Product Development Management

RAHUL FIRKE

Boston, MA *****.*.*****@*****.*** 203-***-****

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Seasoned Product Management executive with over 15 years of expertise driving business and system analysis across the full product lifecycle, from ideation to deployment and enhancement. Successful in translating complex requirements into actionable solutions, leading cross-functional teams, and executing large-scale platform integrations for leading financial institutions. Recognized for aligning key stakeholders, optimizing workflows, and ensuring regulatory compliance while managing end-to-end product development and delivery. Adept at leveraging advanced analytics, data-driven insights, and process automation to deliver scalable solutions that support strategic business objectives.

CORE STRENGTHS

Requirements Gathering & Documentation Solution Architecture & Design Data Mapping & Migration Process Automation

Agile Project Delivery & Governance Investment Compliance Product Lifecycle Management Business Analysis B2B/B2C

System Analysis Use Case Development Cost-Benefit Analysis Stakeholder Management Investment Management

IT Service Management Vendor Platform Integration API Documentation SOX Compliance Cross-Functional Team Leadership

Product Owner Fintech Startups User Acceptance Testing Retail Brokerage Wealth Management Build Vs Buy Analysis

FINANCIAL PRODUCTS EXPERTISE

Asset Classes: Fixed Income, Equities, Derivatives, Crypto Currency, Stable Coin

Products: Fidessa LatentZero Platform, Broadridge Mortgage Backed Security (MBS) Expert, DTCC Asset Servicing, BetaNxt Proxy and ReOrg Manager

Data: Security Reference Data, Security Pricing Data, Market Data

Domains: Investment Management, Investment Banking, Retail Brokerage, Wealth Management, Brokerage Clearing and Custody

STRATEGIC IMPACT

Drove product-led growth by launching an algorithmic back testing/trading signals platform from ideation through MVP production, leveraging data-driven insights to optimize feature adoption/onboard 4,000 retail investors, accelerating ecosystem engagement.

Spearheaded partner acquisition and activation for a new brokerage platform by onboarding the first five B2B clients, designing and delivering comprehensive API documentation and a robust sandbox environment to support seamless integration.

Led end-to-end vendor platform integrations across a multi-sided ecosystem, collaborating with Solutions Engineering and Product Marketing to ensure platform execution aligned with strategic growth opportunities and partner needs.

Built and managed high-performing cross-functional teams, utilizing advanced leadership and communication skills to align stakeholders, foster innovation, and execute on strategic product and growth initiatives.

Leveraged deep professional and personal expertise in the financial industry to inform strategic product development and deliver smarter, more market aligned solutions.

PRODUCT MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE

Partnered with Front, Middle, and Back Office stakeholders through structured Joint Application Development workshops, capturing cross functional requirements and driving consensus on product scope with clear, compelling communication.

Conducted comprehensive gap, risk, and cost benefit analyses to validate product investments, optimize feature sets, and align development efforts with strategic business objectives.

Authored end to end product documentation (including BRDs, DFDs, use cases, system requirement specs, and status reports) to maintain alignment between development teams and business sponsors throughout the delivery lifecycle.

Managed vendor relationships and system rollouts, negotiating deliverables and SLAs to ensure third party solutions integrated smoothly into the broader product ecosystem.

Translated SWIFT and FpML messaging standards into product requirements, enabling seamless trade communication workflows and reducing integration time for internal and external counterparties.

Developed SOX compliant controls and documentation frameworks, embedding regulatory requirements into product specifications to ensure audit readiness and maintain governance standards.

WORK EXPERIENCE

VICE PRESIDENT - PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, Fidelity Investments (FCAT), Smithfield – Rhode Island, RI 2020–2025

Served as Product Owner for critical domains (Security Reference Data, Market Data (Pricing, Fundamentals, Calendar), Money Movement, Trading Tools, Corporate Actions Processing, Kafka Audit Messaging, and Customer Communications), aligning roadmaps with business goals.

Championed Agile incubator projects for a Cloud Based Brokerage Platform (Green Meadows) by delivering high quality analyses, driving iterative product development, and boosting team performance.

Translated stakeholder needs into detailed user stories and feature specifications, then coordinated with development and vendor teams to integrate third party products seamlessly.

Diagnosed gaps in business requirements and recommended functional adjustments, refining system designs to enhance scalability and user experience.

