Agnė Šimkūnienė: "I work in a bank, but I can’t get you a loan"
- Title Specialist, Procurements and Payables at SEB Global Services
- Education Master’s degree in Law, Mykolas Romeris University
- Personal interests Reading books and seeing the world
“My first job was also related to finance: I worked as a debt collector. But I quickly realised that I want to do something more, so I went to work in a large global services centre in Vilnius. Then I worked at a law office, and in 2017 I got a chance to join SEB as a procurement specialist. In my current role I can grow and develop additional competences such as my communication skills,” says Agne, but most of all she enjoys helping her colleagues.
- Title: Specialist, Procurements and Payables at SEB Global Services
- Education: Master’s degree in Law, Mykolas Romeris University
- Personal interests: Reading books and seeing the world
“My first job was also related to finance: I worked as a debt collector. But I quickly realized that I want to do something more, so I went to work in a large global services centre in Vilnius. Then I worked at a law office, and in 2017 I got a chance to join SEB as a procurement specialist. In my current role I can grow and develop additional competences such as my communication skills,” says Agne, but most of all she enjoys helping her colleagues.
Tell us about your previous career and how did you join SEB
After the university I got my first job at a debt recovery agency. My job was to call people and ask them when they will pay back their loans. After a while I realized that this is not my limit and I want to do something that helps me broaden my horizons. Besides, it was a small, local company, and I decided I want to try working in a larger organization. So, I joined one of the largest business service centres in Lithuania as an analyst, and I spent almost two years in this role. By then I had finished my master’s degree in law, and I decided to do something about it. I joined a law office as a legal assistant, however, I soon realized that I didn’t like the kind of work I had to do there. There was too much stress, and the team was not right for me. So again, I decided to try something new. It turned out that my previous manager had a former colleague who was now working for SEB and was looking for new team members. He recommended me. I went to a couple of interviews and here I am, working for SEB since middle of 2017.
Tell us more about your responsibilities
I am responsible for maintenance of our self-service procurement system. SEB employees are using this system whenever they need to buy some smaller things, for instance office supplies. Most of the users of this system are from Sweden and Germany, but we are working to on-board colleagues from other countries as well. As procurement specialists we make sure that our colleagues get a good choice from suppliers and fair prices. Most of the procurements are for purchasing stationary supplies, furniture, IT equipment or smartphones, but from time to time we are helping to buy something more unusual such as hoodies and T-shirts. Also, we are providing the first line of support mostly for Sweden, but also Finland, Denmark, Germany, Norway, the UK, US and Baltics – tasks like handling of invoices, travel and expenses report management etc.
What keeps you motivated and energized?
I like the variety of tasks and the necessity to multitask. For me, the feeling that I am helping someone is very satisfying. The feeling that my efforts are appreciated motivates me to do my best.
In what areas would you like to develop yourself in the future?
I have worked in my role for almost four years. I have ambitions to grow and become a senior procurement specialist. Besides procurement, I am also interested in communication. I am now studying to get my second bachelor’s degree – this time in public relations, and sometimes when I am able, I like to help my communication colleagues with their projects and learn from them. I don’t have any immediate plans to switch to working in communication. I see it as a universal skill you can use in any role.
What’s it like working in SEB?
Whenever you tell someone that you work for a bank, they ask how can I help them get a loan. Then I have to explain that I am actually not working with loans and I don’t know all the conditions for getting a loan. We have a great team and enjoy being a part of it. I enjoy the diversity of people in SEB and the open culture where people are friendly and helpful.
What do you enjoy doing after work?
There are a lot of things I enjoy. I like to read books and to discuss them later with my friends. I enjoy travelling. We have crossed the Europe from Lithuania to Switzerland on a motorcycle, and it was quite an adventure. I like to run and sometimes I relax simply by watching some TV, meeting friends or helping my parents in the garden.
