Upesh Parekh

About Upesh Parekh

A seasoned expert in the technology risk and cybersecurity landscape, I specialize in cloud security within the banking and finance sector. With over 18 years dedicated to this domain, my expertise encompasses a comprehensive suite of governance and risk management strategies. My career is marked by a track record of success in diverse areas including cyber risk management, establishing offshore teams, cloud risk assessment, and providing security advisory services.My proficiency extends to risk governance, control assurance, compliance management, risk reporting, control remediation, industry attestations, and securing software development life cycles. I am a Cost Accountant with certifications in CISA, CRISC, and CCSK, and having passed CGEIT, COBIT Foundation, ITIL Foundation, and Azure Foundation

Experience

1. Director - Cloud Risk

   UBS

   Sep 2021 — Present · Pune, IN

   Cloud Risk Expert and Risk Management InnovatorAs a seasoned Cloud Risk expert, I serve as a trusted advisor to our Cloud service manager, collaborating closely to design robust cloud security controls. My role involves diving deep into the security features offered by cloud service providers, assessing their suitability for safeguarding the bank’s critical data. Additionally, I lead a dynamic forum that brings together stakeholders—including CISOs, DISOs, Privacy champions, and legal experts—to champion data protection initiatives.Pioneering Risk and Governance Frameworks for SaaS ProvidersI’ve been entrusted with pioneering activities, including the design of a Risk and Governance Framework specifically tailored for Software as a Service (SaaS) providers. This groundbreaking framework integrates CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker) tool capabilities into our organization’s risk management processes. By unifying diverse controls—such as sourcing, asset management, and security posture monitoring—within a single framework, we effectively manage the risks posed by SaaS services.Evaluating Emerging Technologies and AI ControlsMy team is at the forefront of evaluating emerging technologies from a risk perspective. As part of this effort, I play a key role in designing controls around AI tools, ensuring that our risk management practices remain agile and adaptive.Cloud Risk, Cloud Security, AI risks, Risk Governance, Stakeholder Management

Education

• Quality Assurance Institute

  CSQA, Software Quality

• Information Systems Audit & Control Association

  CISA, Information System Audit

• ISACA

  Passed Certified in Governance of In Enterprise IT (CGEIT) Exam, IT Governance

  2010 — 2010

• ISACA

  Passed Certified in Risk and Information System Control (CRISC) exam, IT Risk Management

  2012 — 2012

• Institute of Cost & Works Accountants of India

  Grad. C.W.A., Costing

Skills

• IT Audit
• Management
• Business Continuity
• Internal Audit
• Information Security
• Risk Assessment
• Sarbanes-Oxley Act
• Auditing
• Governance
• Banking
• IT Management
• Risk Management
• Sdlc
• Service Risk Management
• IT Risk Management
• Information Technology
• Financial Risk
• Operational Risk Management