"The banking sector is being revolutionized by the fusion of finance and technology"
09 de January de 2017
09 de January de 2017
"Being part of one of the most important banking institutions at a global level will give an instant boost in terms of my career development". This is the impact that Illiam Osorio believes the Santander Group's brand will have on her CV, after her experience as a Wealth & Select Intern. Aspects of Banco Santander that the former student of the Master in Financial Management at EAE Business School highlights include its leadership as a global brand, as well as the lifelong training of its employees and the international project in which she is involved.
In order to achieve her goal of become a financial advisor in international private banking, Illiam decided to gain some experience outside of her native Nicaragua, and to continue her education by taking the Master in Financial Management at EAE Business School. "The high quality of the lecturers" and "the multicultural experience" were two of the key factors that the former student underlines from her academic year at the School. "Over the course of the Master, rather than classmates, we ended up becoming a family and we will stay close".
First of all, tell us about the position you hold and your daily duties at Banco Santander.
I am currently part of the Retail & Commercial Banking division of the Santander Group, working as a Wealth & Select Intern.
My everyday duties include working on the development of the global Wealth and Select business models, collaborating on specific projects in all of the countries in which the Group operates, preparing presentations for decision-making committees, doing research on consultancies and competences, compiling and recording good business practices, analysing proposals of financial products from the New Product Committee of the Santander Group, and maintaining and develop the range of global Select products on offer.
How did you find out about this employment opportunity?
I heard about it via EAE's Employment Exchange, in one of the monthly emails that they send out with the different professional internships available.
What was the selection process like?
The selection process was quite thorough, consisting of two stages. First of all, there was a group dynamic in which we had to highlight skills in terms of leadership, camaraderie and communication, in both Spanish and English. The second part involved an individual interview in which they asked me about my current knowledge and capacities, my professional experience and how it can contribute to your performance in the position that you are applying for.
How did you feel when they told you that you had been selected?
At first, I felt really excited and happy to know that the Santander Group would give me an opportunity to develop all of the knowledge I had acquired on my Master in Financial Management and also to gain a new experience working abroad.
From within the organization, what aspects of Banco Santander would you highlight? How do you feel?
The Santander Group is one of the most important financial institutions at a global level. Being part of a leading company in which they give credit to your ideas, where you deal with highly respected people who are willing to share their knowledge with you to facilitate your professional development, where there is lifelong training run by the institution for everybody that forms part of the team so that we are all up-to-date with the continuous changes and improvements that are being implemented throughout the Group, and the Group's international projection in which we work with multinational teams on global projects. It all makes me feel very lucky and extremely glad to be part of this prestigious institution.
What impact will this experience at Banco Santander have on your CV?
I think that this experience will be really rewarding in terms of my professional growth, and the ability to include it on my CV will give an instant boost to my career development, as the Santander Group is a well-known institution at a global level.
How is the banking sector being transformed by new technologies?
The banking sector is being revolutionized in huge steps by the fusion of finance and technology (fintech), and the automation of financial services. This all is happening in response to the needs and requirements that customers demand in this age of technology.
What do you think will happen to the market, in your point of view?
There is currently a great deal of competition in the market in a race to become pioneers in terms of implementing innovations in the banking sector, which, as professionals, gives us the chance to move forward with these innovations and even specialize in them and form part of the banking of the future.
What are your professional goals in the short and long term?
In the short term, I would like to acquire as much knowledge as possible and finish this experience at Santander successfully. In the long term, my professional goal is to become a financial advisor in International Private Banking in a prestigious financial institution, which will provide me with job security and contribute towards the growth of my professional career.
You took the Master in Financial Management at EAE. Why did you opt for this program?
I decided to take a Master in Financial Management because, in the world that we now live in with constant economic crises, I think that it is crucial to specialize in acquiring knowledge that enable me to make the right decisions at all times, to know how to manage new resources responsibly, knowing where, how and when we should invest our money, gaining insight into the ways and methods of mitigating debts in an orderly and reasonable way, learning and achieving personal financial objectives successfully through strategies that enable us to manage our own wealth, knowing how and when is the optimal time to plan our retirement, etc.
What contribution has the Master made to your day-to-day life?
This Master has equipped me with knowledge that enable me to manage my resources daily and set objectives for the future.
With respect to your classmates, what countries did they come from? How did you get along?
My Master group was made up of Spaniards and people from practically every part of Central and South America. I want to emphasize that this multicultural experience and the fact that most of us were sharing an experience away from our countries made us become a group of friends rather than a group of classmates. Over the course of the Master, we became a family, in which we supported each other at all times and, despite the cultural differences, we were always very close, and I am sure that we will remain so.
As well as the year's tuition, what other experiences did you have at EAE?
As soon as I arrived in Madrid, I realised that, as well as the Master, I wanted to discover the world. I shared really special trips around Europe with loads of people. I did a Eurotrip over the course of the Master and, at different points throughout the year, I discovered spectacular and cultural places where I learnt to see the world through different eyes.
What aspects of the Master would you highlight?
I think that the aspect that I would highlight most of all is the high quality of the lecturers who shared their knowledge with us over the course of the Master. The large majority of them were professionals with extensive experience in managerial positions in leading companies in different parts of the world. They made great efforts to help us to understand both the theory and practice of the real world with financial situations. They were always willing to help us with any doubts and concerns we may have had.
Would you recommend EAE? Why?
I would recommend EAE because I believe that the experience that they offer you is comprehensive, both in terms of the Master to round off your professional knowledge and the fact that it is a multicultural experience in which we acquire knowledge from all over the world, which gives added value and makes it an extremely rewarding experience.