For Queenie, having a diverse network and an open-mind have been a critical part of her success in carving out the early part of her career. Most recently, it paved the way for her to move from Singapore to London.
Learning new things while keeping personal goals in view
From the day she began her graduate programme three years ago, Queenie has connected with other graduates and colleagues from different countries and parts of the bank. Rotating through six different teams in Compliance and Anti-Financial Crime, she not only learned a great deal but collaborated on a global scale.
A student of International Political Relations , Queenie’s big dream was to live and work abroad. Whilst browsing the bank’s internal job portal, she found a role that looked like it was made for her: a position on the Government and Regulatory Advocacy team in London. “I was so excited when I discovered the ad. It was exactly what I wanted to do and, after all, London is one of the world’s most culturally vibrant cities.” Her team manager supported her and everything worked out as hoped: Queenie moved to London two years ago.
Making a difference in Europe
Queenie's new roles also placed her right at the centre of what is going on in Europe, working on regulatory issues at the interface between internal and external stakeholders like legislators, regulatory bodies and trade associations. The EU’s wide array of capital market rules require a great deal of attention. The team needs to know the details of the latest regulatory developments and share an understanding of how to implement them. At the same time, they need to coordinate work with external stakeholders. A really exciting role to which Queenie and her team make an important contribution.
“Regulation is dynamic,” she explains, “and on top of that you also have to deal with new situations like Brexit or the pandemic. Something new happens every day, and we need to keep an eye on that.” Queenie produces a daily newsletter covering all of the latest global regulatory trends together with related topics such as capital markets, sustainable finance and digitalisation. “The newsletter makes sure that our internal clients are always up to speed and know what lies ahead.”
Open to new experiences
“For me, this new role involved a steep learning curve, as in Singapore we have different rules and a different way of dealing with authorities, regulations and policymaking. I found it fascinating and fulfilling to learn so many new things.” Even the weather in London, which isn’t exactly what most Europeans crave, suits Queenie: “I finally get to experience all four seasons. As someone who has always lived on the Equator, that's something I’ve never known before.”
As with so many things in life, opportunities are what you make of them. Or, as Queenie puts it: “At the end of the day, we only regret the chances we didn't take.”