Vice President, Office Planning, Project & Events Management

1. Office Planning & Administration 

• Lead the planning, coordination, and continuous improvement of the APAC CDAO office operations, including workspace management, resource allocation, and operational readiness. 

• Develop and maintain the APAC CDAO operational calendar, ensuring alignment of priorities across the leadership team and broader department. 

• Establish and manage standard operating procedures (SOPs) for office administration, document management, and internal communications within the CDAO function. 

• Coordinate with Facilities, Human Resources, IT, and Corporate Services to address office logistics, onboarding, seating, equipment, and other administrative requirements. 

• Prepare and manage the CDAO office administration budget, tracking expenditures and ensuring cost-effective allocation of resources. 

• Drive operational efficiency initiatives and identify opportunities for process improvement across the CDAO function. 

2. Executive Scheduling & Coordination (CDO & CDAO Support) 

• Provide direct scheduling and diary management support to the CDO and CDAO, proactively managing complex calendars across multiple time zones. 

• Coordinate and prioritise meeting requests, ensuring the CDO and CDAO's time is optimally allocated to high-impact activities and strategic engagements. 

• Prepare agendas, briefing materials, and pre-read documents for executive meetings, steering committees, and leadership forums. 

• Manage end-to-end coordination for the CDO and CDAO's travel arrangements (domestic and international), including itineraries, visa requirements, and expense reconciliation. 

• Act as a trusted gatekeeper and liaison, managing internal and external communications on behalf of the CDO and CDAO with discretion and professionalism. 

• Track and follow up on action items arising from executive meetings, ensuring timely completion and escalation where necessary. 

• Coordinate with senior stakeholders across SMBC Group (Head Office, regional executives, and functional heads) to facilitate seamless communication and alignment. 

3. Project Management & Governance 

• Manage a portfolio of strategic projects and initiatives within the APAC CDAO, ensuring delivery within scope, timeline, and budget. 

• Develop and maintain project charters, work plans, RAID logs (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies), and status dashboards for key departmental initiatives. 

• Establish and enforce project governance frameworks, including stage-gate reviews, steering committee reporting, and milestone tracking. 

• Coordinate cross-functional inputs and dependencies across Data, Analytics, Technology, Risk, Compliance, and business stakeholder teams. 

• Prepare project status reports, executive summaries, and presentation materials for leadership and governance forums. 

• Ensure all project documentation adheres to SMBC's internal governance, audit, and regulatory standards. 

• Identify risks and bottlenecks proactively and work with stakeholders to develop mitigation strategies. 

• Support the CDO and CDAO in tracking the progress of strategic priorities and departmental OKRs/KPIs. 

4. Events Management 

• Plan, organise, and execute internal and external events for the APAC CDAO function, including town halls, leadership offsites, team-building activities, knowledge-sharing sessions, and industry forums. 

• Manage end-to-end event logistics including venue selection, vendor management, catering, audio-visual setup, invitations, RSVPs, and on-site coordination. 

• Coordinate flagship CDAO-hosted events such as Data & Analytics summits, innovation showcases, hackathons, and client/partner engagement sessions. 

• Develop event budgets, manage expenditures, and conduct post-event evaluation to assess impact and identify areas for improvement. 

• Liaise with Corporate Communications, Marketing, and external partners to ensure events align with SMBC Group branding and communication standards. 

• Support the planning and execution of Head Office-driven events, regional leadership conferences, and cross-departmental collaboration sessions. 

5. Stakeholder & Cross-functional Coordination 

• Serve as the central coordination point for the APAC CDAO office, facilitating communication and collaboration across internal teams and external partners. 

• Liaise with Tokyo Head Office, regional offices, and APAC business units to ensure strategic alignment and timely information flow. 

• Coordinate with HR on recruitment activities, onboarding, headcount planning, and team engagement initiatives for the CDAO function. 

• Support the CDO and CDAO in the preparation of board papers, management committee papers, and regulatory submissions as required. 

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders across Technology, Operations, Risk, Compliance, Finance, and front-office business divisions. 

• Act as a central secretariat function for CDAO leadership meetings, management committees, and working groups.