Chris is available for hire
Hire ChrisChris Gifford
Verified Expert in Finance
Finance Expert
Location
Varna, Bulgaria
Toptal Member Since
July 29, 2020
An Oxford graduate with an MBA from INSEAD, Chris has held senior credit risk roles and is an experienced corporate and project finance lender and debt structuring expert. More recently, he has been active in data science and Bitcoin. Before becoming an independent consultant, he worked for five banks, a banking regulator, a credit rating agency, and various clients. Chris enjoys consulting for the opportunity to work in different teams on exciting projects.
Career Highlights
Principal/Owner
Self-employed
Chief Risk Officer
China Construction Bank
Vice President - Project Finance and Infrastructure
DBRS Morningstar
Education Highlights
Postgraduate Certificate
University of Cambridge
Master's Degree
University of Oxford
Certification Highlights
Data Analytics, Big Data, and Predictive Analytics
Ryerson University (Continuing Education)
Certified Energy Risk Professional (ERP)
Global Association of Risk Professionals
Chartered Electrical Engineer (CEng)
Institution of Engineering and Technology (formerly IEE)
Industry Expertise
Other Expertise
Work Experience
Principal/Owner
2019 - PRESENT
Self-employed
- Designed and developed a comprehensive credit risk methodology, rating model, and pricing model used by a renewable energy start-up to select commercial and industrial (C&I) customers in emerging markets for long-term contracts.
- Structured loans and assessed credit risk for a green energy investment fund in Canada, and also designed/implemented the credit risk appetite as well as monitoring systems, thereby facilitating loan growth in new sectors.
- Re-engineered and enhanced the risk analytics capabilities of a North American construction-focused fintech start-up and created a clear roadmap for new product design and development.
Focus areas: Startup Consulting, Pricing, Microsoft Excel, Hydro Power, Risk Scorecards, Solar, IFRS 9, Startups, Credit Ratings, Debt Raises, Credit Analysis, Project Finance, Green Energy, Risk Management, Data Analytics, Data Modeling, Financial Modeling, Credit Risk, Energy, Business Models, Renewables
Chief Risk Officer
2016 - 2019
China Construction Bank
- Designed, implemented, and upgraded Canadian risk policies and procedures, including risk reporting dashboards, risk appetite statements, and key risk indicators.
- Evaluated and recommended all corporate loans and risk ratings covering the Canadian and Chinese markets to the credit committee with exposures ranging from $5 million to $1+ billion.
- Structured and negotiated complex legal agreements for new exposures. Coverage included energy, oil and gas, non-bank financial institutions, manufacturing, transportation, commercial real estate, and bank-related parties.
- Improved the branch’s relationship with regulators and enabled significant loan growth through improvements to corporate credit risk capabilities.
Focus areas: Lending, Bank Covenants, Microsoft Excel, Risk Scorecards, Operational Risk, Energy Risk, Legal Structuring, Credit Analysis, Three-statement Modeling, Financial Modeling, Commercial Real Estate, Manufacturing, Oil & Gas, Risk Models, Banking & Finance, Leases, IFRS 9, Market Risk, Credit Risk, Energy, Credit/Debt, Loans & Lending, Power Purchase Agreements (PPA)
Director – Internal Risk Ratings
2016 - 2016
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada
- Managed the internal credit risk rating framework for private fixed-income investments, covering corporate and project finance private debt.
- Recommended and initiated changes to replace loss given default (LGD) calculations and improve the effectiveness of the existing probability of default (PD) models.
- Analyzed and identified underperforming credit risk scorecards and proposed options for more effective replacements.
Focus areas: Microsoft Excel, Risk Scorecards, Credit Ratings, Credit Analysis, Project Finance, Financial Modeling, Fixed Income, Allowance for Loan & Lease Losses (ALLL), Portfolio Analytics, Risk Models, Credit Risk, Energy, Credit/Debt
Vice President - Project Finance and Infrastructure
2013 - 2016
DBRS Morningstar
- Led credit analysis for project finance bonds and loans, specializing in both renewable and conventional power generation, and contributed to many ratings in the oil and gas, utility, pipeline, and infrastructure/PPP sectors.
- Managed rating mandates through the full life-cycle with responsibilities including client engagement, credit analysis, rating committee presentation, authoring of public rating reports, answering investors questions, and ongoing rating monitoring.
- Made material contributions to improve existing credit risk assessment methodologies and wrote new methodologies for new issuer types.
Focus areas: Lending, Bank Covenants, Microsoft Excel, Risk Scorecards, Solar, Credit Risk, Energy Risk, Infrastructure, Credit Analysis, Three-statement Modeling, Financial Modeling, Bonds, Debt Raises, Power Plants, Electricity, Energy Utilities, Oil & Gas, Hydro Power, Green Energy, Renewable Energy, Social Infrastructure, Project Finance, Credit Ratings, Energy, Credit/Debt, Loans & Lending, Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), Renewables
Vice President and Principal Officer
2003 - 2009
AIB
- Led the regulatory approval process for the new bank branch in Canada as well as its business launch in 2007. Established the Canada-specific internal controls and regulatory compliance processes, and hired local staff.
- Originated a book of energy and project finance assets, including wind, hydro, nuclear; gas-fired and biomass power and co-generation, oil and gas production, hospital construction, and ethanol.
- Achieved branch profitability in the first 13 months of operations, and when the great financial crisis hit, not a single loan was impaired or dollar lost on commitments of over CAD $1 billion.
- Drove significant portfolio growth by making project finance and corporate loans in the infrastructure, shipping, mining, and energy sectors with loan sizes ranging from EUR five million to €30 million in London from 2003 to 2005.
- Built, tested, and implemented an Internal Ratings-Based (IRB) default model for project finance loans. Wrote the design and user documentation and ensured the model met all internal and external approval requirements.
Focus areas: Lending, Power Plants, Pricing, Microsoft Excel, Hydro Power, Credit Risk, Legal Structuring, Infrastructure, Three-statement Modeling, Financial Modeling, Clean Energy, Project Finance, Regulatory Compliance, Deal Flow Origination, Credit Analysis, Banking & Finance, Loans & Lending, Energy, Credit/Debt, Power Purchase Agreements (PPA), Renewables
Education
2002 - 2003
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree in General Management
INSEAD - Singapore and France
1996 - 1997
Postgraduate Certificate in Design, Manufacture & Management
University of Cambridge - Cambridge, United Kingdom
1992 - 1996
Master's Degree in Engineering, Economics & Management
University of Oxford - Oxford, United Kingdom
Certifications
SEPTEMBER 2019 - PRESENT
Data Analytics, Big Data, and Predictive Analytics
Ryerson University (Continuing Education)
NOVEMBER 2014 - PRESENT
Certified Energy Risk Professional (ERP)
Global Association of Risk Professionals
SEPTEMBER 2012 - PRESENT
Enterprise Risk Management
University of Toronto (Continuing Education)
NOVEMBER 2005 - PRESENT
Certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM)
Global Association of Risk Professionals
JANUARY 2002 - PRESENT
Chartered Electrical Engineer (CEng)
Institution of Engineering and Technology (formerly IEE)
Collaboration That Works
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