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"I like the fact that development within sustainable finance is moving fast"

At SEB Anne Kristin Kästner can combine her knowledge of sustainability with her interest in finance. In her role as Sustainable Finance Specialist, she advises financial investors about sustainable investments and works with sustainable financing solutions for major Nordics.

In 2019, Anne Kristin Kästner took part in SEB’s Summer Internship Programme. Today she works as a Sustainable Finance Specialist in the recently started Sustainable Banking group, which drives the bank’s overall sustainability agenda.

Why did you choose to apply to SEB?

“As a student, I knew that I wanted to work with sustainability within business and since I already knew about SEB’s sustainability work, applying came naturally. Among other things, it was SEB that developed the first green bond together with the World Bank. I was attracted to being able to combine my study speciality, sustainability, with finance which at the time was still a relatively unknown world to me, in a bank that is regarded as a leader within this area.”

Tell us about your role!

“I work among other things with advisory services within financial investment and try to get sustainable financing into major Nordic companies. One project close to my heart is the development of our taxonomy model, a portfolio model that measures sustainability according to the EU’s new sustainability classification. I have developed this together with a colleague who also started at the bank in a summer internship.”

What do you like most about your job?

“Within my team, Climate & Sustainable Finance, we have a lot of different backgrounds. Some people have worked in the banking sector for more than 30 years and then there are those, like me, who come from a completely different background. This means that we have lots of interesting discussions and that we learn a lot from each other. I also like the fact that development within sustainable finance is moving fast. There are many initiatives to keep an eye on and it’s important to always be updated. I am very proud of and motivated by, the clear focus on sustainability in the bank. Being part of this journey, and encouraging the bank and its customers to be even more sustainable, is the most exciting thing about my job!”

“Even when I was a trainee, I was involved in important projects and felt that I could participate and make a real contribution.”

What do your development opportunities look like?

“There are good opportunities to develop internally within the bank and my managers really support me with continuing education among other things. Then there are also international development opportunities. SEB is big and located in many places around the world.”

In what way does SEB make use of your ideas?

“I come from Germany and did therefore not expect a flat hierarchy within a bank. Even when I was a trainee, I got to attend key meetings and I have never felt that I was too young to speak up. I feel that I am both seen and heard which in turn creates motivation and gives me a feeling that I can be involved and contribute to the transformation.”