Sarfaraz Ahmed is a seasoned Data and Analytics professional with extensive experience in data science, financial risk management, and fintech. As the Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Validus, Southeast Asia’s largest small business lending fintech, he spearheads the organization’s data strategy, AI-driven credit underwriting, and data engineering. His leadership has enabled automated risk assessment, portfolio monitoring, and sales intelligence, driving efficiency and scalability across multiple markets.

Previously, Sarfaraz held various roles at Standard Chartered Bank, responsible for risk management for SC Ventures’ digital banking ventures, and risk analytics for the Bank’s Retail, Small Business, and Corporate & Institutional lending businesses. He developed credit scorecards, risk decision frameworks, and loan impairment and capital forecasting models.

Sarfaraz also led technology product management as Head of Product Management, APAC at Wolters Kluwer, overseeing finance and risk technology solutions. Earlier in his career, he worked at FICO, providing Basel II risk advisory services and building predictive risk models for global banks.

He holds a Master’s in Statistics from the Indian Statistical Institute and a Master’s in Finance from INSEAD. Based in Singapore, Sarfaraz is passionate about leveraging data engineering, AI and data-driven decisioning to transform financial services.