Sonali Kothari is a dynamic and results-driven Remediation and Regulatory Data Strategy expert with over a decade of experience transforming enterprise data environments across global financial institutions. As a Technology Consulting Manager in FSO AI & Data at Ernst & Young (EY) in New York, she leads large-scale regulatory and compliance initiatives for Global Systemically Important Banks (GSIBs), with deep specialization in Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Basel III Risk Weighted Assets (RWA), CCAR, and FFIEC data quality frameworks.
Sonali is widely recognized for her ability to drive strategic innovation at the intersection of data management, regulatory intelligence, and advanced analytics. She has designed and executed high-impact solutions that integrate predictive modeling, automated anomaly detection, and AI-powered metadata governance, delivering measurable gains such as a 60% reduction in manual reconciliation, 20% improvement in reporting accuracy, and closure of high-risk Matter Requiring Immediate Attention (MRIA) findings for leading banks. Her methodologies have contributed to regulatory risk mitigation exceeding $10 billion in consolidated RWA impact.
With a proven track record of leading cross-functional global teams and delivering multi-million dollar programs, Sonali’s approach is marked by technical rigor, regulatory insight, and operational precision. She is proficient in a wide array of tools, including SQL, Python, Power BI, Tableau, SAP Analytics Cloud, and SAS, and excels at building robust data lineage frameworks, business rule engines, and performance KPIs for sustainable compliance and audit readiness.
Prior to EY, Sonali held leadership roles at Santander Bank, where she spearheaded the Credit Risk Data Warehouse (CRDWH) migration and led enterprise-wide remediation of systemic data quality issues, earning recognition for enabling a successful CCAR submission. She also brings experience from SEI Investments and Star Sports, where she managed financial automation, capital forecasting, and enterprise reporting transformations.
Academically, Sonali holds two master’s degrees—one in Information Systems Engineering & Management, and another in Computer Information Sciences, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Finance. Her scholarly work on AI in regulatory compliance, metadata management, and RegTech for financial inclusion has been published in peer-reviewed journals, and her leadership has been honored through multiple awards, including Bravo Awards, IEEE Senior Membership, and the TITAN Innovation Gold Award.
A passionate mentor and advocate for inclusive growth, Sonali dedicates time to career coaching for first-generation college students and leads financial literacy workshops for underserved communities. Her career exemplifies the fusion of analytics, compliance, and innovation, positioning her as a transformative force in today’s evolving financial landscape.