Summary
Technology executive who builds institutional capabilities, not just platforms. 14+ years leading enterprise transformation in Saudi banking and government, from platform strategy and organizational design to API monetization, real-time payments, and regulatory readiness. Hands-on with the integration, streaming, and security stack behind regulated financial services.
Selected Impact
8%
Profit from API Strategy
Executive Capabilities
The leadership disciplines I operate at VP level — aligning technology with institutional strategy in regulated financial services.
Enterprise Technology Strategy
Setting technology direction at institutional scale. Aligning multi-year platform investments with business priorities, advising C-level on transformation, and translating Vision 2030 ambition into executable roadmaps.
Platform Strategy & Architecture Governance
Designing the platforms that connect systems, partners, and business lines. Establishing architecture standards, decision frameworks, and platform team topologies that scale.
Digital & Ecosystem Enablement
Leading API economy, Open Banking, BaaS, and embedded finance strategy. Turning regulatory mandates into competitive advantage and new revenue streams.
Risk, Control & Regulatory Alignment
Architecting for SAMA compliance from day one. Translating regulatory requirements into platform capabilities, audit-ready governance, and defensible operating models.
Organizational Design & Delivery
Building and leading high-performing engineering organizations of 25–40+. Operating models, hiring strategy, DevSecOps culture, and continuous delivery at institutional scale.
Stakeholder & Board-Level Influence
Translating technical complexity for executive audiences. Securing C-level mandates, partnering with business lines, and contributing to institutional strategy beyond technology.
Technical Stack
Hands-on with the platforms behind regulated banking integration. Each cluster maps to a deep-dive in the Lab.
API & Integration Platforms
IBM API Connect / DataPower · IBM ACE / App Connect · IBM Cloud Pak for Integration · IBM MQ · Apache Camel · OpenAPI 3.0 · ESQL · DFDL
Event-Driven & Streaming
Apache Kafka · Strimzi / Red Hat AMQ Streams · Kafka Streams · Apache Flink · Confluent · IBM Event Streams · Schema Registry · Avro · KRaft
Security & Identity
OAuth 2.1 · OIDC · FAPI 2.0 · mTLS · JWT / JWKS · Keycloak · Ping Federate · SAMA Open Banking · ISO 20022 · PCI DSS
Data, CDC & Caching
Debezium · Kafka Connect · Outbox Pattern · Postgres · Db2 · Redis Cluster / Sentinel · Hazelcast · Lettuce
Cloud, Containers & GitOps
OpenShift · Kubernetes · Tekton · ArgoCD · Helm · Vault · External Secrets · cosign / Trivy · IBM Cloud · AWS · Azure
Legacy & Mainframe
CICS · COBOL · MQ-CICS Bridge · COMMAREA · EBCDIC · Strangler Fig · Anti-Corruption Layer · IBM IIDR
Languages & Frameworks
Java · Spring Boot · JEE · Node.js · TypeScript · Python · SQL · Bash
Observability & Operations
Prometheus · Grafana · OpenTelemetry · Splunk · QRadar · ELK · Dynatrace · PagerDuty
KSA Payment Schemes
SARIE · SADAD · mada · IPS · SAMA Open Banking · SWIFT MT / MX
Architecture & Patterns
Event Sourcing · CQRS · Saga · Outbox · Domain-Driven Design · Enterprise Integration Patterns · Zero Trust
Leadership Progression
Saudi Investment Bank (SAIB) • Riyadh
- Repositioned integration as a strategic platform capability, reducing time-to-market by 70% across 50+ unified systems
- Direct a team of 40+ executing a multi-year enterprise modernization roadmap
- Established governance and operating model that enables the bank to launch digital products, onboard partners, and meet regulatory timelines at speed
Saudi Investment Bank (SAIB) • Riyadh
- Led design and launch of two digital banking products, connecting 15+ backend systems with sub-second response times
- Spearheaded real-time fraud prevention, reducing risk by 35% with sub-100ms detection
Saudi Investment Bank (SAIB) • Riyadh
- Created the Digital Factory—a new organizational unit of 25 reporting to C-level—that delivered the bank's first modern application and shifted delivery to continuous
- Led Open Banking implementation, positioning SAMA compliance as competitive advantage with BaaS foundation
Saudi Investment Bank (SAIB) • Riyadh
- Designed and launched API monetization strategy, contributing an 8% increase in annual profits and creating a new revenue stream through a partner ecosystem
Saudi Investment Bank (SAIB) • Riyadh
- Led zero-downtime migration of the bank's legacy integration platform with 100% service continuity
Earlier career in enterprise integration across ELM (government platforms including Absher), Zenith, Arabian Centres, and SSSProcess (Jordan).
Awards & Recognition
Recognized for enterprise integration leadership and digital transformation contributions in KSA’s financial sector.
Certifications
IBM Certified Integration DeveloperIBM
IBM Certified Solution Architect — Cloud Pak for IntegrationIBM
AWS Certified Solutions Architect — AssociateAWS
Google Cloud Professional Cloud ArchitectGCP
Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect ExpertAzure
TOGAF 9 CertifiedThe Open Group
Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)CNCF
ISO 27001 Lead ImplementerISMS
Selected Writing
Deep-dive technical articles on building production financial services platforms. Full Lab at wbadawi.info/technical.
- API GatewayIBM API Gateway: Production Architecture — DataPower runtime, OAuth, mTLS, plan-based rate limiting, two-DC active/active topology.
- Event-DrivenEvent-Driven Architecture: Kafka & IBM MQ — when each fits, schema evolution, idempotent consumers, exactly-once.
- Event-DrivenStrimzi on Private OpenShift — Regulated — Kafka on air-gapped OCP with internal IdP, mTLS, NetworkPolicies, MirrorMaker 2 DR.
- IntegrationIntegration Design Patterns & IBM ACE — the EIP catalogue applied to real flows, orchestration vs choreography.
- StreamingData Streaming: Kafka Streams & Flink — windowing, stateful joins, exactly-once stream processing.
- LegacyLegacy Integration: Strangler Fig & CICS — modernising core banking without taking the bank offline.
- CachingDistributed Caching: Redis Cluster & Sentinel — cache patterns, stampede protection, p99 in the millisecond range.
- SecurityAPI Security: OAuth 2.1 & mTLS — layered defence, FAPI 2.0, JWT validation done right.
- Data SyncData Synchronisation: Debezium & Outbox — the dual-write problem, CDC patterns, transactional outbox, reconciliation.
- PlatformDevOps & Platform Engineering: Tekton & ArgoCD — GitOps for state, Tekton for events, audit-traceable releases.
Languages
ArabicNative
EnglishProfessional Working
Education
Al-Balqa Applied University • Jordan
GPA: 3.09 / 4.0