SEB dares to look beyond and see what’s out there

Camilla Viberg, Mainframe Developer, didn’t always have her sights set on a tech career. With a background in finance, her entry into the banking world wasn’t through technology. However, when the opportunity arose to attend an internal training to become a mainframe developer, she took it. This decision marked a turning point in her career, and she immediately felt she had found her calling.

“What’s great about working at a bank is how much we benefit from having diverse backgrounds. We need experts in their fields, whether it’s tech or finance, but we also need people who have seen different aspects of how a bank operates,” says Camilla.

What’s the best part of working as a mainframe developer?

“It’s fun working with mainframe at SEB because the platform is truly a priority here. There’s significant investment in our technology, and people understand the power of mainframe and how crucial it is to modernise, future-proof, and automate these systems.”

Camilla is also drawn to the challenge of working with systems that are central to the bank, where precision is critical. “It’s exciting to know how much relies on these systems. They need to function perfectly and synchronise every day. It’s both terrifying and thrilling at the same time. Plus, it’s rewarding to know that what we develop together will be used for a long time – it's like one big machine.” She also emphasises the importance of collaboration: “Very few people know an entire system by heart. We need each other. There’s no single right answer, so we have to work both logically and creatively to find the best solutions.”

Why is it fun to work at SEB?

“We work at the headquarters in Solna, Sweden, and you can tell that the building is designed to let teams work closely in peace while also giving people the chance to meet a variety of people as they move around. Just on the way to lunch, you can meet several people with different skills, and everyone is open and happy to stop and chat. There’s a special sense of community throughout the building,” explains Camilla.

She also believes SEB has a strong drive to stay at the forefront of technology. “We dare to look beyond and see what’s out there, and we’re willing to adopt new solutions much earlier than many others in the field. This deliberate curiosity runs through SEB.”

What would you say to someone curious about mainframe?

“I wish I had explored this field earlier. There are so many paths to becoming a mainframe developer. At SEB, we have COBOL Academy and Assembler Academy, and there’s plenty of training material available from various providers.” She also points out that it’s a field where you never stop learning. “The pace of technological advancement is fast, and there’s always something new to learn. You never have time to get bored. We have opportunities for skill development and mentorship, and we also learn a lot from each other.”

Camilla encourages anyone interested in the field to dive in without hesitation. “We focus a lot on community and knowledge sharing. You don’t need a specific technical background to start, and it shouldn’t feel intimidating or complicated to give it a try!”