Mapped end to end workflows and led design workshops to convert customer needs into prioritized use cases, ensuring comprehensive coverage of edge scenarios.

Validated solutions through hands on process testing, confirming that delivered features met business objectives and quality standards.

Leveraged advanced analytics tools to interrogate data sets, uncover actionable insights, and inform strategic decisions that optimized operational performance.

Monitored customer behavior trends to recommend product enhancements and streamline processes, driving continuous improvements in efficiency and satisfaction.

BUSINESS SYSTEM ANALYST COMPLIANCE CONSULTANT, Wellington Management - Boston, MA 2018–2020

Spearheaded end-to-end lifecycle of Guideline Monitoring applications (planning, designing, implementing, and enhancing complex systems) to ensure continuous support and alignment with business needs.

Captured and translated stakeholder needs into detailed business requirements for new capabilities, fostering strong partnerships with Guideline Monitoring and cross departmental business owners.

Directed requirements analysis to inform solution design, refine project estimates, and drive on time delivery of system enhancements.

Collaborated closely with Development and QA teams to validate functional specifications, oversee application testing, and guarantee high-quality solution deployments.

Coordinated with IT, Data, and Portfolio Management teams to integrate Guideline Monitoring tools seamlessly with trading platforms and enterprise systems.

Enabled Portfolio Analysts to leverage MSCI Social restrictions and Kroll/Morningstar credit ratings by integrating Reference Data feeds into Sentinel and delivering a Non Investable Universe solution.

Expanded Sentinel’s capabilities by architecting and implementing advanced analytics dashboards to visualize account, allocation, holding, instrument, and issuer data, to streamline decision making.

PRINCIPLE BUSINESS ANALYST, Nomura Services India Pvt. Ltd. - Mumbai, India 2014–2018

Acted as the primary OTC derivatives SME, analyzing complex trade confirmation and pre settlement processes to translate business needs into technical requirements.

Collaborated with front office and middle office stakeholders to elicit, document, and validate functional specifications, including BRDs and FSDs, ensuring alignment with regulatory and audit standards.

Architected end to end solutions, defining data models, UI workflows, dashboards, and reference data integrations, to automate manual workflows and standardize processes across asset classes.

Led FpML mapping initiatives and executed large scale data migrations, delivering robust data transformation and ensuring seamless onboarding of new entity structures and trade models.

Designed and implemented auto matching, cash netting rules, and exception handling logic; deployed workflow orchestration to eliminate manual steps, enforce controls, and generate key risk and efficiency metrics.

Supported global entity standardization efforts by onboarding new client entities, managing internal risk transfers, and enabling multi party novations to streamline balance sheet and trade booking models.

Drove iterative development cycles under Agile/Scrum, coordinating cross functional teams, managing vendor deliverables, and maintaining rigorous change management documentation to ensure on time, compliant releases.

BUSINESS SYSTEM ANALYST – CONSULTANT, Bridgewater Associates, LP (Hedge Fund) - Westport, CT 2013–2014

Designed/implemented the “DI Hub” interface on the Markit EDM (CADIS) platform to automate trade message integration from OMS systems, enrich data with reference sources, and deliver standardized SWIFT/FpML messages to banking partners.

Authored comprehensive BRDs, FRDs, business use cases, and test case documentation, defining and designing reference data models to support accurate trade enrichment.

Mapped OMS trade extract data elements to SWIFT and FpML message tags across diverse asset classes by gathering and analyzing detailed requirements for industry-standard messaging.

Conducted gap analysis on trade communication processes, documented high-risk gaps, and collaborated with front office teams to design and implement solutions for missing SWIFT/FpML data elements.

Translated high-level business requirements into technical specifications, developed a user interface for exception management, and facilitated requirements-gathering sessions to deliver actionable insights to the development team.

Supported technical solution design and testing by assisting development teams with implementation and guiding QA teams in test plan creation and execution throughout all testing phases.

Coordinated user acceptance testing (UAT) with Trade Operations business users and ensured thorough validation and securing final sign-off for system deployment.

