Stephania Debattista

I have now been a part of the PSU Team since May 2022, and since then I have gained confidence in discounting payments both on Fircosoft and Safewatch and I have no difficulty in deciding which payments need to be queried and escalated accordingly. I do seek assistance from anyone in my team when required either for an opinion or guidance. By now I have become more confident when it comes to reviewing Sanction Payments, SDDs, and payments that hit High/Very high-risk Countries. I utilise the FCRM system and also both Fircosoft and Safewatch to search for past payments and past cases to refer to them and confirm the best action to proceed with the way forward. Since I work on a 6-hour daily schedule, I try to divide the day into many various tasks, SDDs, review and follow up stopped payments, follow-ups on e-mails, update FCRM Cases, and complete them and review new payments. I also find time to help my colleagues in my team whenever they need my assistance. Helping my colleagues makes me feel important and an asset to the team. Whenever I go out on leave, I highlight both to management and to my buddy any pending payments and I send an e-mail with all the details, to ensure proper continuation. As soon as I receive a reply from a MU, I make it a point to give it priority and release or escalate with the relative department as case deems fit, as soon as possible, even though this many times, means that I stay beyond my working schedule since I understand, appreciate and value how important customers are to our Bank. With regards to FCRM Cases, I also make it a point to update them very detailed and meticulously. This is because, it is important that other analysts can refer to cases that I have handled and be able to make a decision based on what I have reported. For me, it is also important to update FCRM Cases and not exceed the 60-day SLA. When it comes to replying to all stakeholders' queries, I always reply on the same day, latest within 24 hours of receipt.

I believe that I do my best to support PSU Management and I am always on board with decisions taken, as I sincerely believe that these are taken for the best interest of the Team and finally of the Bank and customers. I also keep informed PSU Management of any issues I encounter, even when I make a genuine mistake, I always call my line manager and inform her accordingly. I do not hesitate to discuss matters with PSU Management and reach out whenever I need guidance. I take Quality Checking feedback from my management very seriously and although I have had minimum mistakes every month, throughout my time at PSU, I seek to handle feedback immediately and try to remediate my position as soon as possible and learn from these instances for future payments.

I am proud to be part of such a great Team that welcomed me and made me feel at home. I enjoy the company of my colleagues, and I try not to miss any team-building activities which are organised, since I believe that these enhance good relationships between all team members. When it comes to suggestions to our PSU Manager, I feel comfortable reaching out and speaking my mind politely and constructively and discussing matters that may improve the way forward.

I also feel confident in reaching out to my colleagues whenever I need assistance or guidance for any matter. In my team, I offer daily assistance to my team leader. Whenever any of my colleagues need guidance, or assistance, route a payment, or ask about payments related to sanctions, I always gladly offer my assistance and help. Even when a colleague in my team is absent, I make it a point to send him/her team messages with daily updates, so that when the person comes back to work, s/he will be informed accordingly. I also offer assistance to other Senior Analysts, by handling payments that are put into Pending Queue and query accordingly. I gladly take payments to query and open FCRM Cases as need be, whether they are sanctions-related or AML/Very/High-Risk Countries. When my buddy is on leave or sick, I handle the pending queries/payments and complete FCRM Cases accordingly on behalf of my colleague. With regards to comments and e-mails to the team, management, and colleagues in other branches and departments, I believe I always reply and comment most respectfully. Given my almost 25 years of experience at BOV, I have built a very sound relationship based on reciprocated respect, with many other colleagues at BOV, especially those working at Branches, Business Centres, and Corporate Centres. Sometimes, when certain cases have slightly complicated issues, I prefer to give a Teams call before sending an e-mail to ensure that my message in the e-mail is well understood. My approach is always gentle nonetheless assertive to clear any doubts without toing and froing, resulting in better communication. This way, the reply is sent immediately according to our requirements thus releasing/cancelling payments as soon as possible. I always handle issues that are of a priority nature at my earliest convenience. During my time at PSU, I am also very happy and honored to say that I have also built a very sound relationship with colleagues at AFC Sanctions and AFC Investigations – Payments Enquiries, where we feel free to discuss issues and views, best practices and way forward for the best interest of all stakeholders. They make me feel comfortable to reach out to them, knowing that I value their time and attention.

With regards to the effective and efficient review of Payment Hits on Safewatch and Fircosoft, I believe that I am doing my very best to handle as much as possible and review both sanctions-related payments and AML and Very/High-Risk Countries payments.

I also review SDD payments and query any stopped SDD payments as soon as this is put in pending. I ensure that the 5 working days rule from the value date of payment is not exceeded and give a lot of priority to these payments, to avoid any sanction breaches or loose right of recourse.

I have created a log report with discounting remarks for similar payments, to facilitate having to effect online searches every time and be more efficient and effective. However, I always ensure that the hits are the same as the payments which I have kept a record of and discounted previously. On the other hand, even if I identify a part true match on a name of an individual for example remitter or beneficiary, I am a very cautious person and I do not like to take any risks, therefore I stop and query to ensure that we are not dealing with a perfect match. I review every payment with dedication, and give it importance, because I feel that I must understand our client, why payment is being made, and that my reasoning in discounting every payment makes sense with all the rationale, also taking into account the risk-based approach. When it comes to replies and documents received from Monitoring Units, I review these very meticulously, and many times I have escalated to AFC Investigations – Payments Enquiries or AFC Sanctions and have cancelled payments that imposed a certain risk to the Bank.

