International Assignment in New York, with Ingrid, Karin and Kaleb

SEB’s Trainee Programme offers participants the opportunity to visit one of the bank’s international offices through international assignments. For Ingrid Åsenius, Karin Bengtsson, and Kaleb Solomon, 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.

Kaleb: As for me, I work as an analyst within Equity Research, so there were also a few international offices that I could visit. However, I knew quite early on that I wanted to go to New York. It was really a natural choice as there was a clear job relevance in the exchange, and I also got in touch with the sales desk there who thought my visit would be a good opportunity to exchange knowledge. 

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. 

Kaleb: During my time in New York, I worked with the Equity Sales team, which deals with American investors with Nordic holdings. The work I did varied greatly from day to day and could involve finding interesting data points or working on a case that was particularly relevant at the time. This allowed me to explore broader issues and work with different sectors than I usually do, which was very educational!

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. 

Kaleb: Yes, the knowledge sharing was on a different level, and there was more than enough time to talk to others. For example, I could spend a whole day with another department just to understand more of what they were working on. There are also things I would never have understood if I hadn’t had the chance to talk to Karin or Ingrid, both of whom work in different areas than I do. This way, I’ve gained a border perspective and a more comprehensive understanding of what’s important in each respective area. 

What was the most fun part of the trip? 

Kaleb: I think it’s been enjoyable to see the togetherness among all the employees in the office. Not only are they so kind and skilled in what they do, but there’s also an incredibly close-knit feeling. 

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!