Describe the most memorable experience you've ever had
at Citi.
The most memorable experience I’ve ever had
at Citi was organizing the firm-wide annual dinner in 2005 with two
fellow MA’s and being the MC for the event. From making the
decision on the theme, to the interview and selection process of
the professional event planner, and from designing the shows and
entertainment, to menu tasting and gifts selection, the core team
was given full independence and discretion. Looking back, the
half-year spent on bringing the splendid night together for our
1,500+ staff was in fact a crash-course on decision-making,
leadership, teamwork, time management, and interpersonal
skills.
What about your career excites you the most - gets you
out of bed in the morning?
The anticipation of the
challenges presented by my clients, and the rewarding feeling of
having earned their trust and loyalty. Every client is unique, and
so are the requests and expectations; representing Citi in
maintaining and nurturing high-profile corporate relationships
requires me to constantly look into my work and myself to identify
and overcome areas for improvement. Moreover, it is always a joy to
work with clients and colleagues from all kinds of culture and
background from across the globe.
What do you consider Citi's competitive
edge?
One of Citi’s competitive edges is our strong
network and presence across the world. When leveraged with the wide
range of financial products that we offer, Citi is able to design
and offer innovative solutions even to our most demanding
clients.
How would you describe your team and the people you work
with?
To me, one of Citi’s greatest assets is its
people and culture. I have never met anyone here who would hesitate
to offer guidance and advice. Citi’s friendly and helpful culture
promotes a supportive environment, where every single staff is
treated with respect regardless of their position, experience and
background. My team and my business partners are an absolute
delight to work with!
What other groups do you liaise with regularly within
the Firm?
Being part of the regional team, one of my
responsibilities is to ensure that the service level provided to my
clients across the Asia Pacific region is always in line, and
therefore I make sure that I regularly touch base with my local
counterparts from countries such as Japan, Singapore, Taiwan,
Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, etc.
Being an account manager, it is my duty to understand the needs and
concerns of my clients, and to liaise with the appropriate business
partners to generate solutions. In other words, I am always
consulting and working with various Product Specialists, who may be
experts in Custody, Funds Administration, Securities Lending,
electronic banking, etc.
Last but not the least, my job will never be so smooth without the
cooperation and support of my Operations and Technology
partners.
How has Citi supported your career
development?
Every MA is paired up with a mentor when
he/she comes on board. Having been an MA herself, my mentor has
offered me much invaluable career and personal advice over the
years. In terms of training, on top of the intensive six-week
training program offered by the MA program, I have also attended
training sessions on Effective Business Writing, Presentation
Skills, and Negotiation Skills. Currently, I am taking a course on
Business Mandarin, which I hope will help expand my options in
China and Taiwan.
What do you enjoy doing outside work?
It
is wonderful that my job enables me to have a great work-life
balance. To unwind a busy day at work, I always enjoy meeting up
with a few friends or colleagues for drinks and dinner. My weekends
are often dedicated to my family, and I have recently picked up
golfing. Once in a while, I will also try to take some days off to
travel to different countries, to catch a breath of fresh air
outside of Hong Kong’s hectic lifestyle.