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Engineering (BE) in Computer Science University of Mumbai – Mumbai, India

ADDENDUM. FEATURED PROJECTS

OTC Confirm Tracker & Cash Manager: Achieved seamless migration and enhanced straight through processing for OTC derivatives confirmations and pre settlement cash flows by leading FpML mapping for structured products, implementing cash flow netting rules with auto matching functionality, and executing comprehensive data migration. As the CTB SME, ensured that electronic SWIFT, DTCC, and paper confirmations and cash manager processes aligned with new banking requirements, dramatically reducing manual reconciliation, accelerating trade confirmation cycles, and bolstering both operational accuracy and regulatory compliance.

LEP (Legal Entity Program): Reduced balancesheet requirements and unified tradebooking models across Nomura’s global entities by spearheading OTC derivatives SME initiatives for the enterprisewide LEP rollout. Enabled “Ready to Trade” onboarding of new clients and orchestrated seamless Market Risk Transfers and client novations between internal entities. Developed comprehensive 4way novation support for both paper and electronic confirmations, and led the establishment of Brexitcompliant and fundingonly entities, standardizing entity structures, accelerating client migrations, and ensuring regulatory and operational consistency.

NEWS (Nomura Exception Workflow System): Streamlined trade confirmation and settlement operations by architecting an automated, auditable workflow platform that replaced manual Excel based processes, macros, and static data spreadsheets. Automated key pre and post settlement steps and enriched reference data to eliminate manual handoffs, standardized exception handling across all asset classes, and delivered real time KRIs and efficiency metrics. Led requirements gathering with front and middle office stakeholders, designed end to end workflows, UI screens, dashboards, and reference data integrations, and authored comprehensive BRDs and FSDs to guide Agile development of the system from the ground up.

Trade Order Management System (GE Asset Management-Stamford, CT): Accelerated straight through processing and eliminated manual bottlenecks by deploying a comprehensive Fidessa Latent Zero solution across all Fixed Income asset classes. Led requirements gathering with business stakeholders and produced detailed Visio workflow diagrams to guide design. Architected seamless integration between trading, accounting, and custody systems for end to end trade flow. Extended core functionality via custom web prototypes and security setup templates. Managed vendor relationships, coordinated on and offshore development teams, and oversaw UAT and change management documentation to ensure timely, compliant delivery.

LZ-Oasys Workstation Integration: Reduced Trade Operations team’s manual confirmation effort by 75% through end to end integration of LZ Oasys Workstation. Led data driven cost/benefit analysis to quantify efficiency gains, then configured, coded, and tested the new system in collaboration with vendor Omgeo. Authored comprehensive IT and user test cases covering critical business and system status scenarios, and validated connectivity and workflows to ensure seamless broker confirmations. Leveraged rigorous testing protocols and stakeholder coordination to deliver a robust, high impact automation solution.

LZ-MBS Expert Integration: Streamlined TBA pool allocation and cut IT and Trade Operations manual workload by implementing end to end integration between Bloomberg/TBA Trader and new LZ Minerva & MBS Expert systems. Applied Six Sigma Lean techniques to map existing data flows, then partnered with vendors and infrastructure teams to provision a dedicated GEAM–Broadridge network link. Designed and deployed IBM MQ messaging for real time trade feeds and delivered critical TBA pool allocations into accounting and custody platforms. Orchestrated cross functional development and user teams through UAT and sign off, and authored comprehensive change management documentation to ensure smooth, stable operations for this mission critical process.

Production Support & RTS Task (Ready to Serve): Achieved uninterrupted Fixed Income operations and compliance readiness by delivering 24/7 production support, fulfilling SOX audit documentation, and validating disaster-recovery capabilities. Leveraged ITIL best practices via ServiceNow to triage and resolve system and business-process incidents swiftly, minimizing downtime for end users. Conducted comprehensive knowledge-transfer sessions for new client managers and team members, and prepared Monthly Business Review presentations that equipped stakeholders with actionable insights for resource allocation and strategic decision-making. Continuous oversight of the DR environment and systematic SOX documentation ensured both operational resilience and regulatory compliance.

TECHNICAL AND SOFTWARE EXPERTISE

Agile Software Development Lifecycle methodology, Project Management (JIRA, Confluence, Microsoft Suite)

IT development, IT Operations, IT Service Management (ServiceNow, StatusPage)

Database: Oracle, SQL Server, Mongo DB, Elastic

Messaging: ISO20022, FpML, XML, JSON, IBM MQ, SFTP, REST API

Collaboration Tools: FIGMA, MIRO

User Analytics: Pendo, Elastic Kibana

API Documentation: Readme

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