Ten years ago, Petra Barkeby began her journey at SEB as a department manager within Technology Trading. Today, she leads a significant part of the bank’s tech functions in her role as Head of BRB & Group Functions Tech. With a Master of Science in Engineering and over twenty years of experience in the tech industry, her passion for technology and innovation has been consistent throughout her career.
Petra started her career at SEB on the technical side of financial instrument trading – first responsible for FX trading and later for the entire Trading area. After a few years, she left Trading and the software side to take on responsibility for part of the bank’s internal infrastructure through the business area, Digital Workplace, IT Automation & Quality (DWAQ).
“Suddenly, I was working with solutions that impact all 19,000 of our employees. I was responsible for the tools they need to do their jobs as efficiently as possible – everything from computers, phones and printers to common applications such as M365 and Teams. Our internal IT service desk, the control centre that manages 24/7 monitoring of all our applications and data centres, various access solutions, AIOp-models and monitoring systems,” Petra explains.
Today, she heads one of the two major software development units within Tech, and is CTO for the business division, Business & Retail Banking (BRB).
Can you tell us about your role as Head of BRB & Group Functions Tech?
“The business area consists of four arenas that develop and maintain a large number of applications and purchased products, including ensuring they meet the high security and regulatory requirements we need to uphold. The areas I am responsible for include the systems used by the BRB division, as well as systems needed by other parts of the bank - such as Financial Crime Prevention, Finance, Risk, Compliance, HR, identification and signing, and customer data,” Petra says.
“I really enjoy being back on the software side, which has always been close to my heart. My role is to work together with my fantastic colleagues to develop our business area and drive it forward. A particularly exciting aspect right now is exploring how we can work more efficiently in the future with the help of AI,” she adds.
How do you work with innovation?
“When people talk about innovation, they often think of big, revolutionary solutions – but for us, the small things are just as important. We call this the Big ‘I’ and the Little ‘i’, where the little ‘i’ is equally significant,” Petra explains.
“We often start with the question: How can we simplify our everyday work and, in turn, our customers’ lives? It can involve automating manual processes or using AI to make work more efficient. We create space for this within our teams in different ways, such as through innovation days. Our goal is not only to identify improvements but also to create time and resources to implement them. We want to continuously develop and deliver the best possible solutions to make life easier for our customers,” she continues.
In your role as a leader, what do you think characterises good leadership?
“I believe it is a combination of many things. Communication and transparency are crucial. I make sure to include my team in different discussions. It is also important to be clear about where we’re heading and what we as an organisation need to deliver. Leadership is about having the courage to make tough decisions, while also being able to inspire others, listen and coach,” Petra says.
After more than ten years at SEB, what do you take with you from your previous roles and experiences?
“I am very grateful for all the roles I’ve had – every step has taught me something new. I started my career as a developer and loved the problem-solving aspect of the job. That experience gave me a deep understanding of what it means to work as a developer in a project: what components are needed, what challenges can arise and how to find solutions. That technical understanding, which allows me to put myself in a developer’s shoes, still helps me today.
At the same time, having the opportunity to work in different parts of Tech has broadened my knowledge and increased my respect for the work involved, while giving me valuable insight into the bank as a whole,” Petra reflects.
How would you describe the work culture at SEB?
“It is very collaborative. If there is a problem somewhere in the bank, you see a real drive among everyone involved to help and solve it together. I think that says a lot about a company’s culture. There is also a genuine commitment to continuous learning and development, which is something I’m truly passionate about – both for my team and for myself,” she concludes.
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