Technology Architect & Transformation Leader Innovation Strategist

JAWAD ALALAWI

Technology Architect & Transformation Leader Innovation Strategist

"Driving Architecture to enable secure, compliant, and scalable transformations, helping organizations modernize with confidence."

Quick Bio

Seasoned architect and technology leader with 25+ years in digital transformation, compliance-driven architecture, and secure innovation. Transform regulatory and operational challenges into scalable, audit-ready solutions. Proven track record in leading financial services, fintech, and telecoms through high- stakes modernization journeys.

Core Value Proposition

• Transformation Leadership: Driving architecture and enterprise modernization aligned with compliance frameworks.

• Security & Compliance: Deep expertise in PCI-DSS, forensic readiness, and risk frameworks.

• Engineering Depth: Hands on across .NET, Azure, SQL, Oracle, Linux, and secure design principles.

• Business-IT Bridge: Translating complexity into clarity for executives and stakeholders.

• Innovation Under Constraint: Delivering automation and scalable solutions under tight resources.

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Signature Achievements

• PCI-DSS Trailblazer: Led one of the MENA region’s first enterprise PCI-DSS certifications.

• Regulatory Innovation: Built a licensed payment services company in Iraq from concept through regulatory approval.

• Automation at Scale: Boosted card production 7 while maintaining near-zero error rates.

• AI Trading Engine: Developed real-time, algorithmic cryptocurrency trading platform.

• Balanced Scorecard: Digitally transformed performance management at Batelco. Leadership Style

Principles-driven leadership, balancing strategic vision with execution.

Builds resilient, high-performing teams through mentorship, collaboration, and clear accountability.

Recognized as approachable, and trusted to align business and IT high-under pressure situations.

Professional Identity

• Strategist: Turning compliance and regulatory hurdles into growth enablers.

• Engineer: Fluent across Microsoft, Oracle, Java, Linux, and security-focused system design.

• Leader: Experienced in scaling teams and aligning technology with strategic goals.

• Innovator: Early adopter of configuration-driven design principles Certifications & Credibility

• CISA ICA-GRC Diploma

Full Professional Experience available in subsequent pages. P a g e 3

Jawad Alalawi

Technology Architect & Transformation Leader Secure Innovation Strategist Compliance & Risk Aligned Architect

+973-******** ********@*****.*** linkedin.com/in/sjawad/ Page 3: Professional Summary

Page 3: Core Competencies & Career Highlights

Page 4: Selected Projects Portfolio

Page 6: Professional Experience History

Page 8: Career Accomplishments

Page 8: Core Skills and Technologies

Page 9: Education & Certifications

Professional Summary

Experienced Architect and Technology Leader with 25+ years of experience driving enterprise architecture, digital transformation, and large-scale modernization across regulated industries. Proven ability to modernize enterprise systems and extend in-house platforms with cloud-based architectures, with a strong record in enterprise integration and long-term technology roadmaps. Deep expertise in Microsoft technologies (.NET/C#, Azure, SQL Server), working knowledge of AWS core services (EC2, S3, IAM, VPC) and secure hybrid cloud principles (networking, access control, resilience). Strong foundation in scripting and modular design, with readiness to adopt Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices in cloud deployments. Additionally, holds the ICA Diploma in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) and the CISA certification, reinforcing a strong foundation in audit readiness and risk management. Respected as a trusted advisor, skilled at bridging business–IT gaps and translating architecture decisions into measurable business value. Experienced in enterprise greenfield builds, system integrations, and digital adoption programs. Recognized for defining architectural standards, minimizing technical debt, and embedding security and compliance by design.

Core Competencies & Architectural Leadership Highlights

• Enterprise Architecture Strategy & Governance: Applied structured principles

(TOGAF aligned) to drive governance, lifecycle alignment, and enterprise integration.

• Business–IT Alignment & C-Level Advisory: Acted as a trusted advisor to executives, translating business requirements into architecture decisions that deliver P a g e 4

measurable value. Facilitated informed decision-making through clear communication of technical vision.

• Digital Transformation & Enterprise IT Strategy: Directed enterprise-wide IT modernization through ERP optimization, cloud adoption, and SaaS enablement. Developed scalable digital operating models aligned with operational priorities, risk controls, and compliance frameworks. Including cloud migration and modernization leveraging Azure.

• Engineering Team Leadership & Performance Culture: Built high-performing engineering teams by fostering a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and innovation. Established KPIs, growth frameworks, and async workflows to support productivity and autonomy in hybrid environments.

• Familiar with modern SaaS architectures using .NET backend, REST, React- based frontends, and Microsoft SQL databases. Able to guide architectural decisions even outside direct development roles.

