Eglė joined SEB 9 years ago when she was a last-year university student. Now she has a lot of experience working with SEB clients – starting from the bank teller with private customers to the biggest Large corporates in Sweden.
She joined SEB for a short-term project but stayed for many years. “Every time when I ended up in a situation where I wanted to change something – a new position was offered to me. I’ve always had a path of growth,” – says Eglė. Read her story and find out what she likes the most about working at SEB.
When and how did you join SEB?
I am at SEB since 2014. I joined SEB Lithuania bank for a short 3-month agreement. My project was related to a country’s currency change – Lithuania was switching from litas to euro. I was just a last-year university student thinking that it was a great opportunity for me to get some experience. After 1 month my manager asked me if I would like to stay at SEB for a longer time. I agreed and that is where my journey began.
I’ve changed several positions since I joined. Every time when I ended up in a situation where I wanted to change something – a new position was offered to me. I’ve always had a path of growth. I think I’ve changed positions every 2-3 years.
Eglė Krištopaitytė
Title: Client Services Manager (Sweden)
Education: VGTU Economy
Personal Interests: books, theatre, music, horror movies, swimming
Tell me a bit about your current position.
I work as a Client Services Manager at SEB Global Services Vilnius. I work with Large Sweden corporates. My job is very complex. I’m not only solving issues and problems, but I am also involved in projects where we are helping customers to get their processes better. The most important part of my role is relationships. You need to know how to build that connection. Both with your colleagues and your clients.
I enjoy my work because it’s very dynamic and interesting. One day can be calm and organized, but the other day some problem could appear, so you need to react quickly and stay calm. That’s why it’s also important to know where to stop and how to rest and recharge.
Working with customers requires a lot of patience and concentration. How do you stay calm in those days when everything seems to go in an unexpected direction?
When you’re stressed, you’re not thinking straight. It’s better to have a short break if you feel overwhelmed.
And after the break you usually think – ok, it’s way easier than I thought. So always stay calm and have breaks to stop and think.
What would you suggest to a newcomer, who is working in a similar role like yours?
It differs from person to person. I would suggest not to push themselves too much. In the beginning, you need to be calm and take it step by step. If you are completely new to a banking system, you need to be interested in the sector, to get to know how things are working here. The most important thing in my job is the connection with the customer. You need to find your own way how to work with them. Every customer is different. You need to adjust a bit, but also find your way of working.
Most of all, experience comes by doing and learning from your or other’s mistakes. By being involved in the processes and understanding what and why is happening in the organization.
What do you enjoy the most about working at SEB?
That I am responsible for my own work. There are some rules on processes etc., but for most of the work I do, I can always plan myself. If I see that something is not working, I get help from my colleagues, from my manager. Also, I like the work-life balance that we have here.
We are a very self-driven and motivated department. My colleagues take on many responsibilities, they actively participate in the initiatives driven within the organization, etc. We motivate each other by doing and engaging, helping each other. There is no one thing that I like about working here – it is a little bit of everything.
What drives you the most in your work?
It’s people. I am an extrovert. All my jobs were related to people and services. On the one side it’s people you’re dealing with every day and there are people who you work with. Also, the manager and my team – the dynamics we have there are very important to me.
Tell me about your team. How do you work together? How do you build your relationships?
When I started at Cash Management Client Services department in 2018 it was a small team. We were expanding a lot as we were taking more and more customers and processes here at SEB Global Services Vilnius. What helps us build the team is also the challenges we overcome together.
What is a good manager for you?
I think the manager's role is very important. I don‘t like when someone micromanages me. I think receiving support and help when you need it is the most important thing. Also, the respect between each other no matter the titles. Standing behind you when something happens. I can say that I have that all.
Tell me a bit about your recent trip to New York.
I had an opportunity to work for a month and a half in the SEB New York office. I was going there to help them and to understand better how they are working and how our customers work in the USA market. I met a wonderful team and a wonderful department. It opened my eyes and gave me a more global perspective. The New York trip was my most memorable business trip ever. It was scary at the beginning, but I really enjoyed being there and sharing the experience.
What do you like to do in your free time to “recharge batteries”?
I am the kind of person who goes to rest not in the forest but in the city center. I recharge myself by walking around the city, seeing many people, sitting in nice coffee places, etc. I recharge from people, and I am usually the one who organizes meetups with friends and goes to concerts, and galleries. I am also the kind of person who 99% of the time will say yes to suggestions to try something new – to go to an unknown group concert, or some new activities. It’s always nice to see something new and interesting.
