I developed more than I could imagine in such a short time

Product Developer Lovisa Ek started as a trainee in SEB’s International Trainee Programme. A challenging and supportive culture contributes to making her thrive and develop.

– I started my role as a Product Developer in SEB’s life insurance division, working approximately 70 per cent as a Product Developer and participating in the Trainee Programme for the rest of the time that year. SEB has really kick-started my working life, and I like that you get a lot of responsibility early on. Your senior and junior colleagues believe in you and value you despite, but also thanks to, the fact that you’re new.

Tell us about your role!

– As a Product Developer, I work with a lot of different initiatives regarding my team’s area, which is risk products. This mainly includes health-, sick- and preventive health insurance. We drive development initiatives, including exploring customer needs, marketing positions, and market- and competitive analysis, among other things. It means a lot to work with something that is close to my heart, to help people create security in an uncertain future and promote healthy employees. In my role, I get to work with a variety of assignments and people in different roles and positions, which contributes to my personal development a lot.

How have you developed so far at SEB?

– Thanks to the Trainee Programme, I developed more than I could imagine in such a short time, due to the challenging and supportive culture where you’re surrounded by people who believe in you. I’ve especially developed my problem-solving skills, ability to network, and I’ve had the opportunity to practise leadership skills. For instance, for about two weeks we worked in a group to solve a real problem for the bank, and I had the honour to be team lead. It was an educational and good experience that made me more comfortable with taking a leadership role in the future.

Do you have any other examples of how leadership has been emphasised in your development?

– During the Trainee Programme, there was a lot of interaction with senior leaders, which was inspirational. We also had the opportunity to do something called reverse mentorship where I, as a trainee, got to be a mentor to a senior colleague. We exchanged a lot of thoughts, experiences, and perspectives on certain topics, and it gave me a lot to mentor someone in a leadership position. I believe it was valuable for the both of us.

What is the culture like at SEB?

– I would say the culture is very respectful and supportive, where differences and diversity are promoted as success factors. At SEB we encourage empathic listening and respect for one another so that everyone feels comfortable expressing their thoughts and opinions. People listen to each other, which adds more value and fosters innovation. I also really enjoy working with my colleagues, and the cooperation contributes a lot to my development. Being new, at first I was nervous to share my thoughts, but then I noticed that everyone was genuinely interested in my perspective.