I thought the role sounded a bit odd, but at the same time very fun

Since 2020, Katharina Kapronczay has worked as a Property Manager within Group Real Estate, ensuring the facilities for SEB in Gothenburg. Her role supports the entire bank and is essential for creating a healthy work environment and a good collaboration between the bank's various divisions. She tells us about this unique role and her experiences from working at SEB for over 25 years. 

– The feeling you get when coming to work should be positive, and as a Property Manager, I have a great responsibility for ensuring that. This responsibility spans across all divisions and covers approximately 800-900 workplaces here in Gothenburg. This could, more specifically, involve security issues, making sure that employees have a safe workplace, that it is clean, or that you can get your morning coffee. So, my tasks primarily revolve around the daily operations the bank, where I ensure that we have a good cooperation between the bank’s divisions and that everything works as it should. 

– One of the most important parts of my job is therefore preventive work, where I often refer to “zero friction” as a significant concept. Employees should not have to point out faults or make error reports. Instead, we need to be there to discover things before something breaks so that the rest of the banking operations can continue as usual. A large part of the work I do is therefore not always visible from an outside perspective, but it is intentionally so. 

What made you choose this role? 

– I actually came to SEB through Trygg-Hansa, which the bank bought in 1997. There, I worked as a coach for our customer service, which later moved to SEB. In the beginning there was a bit of a culture clash, but above all, it was incredibly fun. However, after a while my then-manager felt that I needed to learn more about the bank offices. So, when a temporary position opened up at a bank office, I took it and discovered how much fun it really was. From there, I have had a few different roles, including working as a Internal Management Consultant at SEB Way and as an Office Manager within Trade Finance. But, a few years ago, I started thinking more about what I wanted to work with in the long term and concluded that I definitely wanted to stay within SEB, but perhaps in a new role. I then began to explore the possibilities and potential roles available. 

– I heard about two roles that I found exciting – one concerned security issues, and the other related to property and local supply. The roles sounded a bit odd but at the same time very fun, especially because you got to be out in the offices, which I really appreciate. So, I sent an email expressing my interest, and that’s essentially how I ended up here today. 

How do your previous experiences within the bank make a difference in your current role? 

– It has certainly been an advantage that I have a network from before, that I am familiar with our systems, and that I have worked within different business areas. This makes it easier to understand why things are a certain way, and at the same time, I’m not afraid to ask questions – something that may not be as obvious if you’re new to the bank. However, there are, of course, challenges with all new roles, and the most important thing is that you’re curious. 

What opportunities does one have to try out new roles within SEB?

– There are fantastic opportunities! The bank is incredibly large and a good breeding ground, but you also have to help each other in order to grow and move forward. You have to be able to articulate your own goals to your manager. Tell them what you want, how you envision your future, and dare to have that dialogue. Similarly, it’s important to have a manager who asks, helps and is brave enough to lend people out on gigs within other areas of the bank. That way you get to try new things that help you grow. It’s all about embracing what comes your way instead of clinging tightly to your desk. There’s nothing wrong with having the same role for 20 years, but there is often so much more to discover. But when you dare to try, a whole world can open up.