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Trade Finance & Payments Professional

Ishtiak
Ahmed

CDCS® | VP – International Banking Operations | Uusimaa Region

Over 21 years in international banking, I have managed cross-border trade and payment operations exceeding €1.5 billion annually. My strength is knowing not just how a transaction is processed — but where the risk lives when something goes wrong, and building the controls to catch it before it does.

SWIFT MT103 / MT202 Documentary Credits Nostro Reconciliation TBML Compliance Green Finance · GTF Incoterms 2020
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Ishtiak Ahmed

Ishtiak Ahmed

Senior Trade Finance Professional · CDCS®

Documentary Credits · SWIFT · Nostro · TBML

🏅 CDCS® Certified · ICC
Open to Work · Uusimaa, Fin
21+ Years Exp.
€1.5B Annual Ops
100+ Professionals Trained
Core Competencies

Areas of Expertise

Two decades of operational depth across trade finance, international payments, TBML compliance, and sustainable finance — from documentary credits to green lending.

🏦

Documentary Credits & Trade Finance

  • Documentary Credits · UCP 600
  • ISBP 745 · URR 725
  • SWIFT MT103 / MT202
  • Nostro Reconciliation
  • Incoterms 2020 · Bank Guarantees
🛡️

TBML & Compliance

  • TBML Risk Identification
  • AML / KYC Frameworks
  • Financial Crime Prevention
  • 100% Central Bank Audit — 5 Years
  • Regulatory Reporting
⚙️

Operations Leadership

  • Process Improvement
  • Workflow Optimisation
  • Stakeholder Coordination
  • SLA Management
  • Team Leadership
🖥️

Systems & Tools

  • Temenos T24
  • SWIFT System
  • Advanced Excel
  • MS Office Suite
  • Trade Finance Platforms
🌱

Sustainable Finance

  • Green Transformation Fund (GTF)
  • Environmental Eligibility Screening
  • ESG Credit Assessment
  • Sustainability Reporting
  • EU Taxonomy Alignment
Career History

Professional Experience

A 21-year track record at one of Bangladesh's leading international banks — from management trainee to Vice President.

Vice President – International Banking Operations
📅 2003 – 2024
Export Import Bank of Bangladesh PLC · Dhaka, Bangladesh
  • Managed trade finance and payment operations exceeding €1.5 billion annually
  • Processed high-volume SWIFT payments (MT103, MT202) with zero audit failures
  • Performed daily Nostro account reconciliation across correspondent banks
  • Maintained 100% audit compliance for 5 consecutive years
  • Identified and escalated TBML risks in line with FATF and ICC guidelines
  • Led and mentored a 10-member operations team, improving efficiency by 25%
  • Resolved 95%+ operational cases within agreed SLA timelines
  • Designed and delivered trade finance training to 100+ banking professionals
  • Served as Member Secretary, Central Customer Services & Complaint Management Cell
  • Core trainer at the EBTRA Banking Academy
  • Managed the bank's end-to-end Green Transformation Fund (GTF) programme as Project Manager — a Bangladesh Bank–mandated green refinancing facility — with full responsibility for customer selection, environmental eligibility screening, documentation, disbursement of USD 36.45M and EUR 12.26M, and ongoing recovery and regulatory reporting to the central bank
Academic Work

Publications & Research

Peer-reviewed and institutional research on sustainable finance, economic development, and trade.

📄
The impact of slowbalization on the sustainability of the ready-made garments industry in Bangladesh
Ahmed, I. (2025) · Master's Thesis · JAMK University of Applied Sciences, Finland
View on Theseus →
📰
India's economic growth and sustainability challenges
Ahmed, I., & Akpinar, M. (2025, October 2) · Finnish Business Review
Read in Finnish Business Review →
Conferences
  • 2025
    International Conference on Sustainable Business — Finland
  • 2019
    Asia-Pacific Conference on Trade Finance — UN ESCAP / ADB / ICC
  • 2017
    UN ESCAP Forum on Regional Integration — Asia-Pacific Region
Knowledge Hub

Writings & Articles

Research papers, trade finance articles, professional insights, and everything I've put to paper — all in one place.

✍️
From My Blog
Latest posts from Substack — updated automatically
📬 Subscribe on Substack
Academic Background

Education

2023 – 2025
MBA – International Business Management
JAMK University of Applied Sciences · Jyväskylä, Finland
2005 – 2007
MBA – Finance & Banking
International Islamic University Chittagong · Bangladesh
Certifications
🏅
CDCS® — Certified Documentary Credit Specialist
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
🦺
Occupational Safety Card
Finland
Languages
English
Fluent / C2
Bengali
Native
Finnish
A2 · In Progress
Training & Development

Certifications

Certificates earned across professional training programmes, workshops, and industry seminars throughout my career.

Get in Touch

Let's start a conversation.

I work with financial institutions on trade finance, payments, and compliance. If you're hiring in this space, or want to exchange ideas, I'd be glad to connect.

📍 Espoo, Finland 🇫🇮 Eligible to Work 🚗 Driving Licence
📧
Email
ahmedishtiak293@gmail.com
→
📞
Phone
+358 44 246 9239
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🔗
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/ishtiak-ahmed-cdcs
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📄
Curriculum Vitae
Download PDF
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