Resume
By integrating profound academic knowledge with hands-on industry experience, I have established a specialised field in developing groundbreaking solutions utilising Machine Learning, Software Engineering, and Big Data technologies. During my career, I have been involved in a variety of significant initiatives, including efforts to prevent financial misconduct, detect online radicalisation, and fathom the complexities of online user behaviour. My affiliation with esteemed institutions such as HSBC and The European Research Council (ERC) serves as evidence of my dedication and expertise.
Summary
Hassan Saif
Lead Data Scientist with over 15 years' experience in Machine Learning, Computational Social Science, Software Engineering, and Big Data
- Milton Keynes, UK
- hsaif@hsaif.net
Education
PhD in Computational Data Science & NLP
2011 - 2015
The Open University, Knowledge Media Institue, UK
A study that leveraged Semantic Web techniques together with Machine Learning and NLP to enhance sentiment analysis performance on social media. I designed several methods to enrich both supervised and unsupervised Machine Learning models with the conceptual and contextual semantics of words. Additionally, I developed SentiCircles, a semantic vector representation of words that uses Trigonometry and Euclidian Geometry to better assign sentiment to words based on their contextual and conceptual meanings. The scientific community has made extensive use of SentiCircles to improve both traditional and deep learning models for sentiment analysis.
The doctoral thesis was honoured with the prestigious International Semantic Web Distinguished PhD Thesis award (Japan, Kobe 2016) and was later published as a book in 2017.
B.Sc. in Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence
2003 - 2008
Damascus University, , Damascus, Syria
Studied key courses including Machine Learning, Deep Neural Networks, Programming Languages, Game Theory, Applied Mathematics, and Software Engineering.
Professional Experience
Senior Data Science Manager
2022 - Present
HSBC Group, Financial Crime Digital Enablement, Chief Compliance Office, London, UK
I head a multinational team of data scientists, software engineers and system architects to develop cutting-edge, scalable AI-powered solutions within the HSBC’s Financial Crime Digital Enablement function. My role involves leveraging advanced technologies such as NLP, GenAI and Large Language Models to optimise and automate manual complex processes such as model and policies documentation and financial crime investigations. I manage stakeholder relationships across various sectors, including financial crime, model risk, and name screening, ensuring effective communication, collaboration, and presentation of complex technical developments in AI and ML to stakeholders in a clear manner. Key responsibilities include:
- Leading the design and development of AI-driven solutions to streamline HSBC's manual ML models and policies documentation and review processes.
- Implementing Agile methodologies for product and team management, ensuring prompt delivery and adaptability to evolving requirements.
- Facilitating collaboration among IT, Analytics, and Software Engineering functions to ensure that the team’s deliverables are in line with the organisation’s strategic initiatives in financial crime prevention and risk management.
- Overseeing the complete project management lifecycle for our team’s cloud-based ML solutions, from gathering requirements to deployment, while effectively handling stakeholder and client interactions to ensure project objectives meet business needs and expectations.