• Vendor & Program Management: Managed vendor relationships across ERP, infrastructure, and cloud services. Oversaw delivery timelines, integration quality, and support SLAs to ensure scalable, cost-effective outcomes.

• Change Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement: Led organization-wide change programs, including training, onboarding, and cross-department adoption of digital tools. Trusted advisor in enterprise greenfield and migration contexts, aligning cloud adoption with C-level objectives.

• Data Security & Compliance Leadership: Spearheaded AFS’s PCI-DSS enterprise certification in 2007, one of the first in the MENA region by implementing encryption, major policy improvements, cross-functional training, and audit alignment across all departments.

• IT Infrastructure & Service Management: Oversaw secure infrastructure modernization, including hybrid cloud environments, performance monitoring, and disaster recovery.

Selected Projects Portfolio

Projects

• Core System Modernization – Alyousuf Exchange (Financial Services Central Bank Aligned)

Role: IT Department Leader Duration: 2020–2023

Led the enterprise-wide modernization of mission-critical systems supporting remittance, compliance, and customer operations.

Delivered ERP platform solutions using middleware to automate onboarding, AML screening, bank partner integration, and reconciliation workflows. P a g e 5

Migrated legacy workloads to hybrid cloud, ensuring scalability, audit readiness, and Central Bank compliance.

Defined target enterprise architecture and integration standards, ensuring future scalability and regulatory compliance.

Migrated legacy workloads into hybrid cloud environments, ensuring audit-readiness, scalability, operational resilience, and compliance with Bahrain Central Bank regulations.

• Launch of Licensed Payment Services Company Launch in Iraq Role: Consultant & Advisor Duration: 2017–2018

Directed the full lifecycle launch of a licensed payment services company for two Iraqi partner banks. Secured Central Bank licensing through a detailed feasibility study and business case.

Enterprise greenfield project, designing infrastructure, security, and regulatory systems, including FIS core banking deployment, secure HSMs, and PCI-DSS compliant architecture.

Served as Chief Architect for infrastructure, security, and core systems design, embedding compliance and resilience from inception.

• Card Printing & Delivery Automation – Arab Financial Services (AFS) Role: Department Leader Duration: 2009–2010

Built a configuration-driven automation engine that transformed card production and delivery operations. Designed for scalability, modularity, and compliance, enabling sustainable long-term use and adaptability to evolving enterprise architecture requirements.

Increased daily output from under 1,500 to over 10,000 cards per day while reducing defects to below 0.05%. Achieved PCI-DSS and multi-scheme (Visa, MasterCard, Amex) compliance on card production with minimal capital investment. This became a reusable architectural pattern for subsequent enterprise automation projects.

• PCI-DSS Enterprise Certification – Arab Financial Services (AFS) Role: Project Manager Duration: 2007–2008

Led one of the region’s first PCI-DSS certification programs, with direct reporting to the CEO. Managed full audit lifecycle including mainframe upgrades, network segmentation, encryption rollout, and major policy updates enforcement. P a g e 6

Delivered cross-functional coordination with internal audit, risk, and IT security to meet global compliance standards. Implemented policy changes and PGP encryption across unsecured endpoints to harden data environments.

Embedded security and compliance principles into core architecture, establishing governance structures adopted company-wide.

• Balanced Scorecard Digital Enablement – Batelco

Role: Project Coordinator Duration: 2002–2003

Enabled digital Balanced Scorecard tracking via Excel automation during a pivotal phase of telecom liberalization.

Acted as the IT-side lead under the Senior Manager of Planning & Innovation. Facilitated CEO and EXCO-level engagement across departments to implement KPI frameworks and performance dashboards aligned with strategic execution.

• Business Planning Process Automation – Batelco

Role: Coordinator & Developer Duration: 1999–2001 Automated legacy business planning workflows including SWOT, PEST, and strategic action tracking.

Built a web-based enterprise application using Microsoft ASP then ASP.NET and SQL Server backend to digitize planning function and cross-department alignment. Supported transition from manual, siloed documentation to collaborative and digitalized reporting. Professional Experience History

IT & Digital Transformation Manager

Alyousuf Exchange – Bahrain 2019 to 2025

• Directed the enterprise architecture (acting as Chief/Enterprise Architect) and digital operating model, aligning IT capabilities with business and compliance priorities, across remittance and customer service operations.

• Defined and led enterprise technology strategy by modernizing legacy infrastructure and transitioning to a modular, API-enabled architecture and migrating workloads to an Azure hybrid cloud environments, supporting real-time data exchange.

• Delivered business process reengineering across customer onboarding, AML screening, and reconciliation workflows using automation, secure middleware, and intelligent data handling, achieving a 25% reduction in manual processes.

• Established and scaled a formal PMO, embedding governance structures, performance KPIs, and standardized delivery practices to support Agile at scale execution across multiple teams.