I am not a Team Leader, and this is all due to my working schedule, being a reduced-hour employee, which limits me from staying overtime. Nonetheless, I am aware of what happens during overtime and related procedures. All new payments, whether SEPA, TGTs, or non TGTs must be seen to and addressed. Any payments, that require further reviewing are assigned in the Investigation Queue and then tallied with respective units being Payments EBS and Payments Outwards and wait until confirmation is received. Being a Senior Analyst, I assist my team, that is Team - 1, and any other member of the team regularly. I am not afraid to guide them since I make sure to understand every ruling issued by the management, to be able to better guide myself and anyone else, when asked for guidance. I assign sanction payments put in pending by Level 1 Analysts to myself for reviewing and discounting them or to query as required, like every other senior analyst.

I keep a record of every important e-mail or direction we receive from management, for ease of reference when required. I assist Level 1 analysts in my team and make them feel comfortable to reach out and praise them regularly for their support and work. When they ask me something, and I am not 100% sure, I reach out to other senior analysts, or to management to confirm the matter and then give feedback to my team members. In my team, I offer assistance every day to my team leader, to help and whenever any of my colleagues need guidance, or assistance, route swift messages, and ask about payments related to sanctions, I always gladly offer my assistance and help. Many times, colleagues send me messages to run SW searches for them and I assist gladly as well. Even when a colleague in my team is absent, I make it a point to send him/her team messages with daily updates, so that when the person comes back to work, s/he will be informed accordingly. Team members feel comfortable asking for my assistance and guidance on a day-to-day basis and I help without hesitation, since I believe it is a win-win situation, we all learn from one another. New members, who have joined recently, also feel very comfortable reaching out for my guidance and assistance and I am honored to offer my assistance. Sometimes we schedule meetings so that we can run through their queries or any doubts they might have.

I do have a good rapport with our present PSU Co-Ordinator, and we discuss payments frequently to seek out each other's opinions. I have learned a lot from these instances and also encouraged me not to be afraid to speak about my analytical views/opinions and motivates me to do better. I also follow up on work done by my colleagues, to try and ameliorate my output or even do better.

With regards to Online Training, I make it a point to settle any training as soon as possible. Till now I never had any overdue training. I feel that this training keeps us abreast with today's fast-changing world. I would welcome any other future training related to my work environment very gladly.

In my 22 years of experience in the Retail Network at BOV, I have mentored and taught various colleagues and new entrants in the Bank, so although I have never been a Team Leader, I have been a point of reference to many colleagues. All this was thanks to the trust that the Management had in me.

I believe I am a very responsible and meticulous person and have an eye for detail. I put a lot of effort and dedication into everything I do. I am an asset to the Team, and will be a greater asset if I am given this opportunity.

Employed, on a full-time indefinite basis, as Clerk A with Bank of Valletta plc, performing clerical work and cashiering duties till September 2004, I was then promoted to Supervisor and Signatory at Bank of Valletta plc after just 5 years, following an interview due to a Job Evaluation process carried out by the Bank.

Consequently, I was given the role of Customer Service Officer which I did exceptionally for a period of circa three years from which then I was mentored and trained to perform the role of a Relationship Officer, each year increasing my knowledge and expertise. During this period I was nominated more than once for the Bank Employee of the Year.

I worked as a Relationship Officer till May 2022, both in the Personal and Business areas of the Bank, enhancing and enriching my knowledge in the wide spectrum of services and products offered.

During the last 3 three years before my departure from the retail network, my role was mainly focused on the business sector, and as a Business Relationship Officer, my role consisted mainly of assisting Companies, Associations, NGOs, Partnerships, etc. in setting up their business accounts with the Bank. Other areas related to my role were, effecting Incoming and Outgoing Payment Orders, Forward Contracts, Bank Guarantees, Updating Customer Due Diligence, and assisting small to medium and even high net worth Corporate Customers, in their daily banking requirements whether it is a Change in Signing officers, set up of new accounts, or subsidiary companies or requesting internet banking packages and many other business related requests and queries, which where quite numbered daily. I always assisted to the best of my ability, and with efficiency bearing in mind AFC/AML and the Bank's policies.

I was employed as a part-time salesgirl in this pharmacy, earning some extra money for the wedding, which occurred in May 2004.

I was employed with Lombard Bank Malta plc at Valletta Branch, as a clerk, in the accounts section, on a definite contract for one year, which commenced on 15/10/1998. I eventually left Lombard Bank Malta plc, before the termination of the contract, since I was selected for employment, on an indefinite contract, by Bank of Valletta plc in May 1999.

Applied for temporary summer work in the Financial Services industry during the summer period, since I was studying Banking at Paolino Vassallo Upper Lyceum. During this period I was expecting receipt of my Diploma in Banking results and I had been chosen by Bank of Valletta plc and was deployed at Rabat Branch as a clerk for the period ending September 1998.

I had been assigned to this post as a temporary clerk during the summer period, to gain work experience.

I was posted as an aligner of spectacles in the Alignment Department at Menrad Ltd. This was a summer job, until receipt of my 'O' Level Matsec/ London exams results, which served also as a work experience.