Samantha Benitez

About Samantha Benitez

Highly effective communicator and leader with a proven ability to build strong relationships with clients and internal partners. Exemplifies “service first” attitude and is able to adapt to and deliver results in a high pressure work environment, reduce operational risk, and manage projects.Overall, I have 12+ years’ industry experience in client-facing roles and managing client relationships. I enjoy traveling, experiencing different cultures, and eating pizza.

Experience

1. Vice President, Enhanced Due Diligence

   Morgan Stanley

   Aug 2023 — Present

   Built and scaled the EDD Operations organization from inception, hiring 300+ regional staff, reviewing resumes, conducting interviews, and creating workflows that balance service excellence with regulatory conpliance- Manage EDD Operations for Private Wealth Management teams for North America, reducing backlogs and improving cycle times by 90+ days- Strengthen firm wide risk posture by acting as the escalation point between the field, AML Risk and business management, building trust through proactive communication and ensuring timely resolution of complex cases - Enhance service quality by implementing targeted training programs and workflow tools that improve accuracy, efficiency, and cross- team collaboration- Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion as Co-lead of the Americas Career Workstream within OUT, launching the mentorship program and creating the reverse mentorship program to connect senior leaders and LGBT+ employees to promote allyship

Education

• Tel Aviv University

  Master of Arts (M.A.), Near and Middle Eastern Studies

  2011 — 2013

• Seton Hall University

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Political Science

  2003 — 2007

Skills

• Investment Banking
• Management
• Project Management
• Interest Rate Derivatives
• Financial Risk
• Operational Risk
• Equities
• Software Documentation
• Strategy
• Equity Derivatives
• Credit
• Leadership
• Analysis