Sonali Kothari is a dynamic force in financial regulatory compliance and data innovation. With over a decade of experience spanning risk reporting, enterprise data governance, and remediation strategy, she has played a pivotal role in transforming how global financial institutions meet complex regulatory obligations. As Technology Consulting Manager – FSO AI & Data at Ernst & Young (EY), Sonali leads high-impact projects for Global Systemically Important Banks (GSIBs), where she integrates regulatory knowledge with data science and leadership to deliver results that matter.
Life and Academic Foundation
Sonali’s educational background reflects a blend of business and technology. She holds a Master’s in Information Systems Engineering and Management from Harrisburg University. In addition, she earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration from Symbiosis University and a Bachelor’s in Commerce from SNDT Women’s University in Mumbai.
Her academic diversity enabled her to build a career at the intersection of financial regulations and technology-equipping her with the analytical rigor and strategic insight needed to tackle data quality and compliance issues in high-stakes environments.
Professional Journey
Beginning her career at Star Sports in India, Sonali managed cross-functional financial projects and introduced automated reporting tools that significantly boosted operational efficiency. She then transitioned into financial services, with progressive roles at SEI Investments and Santander Bank. At Santander, she advanced from Business Analyst to Senior Specialist – Data Quality, where she led initiatives that automated manual controls, improved CCAR reporting accuracy, and saved 30 hours of manual effort each week.
Since joining EY in 2021, Sonali has led regulatory and remediation programs for GSIB clients, covering areas such as AML, Basel III, CCAR, and enterprise data transformation. Her leadership contributed to the successful delivery of over 75 AML and Sanctions-related data requirements, with 95% on-time completion. She executed outreach efforts to 105 application owners and documented over 42,000 data points across 33 datasets-laying the foundation for enterprise-level metadata governance. She also developed a predictive model that reduced reporting errors and saved approximately 200 hours of monthly reconciliation time.
Leadership and Innovation
Sonali is known for her collaborative and results-oriented leadership. She has led cross-functional teams across geographies and managed the remediation of over 1,500 enterprise-wide data quality issues. Her leadership on EY’s Enterprise Data Incident Management (eDIM) initiative improved report accuracy by 20% and enhanced stakeholder satisfaction by 25% through structured feedback loops.
She also led the integration of EYQ, an AI chatbot, into regulatory processes, which improved response time and knowledge-sharing across project teams. Additionally, she introduced classification models for critical data elements based on regulatory impact-improving access controls and reducing compliance risk.
Notable Achievements
- Delivered 75 AML-related data requirements under regulatory scrutiny with 95% on-time execution.
- Engaged 105 application owners and gathered metadata for 33 datasets, strengthening data lineage documentation.
- Designed a predictive model that cut reporting errors and saved over 2,400 hours annually.
- Created KPI frameworks and anomaly detection tools that improved data quality reporting by 15%.
- Recognized with multiple Bravo Awards at EY for exceptional performance in Basel and CCAR-related engagements.
These outcomes have helped clients avoid regulatory penalties, enhance compliance accuracy, and build long-term data resilience.
Academic and Industry Contributions
While not a traditional academic, Sonali brings scholarly depth to her work. She authored a comparative framework on Basel III vs. Basel Endgame (Basel IV), providing clients with practical insights into regulatory changes. Her KPI models for data quality monitoring are used internally to guide compliance best practices.
She also contributed to EY’s knowledge initiatives by conducting SAP Analytics Cloud training for 25 employees, covering predictive modeling, data integration, and dashboard design. Her commitment to internal enablement reflects her broader impact beyond client delivery.
Future Vision and Impact
Sonali envisions a future where financial institutions leverage AI, automation, and metadata intelligence to stay ahead of regulatory change. She is focused on building real-time compliance monitoring tools, automated lineage tracing systems, and scalable data governance frameworks. Her strategic foresight is helping organizations transition from reactive compliance to proactive data stewardship.
Conclusion
Sonali Kothari exemplifies the next generation of financial data leaders-strategic, analytical, and future-focused. With a proven record of solving complex regulatory problems and a commitment to innovation, she is reshaping how institutions manage compliance, risk, and data at scale. Her work not only addresses today’s regulatory demands but also builds the foundation for a smarter, more resilient financial system.
