The Banking Executive Magazine - September 2025 Issue

From Risk to Resilience Portfolio transparency is the final, often overlooked, pillar. PMIS allows banks to consolidate all financed projects into a single dashboard. By filtering exposure by contractor, ge- ography, sector, or risk category, credit teams gain an enterprise-level view of where vulnerabilities lie. This is not just risk management—it is strategy. With portfolio-wide visi- bility, banks can allocate capital more efficiently, price risk with pre- cision, and engage with clients from a position of informed strength. Reg- ulators, too, look favorably on insti- tutions that can demonstrate such structured oversight, aligning with Basel standards and local supervisory expectations. “What gets measured gets managed. Portfolio-wide visibility transforms risk management from a defensive exercise into a strategic advantage.” Lessons from the Field History is crowded with cautionary tales: infrastructure projects that bal- looned to double their budgets, real estate developments halted mid-con- struction, or liquidity crises triggered by misaligned disbursements. In nearly every case, the warning signs existed. They were simply not cap- tured, not analyzed, or not acted upon in time. Conversely, where banks insisted on structured, digital oversight, out- comes improved dramatically. De- lays were detected early, claims were managed transparently, and disputes were resolved before they became lawsuits. PMIS was not the story the headlines told—but it was often the quiet enabler behind successful proj- ects and healthy loan repayments. THE HUMAN ELEMENT Technology can illuminate the truth, but it cannot make decisions. That remains the role of experienced bankers, risk officers, and credit committees. What digital platforms such as PMIS do is free those profes- sionals from the burden of chasing paperwork and reconciling conflict- ing reports. Instead, they can focus on higher-order judgment: negotiat- ing with clients, structuring protec- tive covenants, and steering capital toward sustainable projects. “With the right oversight, banks are not just lenders to projects—they are partners in their success.” CONCLUSION: LEADERSHIP IN AN ERA OF RISK Construction finance will always be risky. Complexity, uncertainty, and external shocks are part of the sec- tor’s DNA. But risk need not mean vulnerability. Banks that adopt struc- tured strategies, supported by digital oversight, are proving that resilience is achievable. The message is clear: credit risk in construction cannot be left to chance. By embedding the Four Pil- lars—Risk Assessment, Cost & Schedule Validation, Cash Flow & Commitments, and Portfolio Trans- parency—into their governance, banks can transform risk into fore- sight and foresight into resilience. In this journey, PMIS is not a sales pitch or a technical detail—it is the infrastructure of modern risk man- agement. Just as projects need con- crete and steel, banks need transparent, accountable, and data- driven systems. Those who embrace it will not only protect their capital but also strengthen their role as trusted partners in economic devel- opment. the BANKING EXECUTIVE 36 ISSUE 201 SEPTEMBER 2025 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Bassam Samman, PMP, PSP, EVP, GPM is a Senior Project Management Consultant with over 35 years of ex- perience delivering more than 100 projects worth over US $5 billion, spanning commercial, residential, healthcare, infrastructure, oil & gas, and IT sectors. He is the author of “Let’s Transform: Enabling Digital Transformation of Capital Construction Projects Using the PMIS Project Management Information System” and has written over 700 articles featured in global and regional publications. Bassam holds a Master’s in Engineering Administration (Construction Management) from The George Wash- ington University, a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from Kuwait University, and has attended executive pro- grams at Harvard Business School and London Business School.