International Assignment in New York, with Ingrid and Karin

SEB’s Trainee Programme offers participants the opportunity to visit one of the bank’s international offices through international assignments. For Ingrid Åsenius and Karin Bengtsson, this led to a one-month stay in New York. They share their experiences from being abroad and explain why this has been an educational journey.

How did you end up on an international assignment in New York?

Karin: I work as a Business Developer at the Delivery Office within Technology. During my assignment, I wanted to learn more about various processes on the product and customer side, as this is something I don’t typically get to see in my regular role. That’s why my manager and I agreed that New York would be a great opportunity for this. 

Ingrid: I work as a Data Scientist in Data & Analytics, which falls under the Corporate Banking division. Corporate Banking has a presence in almost all international offices, so I had a wide range of destinations to choose from compared to some of the other trainees. I eventually chose New York because I came in contact with someone working at the office who thought I would be able to contribute with something concrete, which sounded interesting. Plus, New York is an exciting city, which also was a big draw.

Tell us more about the projects you worked on during your time abroad!

Ingrid: Some of the bank’s major corporate clients have business operations in North America, which requires them to perform various transactions there. To facilitate this, SEB has partner banks in both the US and Canada. During my time abroad, I worked on visualising the pricing process with this partner bank and also with reviewing the pricing of our customers. So, my work involved a lot of data analysis and investigative work to really understand the data and all processes. I usually don’t work towards sales, so it was very fun to try that!

Karin: I had the chance to work on a variety of tasks during my time in New York. I handled various assignments to learn more about what’s done at the office and how things operate. I also worked on a project where I delved deeper into the bank’s customer base in New York over the past few years. From there, I developed various KPIs, which can be relevant for comparing new and old customers. 

What do you take away from the trip?

Ingrid: Like many other sites, the New York office is considerably smaller than the ones in Stockholm. This made it easier to see different processes because you came into contact with other departments in a completely different way – just turning around, and suddenly you’re talking to someone working on something entirely different. This proximity to new knowledge is something I definitely take with me!

Karin: I agree! Also, typically, there are only a few people working within each department. So, everyone is incredibly competent, and we could really learn a lot from each other, especially since we had the opportunity to be at the office for an extended period. Compared to other trips during the Trainee Programme, you can accomplish much more during an international assignment and take more knowledge home. 

What was the most fun part of the trip? 

Ingrid: Yes, there is definitely a sense of togetherness! I also think that it’s been a lot of fun to experience both the business and tourism aspects of New York. You could be at the office during the day, but in the evening, go to a musical, watch baseball, or dine at a cool restaurant. It was truly the best of both worlds. 

Karin: Absolutely! I feel so grateful for the opportunity to just be in that environment. Every morning when you walked into the office, you were in awe of your surroundings and could sit and work with the Empire State Building right outside your window. So, there’s no denying that we find New York very cool!