My curiosity has created many career opportunities in the bank

An internship was the start of a banking career that has lasted for 25 years so far. And with a managerial position and overseas job beckoning, there is nothing to indicate that her career is about to slow down, rather the opposite. “Since I am constantly looking for new challenges, SEB is the perfect workplace for me,” says Sunbal Mahmood.

Today Sunbal Mahmood is Head of Global Custody Operations (GCO). This department serves all SEB’s customers – companies and private individuals – who trade in securities. This includes liquidating securities, tax service, dividends and information about new issues and corporate events.

“It is our department, for example, that sends out issue letters that customers receive relating to corporate events,” says Sunbal Mahmood, whose career with SEB started in 1995 with an internship at the Götgatan branch office.

Ten years later she was a group manager which was her first managerial position. By then she had also managed to achieve a degree in economics.

Leadership and change are what drive me forward

“As a group manager, my task was to lead and coach others which meant that I also learnt a lot about myself. And what I discovered among other things was that I am happiest driving change processes and building structures, and perhaps less so diving into the details,” says Sunbal Mahmood, who thinks that this is what made her keen to take on even more responsibility.

This led initially to her becoming Head of Corporate Actions. Her area of responsibility grew one and a half years ago when Corporate Actions was merged with another department which led to the creation of Global Custody Operations. This means that Sunbal Mahmood is now in charge of a department consisting of eight groups with a total of 70 employees.

Being involved in building up a new department was both fun and exciting but also a bit shaky and nerve-wracking. But since I am passionate about developing people and the business, Operations is the right place for me where customer delivery is combined with a strong culture of continuous development,” explains Sunbal Mahmood.

In 2010, Sunbal took leave of absence for six months to start her own business. “Starting my own company was an old dream and when I had an idea, I thought the time was right,” says Sunbal Mahmood, who explains that the company that she started together with her husband sold gift experiences for children.

“We got going, but when all online retail moved from computers to mobiles, we were forced to change our platform. The idea was that my husband would take care of this while I went back to the bank. But then he got a new position at his job, so now the company is dormant.”

International opportunities

In just a couple of months, Sunbal Mahmood’s professional career will enter a new phase when she takes up the post of SEB’s Head of Operations in Singapore and Hong Kong.

“I will live in Singapore with my family and as things look right now I will stay there for three years.

“I see SEB as a very innovative bank where there is great development potential and a great deal of trust in the employees. Since it is above all my curiosity that drives me, SEB is a workplace that suits me,” says Sunbal Mahmood.