Lesley Baren
About Lesley Baren
Lesley Baren serves as the Executive Director at UBS, where she leads a team in delivering complex finance initiatives and has played a key role in integrating Credit Suisse into UBS. With extensive experience in IT infrastructure and compliance, she has held various director positions at Credit Suisse over a span of 18 years.
Work at UBS
Lesley Baren serves as an Executive Director at UBS, a position she has held since 2023. In this role, she leads a team of senior program managers, focusing on delivering large and complex group finance initiatives. Baren has played a key role in the integration of Credit Suisse into UBS, emphasizing the need to streamline operations and decommission legacy platforms. Her leadership is critical in navigating the complexities of this integration while ensuring that the organization meets its strategic objectives.
Previous Experience at Credit Suisse
Lesley Baren has extensive experience at Credit Suisse, where she held the position of Director over multiple periods. From 2000 to 2012, she worked for 12 years in the New York City Metropolitan Area. She returned to Credit Suisse from 2013 to 2016 for an additional three years. Most recently, she served as Director from 2017 to 2023, contributing to various initiatives including the implementation of IT infrastructure to support banking operations in Mexico and overseeing compliance programs for major regulations such as Basel II and III.
Education and Expertise
Lesley Baren holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems from the University at Albany, SUNY. She furthered her education by obtaining a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) with a focus on Finance from NYU Stern School of Business. Her educational background provides a strong foundation for her expertise in finance, data management, and regulatory compliance, which she has applied throughout her career in the banking sector.
Data Management and Compliance Initiatives
Throughout her career, Lesley Baren has been involved in significant data management and compliance initiatives. She collaborated with Chief Data Officers to define critical data elements necessary for key reporting scopes. Baren managed a multi-year data strategy to address a high-profile Federal Reserve Board mandate, which improved data quality and governance. Additionally, she oversaw compliance programs for major regulations, including IFRS conversion and Recovery and Resolution Planning, demonstrating her commitment to regulatory adherence and data integrity.
Key Projects and Contributions
Lesley Baren has contributed to various key projects during her tenure in the finance industry. She established an OTC derivative platform in the U.S. to meet new business requirements. Her leadership in implementing IT infrastructure for a bank and limited broker dealer in Mexico showcases her ability to manage complex projects that support organizational goals. Baren's experience in overseeing compliance programs for major regulations further highlights her role in ensuring that financial institutions operate within regulatory frameworks.