Adam is available for hire
Hire AdamAdam Chaplin
Verified Expert in Management Consulting
Management Consulting Expert
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Toptal member since February 25, 2026
Expertise
Bio
Adam is a high-performing senior operations executive with a proven track record of driving growth, operational excellence, and change across global financial services. His expertise spans financial instruments, products, markets, and scenarios gained from leadership roles in global asset management, family offices, investment banking/global markets, and Big 4 consulting. Adam combines strategic vision with effective relationship building and hands-on execution to deliver results.
Expertise
- Governance
- Management
- Management Consulting
- Operations
- Program Management
- Project Management
- Strategic Planning & Execution
- Target Operating Model Design
Work Experience
Interim COO
2025 - 2025
Safanad
- Improved operational efficiency and decision-making by conducting global (Dubai, Riyadh, and New York) pain points analysis, presenting findings to the CEO, and creating a transformation roadmap to deliver change initiatives.
- Ensured strategic alignment between partners by working with the CEO and PWC to develop a new strategy playbook, operating model, and an associated implementation plan to operationalize these.
- Enhanced governance and documentation by producing a functional model, board meeting materials, inventory and repository of corporate documentation, and a vendor database, partnering with PWC on development of new DoA and RACI matrix.
- Led operating aspects of the business plan for a new regulated KSA entity, assisting with broader business and financial plans.
Focus areas: Operations, Governance, Strategy, Fractional COO, COO
COO
2021 - 2024
J. SAFRA SARASIN ASSET MANAGEMENT (EUROPE) LTD
- Increased the existing business by around 1.5x AUM and 2x headcount to support the business growth objective.
- Launched and integrated 3 new business areas (direct private investments, institutional hedge fund solutions, and institutional and wholesale distribution) to diversify the offering to group clients.
- Enhanced the corporate governance framework to align with expanded operations and resolve audit findings, including new committee structures, board meeting cadence, meeting materials, and a new directive/policy framework.
- Improved performance and reduced operational risk by streamlining fund operations through new processes, controls, systems, and documentation, reducing turnaround times and lowering incidents/breaches.
- Strengthened relationships with outsourced service providers (compliance, finance, IT, and HR) by introducing new SLAs and process improvements, ensuring timely and high-quality service delivery.
- Developed new compliance and risk management frameworks, replacing a 200+ page manual with targeted policies tailored to the business and delivering focused training to all employees for a robust approach to risk and regulatory control.
Focus areas: Management, Operations, Risk, Compliance, Fractional COO, COO
Director of Operations
2019 - 2021
Brookland Partners
- Executed my strategic analysis through setting up new platforms, implementing new procedures, and recruitment.
- Optimized group entity structure and corporate administration by working with external advisors to simplify structure, lower costs, and reporting obligations through activities such as share transfers, wind-ups, and loan agreements.
- Achieved 10% cost savings and greater service levels by changing the outsourced finance provider and the scope of activities.
- Implemented new systems, processes, and procedures for payments, invoices, and expenses, reducing manual work and errors.
- Increased employee satisfaction and reduced HR risk by developing new HR policies, processes, and documentation, as well as handling complex HR matters to ensure the best outcome for the firm.
- Shaped the future IT strategy by implementing a new website and branding, completing CRM system analysis, automating processes to offer a better and more targeted client experience, and increasing revenue.
- Negotiated a flexible 1-year extension with a 55% reduction in premises costs by carrying out detailed premises analysis in light of COVID-19 and impending lease expiry.
Focus areas: Operations, Compliance, Fractional COO, COO
Senior Manager
2012 - 2019
Deloitte MCS Ltd
- Successfully delivered multiple large transformation engagements for global investment banks.
- Produced a financial forecasting and management information tool for the capital markets operations unit and delivered data on a weekly basis in senior leadership calls to enable tracking against the unit's strategy.
- Originated over £1 million in new business, in addition to leading and supporting sales of over £7.5 million by cross-selling new work, securing extensions, and developing proposals for new clients to help meet team targets.
Focus areas: Management Consulting, Program Management, Project Management
Education
2008 - 2011
Bachelor's Degree in Ecomonmics and Management
University of Bristol - Bristol, UK
Certifications
DECEMBER 2014 - PRESENT
Diploma in Investment Operations
CISI
Skills
Finance
Risk
Other
Management, Operations, Management Consulting, Program Management, Project Management, Global Operations, Strategic Planning & Execution, Target Operating Model Design, Fractional COO, Governance, Strategy, Microsoft Office, Strategic Planning, Operational Excellence, COO, Economics, Compliance, Investments
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