Chief Internal Audit Executive & SOX Assurance

Raj V. Nagarajan, MS, MBA White Plains, NY ***** 630-***-****

********@*****.*** linkedin.com/in/rajvnagarajan

Chief Internal Audit Executive– Financial Services Organizations Strategic, collaborative leader with 25+ years of internal audit experience as a Chief Audit Executive at financial institutions with assets ranging from $10B to $150B.

Extensive background and record of achievement in practicing as a third line of defense and a first line of defense in internal audit and wealth management.

Adept at managing independent risk assessments, mapping internal controls to mitigate risks, and performing internal audit testing to measure effectiveness.

History of independent transaction testing and providing assurance in complying with BSA/AML/OFAC, CMS. SAFE Act, NACHA regulatory expectations.

Reviewed/improved audit methodology and policies to align with evolving practices, Standards to enhance Quality Assurance and to meet IIA, regulatory Standards.

Kellogg MBA is supplemented by professional certifications, including risk management and assurance, financial services audits, governance, and compliance.

Acknowledged as a “Recognized Business Leader of Color for Excellence in Advocating Governance and Compliance” by Chicago United Business Council. Experience

Resources Global Professional/Morgan Stanley/New York Life – New York, NY April 2025 - To date Senior Internal Audit Consultant

Provided audit expertise in reviewing work papers and validating regulatory/internal audit recommendations. Evaluated and assisted in assessing Model Risk Management, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Assessment, and Corporate Governance. TRICO BANCSHARES (NASDAQ: TCBK) – Chico, CA Jan. 2020 to Dec. 2024 Bank holding company with $10B in assets.

Chief Audit Executive Senior Vice President

Directed internal audit, loan review, SOX, compliance, governance, and risk management activities. Performed independent risk assessments, implemented internal controls to mitigate emerging risks, initiated due diligence reviews and merger integrations. Maintained first and second lines of defense relationships and partnered with senior leadership, and Board members.

Prepared TriCo for its next tier of $10B in assets to comply with regulatory and internal audit standards.

Participated in merger integration of 2 financial institutions with $1B in assets. Reviewed disclosure agreements, determined asset quality, validated financial statements, and provided roadmap to integration of internal controls.

Reviewed/improved audit methodology and policies to align with evolving practices, Standards to enhance Quality Assurance and to meet Institute of Internal Audit and Regulatory Expectations.

Identified, analyzed, and addressed potential risks by partnering with the Chief Risk Officer in monitoring enterprise risks.

Developed and managed Internal Audit Plan to provide independent audit Assurance. Assessed internal audit performance and mitigated inherent risks from new products and services by implementing KPI’s audit advisory practices.

Elevated the quality and reliability of internal audit work by instituting a quality assurance improvement program.

Independently assessed and provided assurance to regulators and Board of Directors on the transaction testing and results in complying with BSA/AML/OFAC, CMS. SAFE Act, NACHA regulatory expectations.

Independently assessed and provided assurance to regulators and Board of Directors on the transaction testing and results in complying with BSA/AML/OFAC, CMS. SAFE Act, NACHA regulatory expectations. Audit Planning & Execution

Enterprise Risk Management

Risk Assessment & Mitigation

Team Development & Leadership

Regulatory Reviews & Examinations

Governance, Ethics & Compliance

M&A Due Diligence & Integration

Fraud Investigations

Board & Audit Committee Interactions

Asset Quality Assessments

KPI Development & Measurement

Process Improvements

Internal & External Collaborations

Raj V. Nagarajan, MS, MBA – Page 2-630-***-**** ********@*****.*** WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORPORATION (NASDAQ: WTFC) – Rosemont, IL Jan. 2003 to Dec. 2019 Diversified, decentralized bank holding company of 15 bank charters with $50B in assets and 180 community banks in the Midwest. Chief Audit Executive Senior Vice President

Brought in to transition internal audit from outsourced to in-house and prepare for $20B threshold followed by $50B threshold to comply with regulatory and internal audit standards. Led independent internal audit and asset quality review programs for 15 banks and 5 non-banks (total of $45B in assets) and participated in meetings with Board of Directors and Audit Committees of the holding company, individual banks, and non-banks. Manage a $10M budget, staff of 48, and 6 indirect reports.

Established and formalized the Internal Audit Department and developed audit plan to provide audit assurance to 17 different Audit Committees of the Board of Directors. Provided viewpoints on safety and soundness of risks and controls.

Upheld governance of holding company’s Board and Audit Committee by integrating audit results of banks and nonbanks.

Independently assessed and provided assurance to regulators on the transaction testing and results in complying with regulations such as BSA/AML/OFAC, CMS. SAFE Act, NACHA per regulatory expectations.

Collaborated with external auditors and regulatory examiners on their routine examinations and participated in M&As.

Reviewed and engaged Quality Assurance to enhance audit methodology to align with evolving practices, Institute of Internal Audit Standards and to meet the FRB/OCC as well as State Regulatory Expectations.

Facilitated discussions of system-wide issues and emerging risks among Audit Committee members, Chairs of individual banks and non-banks, and regulatory examiners by forming an annual Audit Committee meeting.

Eliminated redundancies in audit work by implementing electronic internal audit workpapers and documentation systems.

Eliminated redundancies in audit work by implementing electronic work papers. Streamlined and ensured timely reporting of Whistleblower filings, Consumer Compliance and Information Security Incident Reporting. Prior Experience:

JP MORGAN CHASE BANK ONE – Chicago, IL. Vice President, Product Manager: Provided business strategy, financial, and operational analysis ensuring alignment of product vision, execution, and delivery. Collaborated with Sales, Client Services, operations as well as product administrators in the Institutional Asset Management Group. Evaluated product and customer profitability, analyzed key ratios and standards and compliance with regulations for 2,000+ middle & large market institutional customers. Prioritized product backlog, assessed acceptance criteria, enhanced product features, and coordinated training. JP MORGAN CHASE BANK ONE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF CHICAGO – Chicago, IL. Vice President, Internal Audit Audit Group Manager: Manage internal audits of business units, including corporate finance, commercial, consumer/asset-based lending, retail banking, mortgage banking, derivatives, credit card portfolio, and international banking. Education Additional Information

MBA, Finance & Accounting – Kellogg Graduate School of Business, Northwestern University Certifications – IIA, ISACA, ACFE, ACBA, NACFF, and SCSA Certified Financial Services Auditor (CFSA) Certification in Risk Management & Assurance (CRMA) Governance, Risk & Compliance Professional (GRCP) Certification in Risk & Information System Controls (CRISC) Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) Certified Financial Fiduciary (CFF) Certified Systems Professional (CSP) Certified Cannabis Banking Professional (CBP) Organizations

Institute of Internal Auditors Information Systems Audit & Control Association Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America Open Compliance Ethics Group Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Association of Certified Senior Advisors National Association of Certified Financial Fiduciaries Association for Cannabis Banking Public Company Accounting Oversight Board National Association of Certified Financial Fiduciaries South Asian Bankers Association Board Member, Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Sacramento Trustee, Village of Lisle, IL Association for Certified System Professionals Chicago United Organization for Leaders of Color Technical Skills

Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and CoPilot SAP UltiPro Workiva Directors Desk

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