Global Leadership & Balance: A Leader's Perspective

Sophie is a successful international executive who has worked in major financial organizations, propelling operational effectiveness, strategic change, and massive technology programmes. Having worked in international business and modern languages, she offers a global vision having held leadership positions in London, New York, and India among others.

In an interactive interaction with Global Woman Leader Magazine, Sophie takes us through her extensive professional journey in the banking sector. She talks about strategies to help build international careers, supporting dual career families and more.

Delve into the following article to gain actionable insights for building an international career. 

What led you to a career in banking and to the former positions you have held as well as the current role that you do?

I have to say that it was somewhat by chance that I got into banking. I studied International Business with German and French at university and after graduating I was keen to continue to utilise my language skills. I was successful at getting my first full-time graduate position within Operations at a German investment bank in London. As it happens, I was only in that role for 6 months before I decided to move to a US investment bank in London, to a role within Listed Derivatives Operations. And I have to say despite the desire to utilise my language skills; it didn’t really turn out that way!
I spent over 15 years there, working for close to 10 of those years in Listed Derivative Operations and the later years within Securities Operations. During my time, I was fortunate to be asked to relocate to New York for a 3-year assignment in 2009.

I briefly came back to the UK in 2012 (with a 6-week-old baby in tow!) before being asked to move to Bangalore in India, which my husband, son and I did for just over 3 years from 2014-2017. I have been fortunate to have a very supportive spouse alongside working for a company that took good care of employees on expat assignments.

As I was leaving India to return to the UK, I was contacted about a role within Operations at another US investment bank. After an initial period of feeling apprehensive, I took a leap of faith and made the move. This was somewhat of a surprise, even for myself, but looking back I have no regrets. I had an extremely joyful 6 years there where I was elevated to the global head of Markets Operations, before deciding to leave just over 1 year ago to take on the role as Chief Operating Officer for the Group Chief Information Office at HSBC. The role I am in now is a new remit for me having not worked in Technology before, but I am thoroughly enjoying the new challenges that brings and I am learning lots, but at the same time able to utilise the skill set I developed within Banking Operations to put to good use.

I have never been very prescriptive as to what position, role or company I work for; it has always been of more importance to be working in a thriving environment where there are complex problems to solve and where you feel you are adding value to something meaningful. It wasn’t long at the first US investment bank I was at before I started to make a name for myself and was able to add value to the company.

Reflecting back, it is important to build a brand for yourself and to be known for something – something that can differentiate yourself from others.

Moving from one organisation to another also teaches you a lot – you gain experience about company cultures and behaviours that vary from one to the other. You learn to tailor your leadership style to suit the environment.

You have spent time working internationally, what experience did you gain from those assignments and what advice would you give for anyone thinking about international opportunities?

I spent the first ~7 years of my career in London before I was asked to move to New York to tackle some challenges and be closer to the Listed Derivatives business.

This gave me experience working in the company’s head office, exposure to working close with business partners, and the opportunity to take on initiatives that had impact. Having returned briefly to the UK, I was then asked to move to Bangalore, India. The bank at the time was building out their operations capabilities in Bangalore and I was there to assist in that, ensuring that the culture of the organisation was embedded and that employees, many of which at that time were junior in their careers, had culture carrier and a role model to look up to.

Both assignments were an amazing experience, both personally and professionally. Many of us work in global organisations and/or are serving global clients and customers. There is nothing better than to immerse yourself and to learn about the differences and similarities in cultures.

I see a career as a jigsaw puzzle and from the various roles and organizations I have worked in, they have all been pieces of my career jigsaw puzzle.

I have learnt so much from each opportunity and the experience gained has been invaluable in helping me to progress my career.

How can organizations better support women taking the lead in global career moves?

Firstly, organisations should never assume that women wouldn’t be open to an international assignment or an expanded role or remit. Women should be considered equally, avoiding any potential assumptions that women are less mobile due to potential family or care giving responsibilities.

Secondly, support for any spouse, partner or family member is crucial. We were very well supported during both my international moves whereby my husband was able to take on roles in both the US and India, and the company I was working at was very supportive in ensuring that my husband was as supported as I was. Not only that but in India we were offered a space at the on-site nursery for my son who was 18 months old when we first moved. I don’t think we could have made the moves without such great support.

Lastly, I would say that ensuring there are mentors and sponsors ready and willing to support you in the new location is key. International assignments are not easy; you are uprooting your entire life and there is a lot of work and effort and emotional drain that comes with it – but I personally feel it is truly worth it and I do not think I would be where I am now without having had those valuable experiences. I remember, for example, when we arrived in India we could not purchase pasteurised milk for my son. The extent of the challenges that you need to tackle are far and wide – but I do now know how to pasteurise milk! You truly learn so much personally and professionally.

Both you and your spouse work in banking. How do you juggle career demands alongside bringing up your son and life as a family? What strategies can businesses adopt to foster workplace cultures where dual-career families thrive?

For me, being super organised is fundamental! You need to be clear on your priorities and what is important to you and to your family. I have made sacrifices; there is no doubt about that. I am not waiting at the school gates every day for my son, Elliot, to come out of school. When Elliot was very young, he spent more time with our nanny during the week than he did with us. That means a couple of things for me. Firstly, that every moment at work counts. To make those sacrifices worthwhile, I make sure I am super productive and make sure I contribute in meetings. Stepping out of my comfort zone is not a choice for me, it is necessary to ensure I make the most of my time at work. What it also means, is that every moment at home also counts. And to ensure you attend important occasions such as sports days and parents’ evenings.

Organising your time I find works well. My husband and I are a great tag team. We know each other well and work hard together to ensure that between us we keep the household running alongside both having intense working days! Overall, I think we thrive this way, we don’t know any different and through many ups and downs now know what works for us.