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• Developed high-resilience infrastructure with business continuity planning and internal SLAs, enabling uninterrupted financial services.

• Maintained active stakeholder engagement across departments, executive leadership, and external vendors to ensure delivery alignment with regulatory and operational targets.

• Led organizational-level change leadership, including training, onboarding, and communication planning to support adoption of digital tools and new business processes.

Information Technology Consultant

Start Services Consultancy 2014 – 2019

• Served as enterprise architect and strategic advisor for financial services project in Iraq, focusing on regulatory alignment, system architecture, and capability building.

• Led the regulatory licensing process with the Central Bank of Iraq to establish a new credit/debit card processing company. Directed the organizational design and talent onboarding to support business readiness.

• Served as a strategic advisor to C-level stakeholders, aligning technology delivery with evolving business needs, digital innovation goals, and regulatory frameworks.

• Mentored junior PMs and led cross-functional delivery teams in Agile and hybrid environments, scaling delivery capacity across business domains.

• Evaluated third-party service providers, negotiated contracts, and ensured SLA adherence.

Senior Management Member at AFS Various Roles

Arab Financial Services (AFS) – Bahrain 2005 to 2013

• Progressively responsible for enterprise system architecture, operational automation, and compliance-driven modernization across card processing and financial services.

• Contributed to the company’s evolution into a regional leader in digital payments and card processing through progressive roles involving systems architecture, production and logistics automation, and payment product development.

• Led the enhancement of the company’s ERP to enable modular inventory integration into GL for card personalization. Designed process adjustments that linked inventory movement, production output, logistics operations, and general ledger entries, allowing Finance to validate costing against customer billing and delivery reconciliation.

• Directed technology upgrades and automation initiatives in card production and dispatch logistics. Designed a bespoke automation engine and quality control process for file validation, print job optimization, and exception handling, boosting output from 1,500 to over 10,000 cards/day, reducing defects to under 0.05%, and maintaining full PCI-DSS and multi-scheme compliance (Visa, MasterCard, Amex).

• Managed AFS’s PCI-DSS enterprise certification program in 2007. Coordinated cross-functional execution across IT, risk, and operations teams, overseeing P a g e 8

encryption implementation (PGP), network segmentation, and other policy improvements. Drove full external audit readiness and positioned AFS as one of the first PCI-DSS certified financial service providers in the MENA region. Previous Experience

Future Transformation – Bahrain Solution Development Manager 2004 to 2005 Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) Project Manager 1998 to 2004

• Managed CRM and strategic planning automation projects.

• Digitized strategic planning operations and performance measurement using customized software solutions integrated with enterprise databases. Career Accomplishments

• Defined and governed enterprise architecture roadmaps across financial services, telecom, and payments, balancing innovation with compliance and security requirements.

• Directed enterprise-wide digital transformation across remittance, compliance, and customer onboarding operations at Alyousuf Exchange, utilizing RPA, SaaS tools, and cloud platforms to streamline workflows and improve regulatory alignment.

• Led the design, feasibility study, licensing, and launch of a Central Bank certified payment services company in Iraq, deploying FIS core systems and personally managing staff skills development and operational readiness.

• Managed a flagship PCI-DSS certification project at AFS in 2007, positioning the company as one of the first PCI-DSS compliant financial services providers in the Middle East.

• Transformed AFS’s card and statement printing operations through automation and operational reengineering, growing output 7x with near-zero defects via automation and leadership reforms.

• Recipient of the CIO 200 Bahrain Award for innovation in enterprise IT transformation.

Core Skills and Technologies

• Architecture & Governance: Enterprise architecture frameworks (TOGAF principles), hybrid cloud design, integration standards, performance optimization, technical debt reduction.

• Cloud & Hybrid Architecture, Migration & Optimization: Azure (App Services, Functions, SQL, Storage), AWS (EC2, S3, IAM, VPC – working familiarity), workload migration to Azure.

• Development & Debugging: .NET/C#, SQL Server, REST APIs, deep debugging

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• Compliance & Governance: PCI-DSS, central bank frameworks, risk management frameworks

• Leadership & Strategy: Team mentoring, vendor/program management, change leadership, business-IT alignment

• Security & Networking: Secure network design, access control, identity management, endpoint hardening

• Tools & Platforms: Visual Studio, Azure DevOps, basic AWS console usage, with familiarity in EC2 provisioning and S3 lifecycle policies Education

• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, University of Bahrain Certifications

• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

• Certified in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (ICA-GRC) by International Compliance Association.

• Experienced facilitator of internal training, workshops, and leadership development initiatives.

Languages:

• Arabic, native

• English, Fluent (Business & Technical Proficiency)

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