondonSkills
- Subject Matter Expert in Swift Messaging, ISO 20022 standards
- Microsoft Excel
- Client and Regulatory change management
- Project Coordination and Workstream leader
- Settlement and Payments
- Clearstream and CFF set up
- Staff development
- Fund Administration
- Investment Banking
- Italian speaking
- Technical documentation management
- Strategic thinking
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Process improvement strategies
- Personable
- Solutions development
- Technical reports and summaries
- Technical writing and reading
- Knowledge of iFAST, Xceptor
Timeline
Technical and Change Senior Manager
SS&C (previously known as IFDS and DST)
04.2013 - 04.2026
Senior Manager
SS&C (prev. DST)
03.2013 - 04.2013
Operation and Risk Management: FX Control - Invest
Goldman Sachs
04.2006 - 03.2009
Assistant Manager, Foreign Dept and SWIFT
Intesa SanPaolo
02.1999 - 04.2006
Level 3 certificate - Investment Operations
CISI
Web Site Design - undefined
Cavendish College
LCCI Diploma - Marketing - PR & Advertising
Higher National Diploma - Tourism & Language
Istituto "Marco Polo"