Quick profile
- Nationality: American
- University: MSc Investment Management at Cass Business School
- Position: Executive, Analyst in WMAM - Emerging Markets
- Interests: Basketball, football, golf, playing cards
- High points: Joining the Emerging Markets team on a permanent basis.
- Low points: Apparently non (o;
I wanted to work in an international investment bank because I wanted to be where the action is; right at the centre of the financial world - where the decisions they take can actually move markets.
I chose WestLB because I was impressed with them when I came for an interview. They were the kind of people I could see myself working with - friendly, considerate, energetic and extremely intelligent. They were an amazingly diverse bunch too, from every culture and background you could imagine.
Also, I felt WestLB was where I would learn the most about my future trade, as I’d be getting hands-on experience and doing real work really soon after starting.
WestLB is different from other banks. It is well known in both emerging and developed markets. Which means the spread of work is really interesting.
It is also starting to trend upwards after a difficult phase, so there is lots of opportunity for ambitious individuals like me.
The rotation programme at WestLB is attractive, too. You get four, three month stints in different parts of your chosen business area. So you really get a broad picture of what’s involved. And because they work in small teams here, you can get really involved. If you put the effort in, you get real opportunities.
I get along well with my boss and I’ve been given quite a lot of responsibility. More than I expected, really. And so long as I articulate my opinions clearly and back them up with facts and statistics, my opinions are always taken into account.
In fact, I’ve found that senior colleagues treat me just as they do other colleagues, as one of the team. Intellectually, the job is very stimulating as the markets are constantly changing, so there is always something to learn. And the people are really great to work with. In fact, WestLB is a great place to work all round.
Everything is positive - the flexibility, the community environment, the support and the people. They are also very clear with you about what you have to do to get on. So you can always see your way forward, which can be very motivating. And you always feel that if you’re stuck or have a problem, all you have to do is ask.
You have a mentor, a senior manager from a different part of the Bank, who can be a great help, if you need to find out something about how the Bank works or you want to bounce ideas off someone neutral. And HR are also very supportive if you have any sort of problem.
You also have a close graduate community, which includes the current and past year’s graduates. They’re a great group of people, all willing to help each other.
And you get a good work-life balance here. My typical hours are 8:00 to 18:30. So compared to other graduate programmes you hear about, there’s plenty of room for life outside work.
“They were the kind of people I could see myself working with – friendly, considerate, energetic and extremely intelligent”
Marc Melendez