Malak DAOU

International Trade Operations | Guarantees, LCs & Compliance

Expert in International Trade Operations with 10 years of experience in Guarantees, Letters of Credit, SWIFT, Compliance, and Supply Chain Operations.

About Me

I'm Malak, a Trade Finance Operations Specialist with 10 years of experience managing international guarantees, letters of credit, documentary collections, and back-office workflows. My background is fully operational - issuing, amending, verifying, and executing trade instruments according to URDG 758, UCP 600, and URC 522.

I have supervised daily Trade Finance operations as an Assistant Manager, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and smooth coordination between clients, banks, legal teams, and internal departments. My work includes SWIFT processing, operational risk control, document checking, lifecycle management of guarantees, and handling complex escalations.

I also contributed to system migrations (Flexcube, Oracle Banking), automation initiatives, and operational performance reporting using SAP and Tableau. Recognized as a top performer for 10 consecutive years, I bring reliability, precision, and strong workflow management to every role.

Tech & Entrepreneurship

Alongside my Trade Finance career, I have 7 years of experience in software development. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering and I am the co-founder of DevShop.VIP, a web development and hosting agency.

Career Goals

I am completing a Master's in Supply Chain Management and I want to work in trade operations, supply chain support, and international workflow management.

10 Years Trade Finance
7 Years Software Dev
3 Countries of Operation

Core Expertise

🌍

Trade Finance

  • Documentary Credits (UCP 600)
  • International Guarantees (URDG 758)
  • Documentary Discounts (URC 522)
  • SWIFT (MT700s, MT760s, MT799)
  • AML/CFT & Compliance
💻

Technology

  • Python, R, PHP, SQL, C# .NET
  • Microsoft Excel
  • SAP & Tableau
  • Flexcube & Oracle Banking
  • Jira & Atlassian Suite
  • SharePoint & Power Platform
📊

Supply Chain & Analytics

  • Financial Analysis
  • Cost Management
  • Process Optimization
  • Global Logistics
  • Risk Management

Experience Timeline

2025 - Present

Co-Founder

DevShop.VIP

  • Building and hosting websites for clients.
  • Managing development workflows and client projects.
  • Providing technical solutions and digital support.
2024 - Present

Master's in Supply Chain Management

MBS School of Business - France

  • Studying supply chain operations and logistics.
  • Strengthening the link between Trade Finance and Supply Chain.
  • Developing skills in international operations.
2023

Assistant Manager, Trade Finance

Gulf Bank - Kuwait

  • Reduced LC discrepancies by 32% through UCP 600 pre‑analysis.
  • Achieved 98% accuracy in guarantees (URDG 758).
  • Improved SWIFT turnaround from 48h to 12h.
  • Enhanced client satisfaction by 40%.
2019 - 2023

Associate, Trade Finance

Gulf Bank - Kuwait

  • Secured €450M/year in import/export operations.
  • Reduced guarantee disputes by 22%.
  • Led Flexcube to Oracle Banking migration.
  • Trained 12 staff, improving team performance by 30%.
2016 - 2019

Senior Officer

Gulf Bank - Kuwait

  • 98% accuracy in document checking.
  • 35% faster guarantee issuance.
  • Managed 300+ operations monthly.
2013 - 2016

Officer

Gulf Bank - Kuwait

  • 100% LC processing accuracy.
  • 25% reduction in amendment errors.

Signature Projects

Core Banking System Migration

Problem

Transitioning complex Trade Finance operations from Flexcube to Oracle Banking without service disruption.

Action

Led process mapping, end-to-end workflow testing, and validation of migrated transactional data.

Result

100% successful deployment with zero critical operational incidents.

Oracle Banking Flexcube Jira

UCP 600 Accuracy Enhancement

Problem

High rate of document discrepancies impacting Letter of Credit processing timelines.

Action

Implemented a strict UCP 600 pre-analysis framework and trained 12 junior staff members.

Result

Reduced LC discrepancies by 32% and enhanced overall client satisfaction by 40%.

UCP 600 SWIFT Training

Education & Languages

Master 2 - Supply Chain Management

MBS School of Business, Montpellier

Python R Financial analysis Cost management Supply chain optimization

Bachelor - Computer Engineering

Lebanese International University

C++ HTML Java C# SQL

English Fluent
Arabic Fluent
French A2