Business Services

Christina Norrbring

Head of Business Services

Great place to learn about banking from the ground up

“Once the sale is completed, our job starts. We work with the bank’s deliveries every day and make sure everything works,” says Christina Norrbring, who heads the Business Services unit and is leading SEB’s automation journey.

Christina Norrbring has a long career at SEB and has moved among various parts of the bank’s operations. She joined SEB in 2008 in the Technology division, where she was in charge of 1,200 employees in IT development. After just over a decade, she became head of business development for the Swedish banking division, Corporate & Private Customers.

She has now gone over to the Business Services unit, where she leads some 1,700 employees. They are the link between customers and the bank and make sure that all practical matters work surrounding loans, handling of funds, trading settlements, customer reports and enquiries from authorities.

“We work with all of the bank’s customer segments in all countries and in all markets,” she says. “Our largest units are in Riga, Vilnius, Stockholm, and Singapore. Business Services is an essential part of the customer delivery and a great place to learn banking for real.”

As head of Business Services, Christina is leading the work with SEB’s automation journey. This entails fully automated processes as far as possible, where customers’ transactions can be performed directly without manual handling by the bank’s employees. This transformation is being conducted with the help of robot programming and to a growing extent with machine learning and AI.

The aim is to improve the customer experience, shorten lead times and increase accessibility 24 hours a day.

“Of course, there are complex matters that require human dialogue. But in many cases, customers expect a greater amount of automation,” Christina explains. “A customer applying for a home mortgage does not want to wait for manual handling, but instead wants an answer immediately to be able to cancel, refinance or pay off a loan on their own. The same goes for businesses. They don’t want to have to call someone to get a report on their bank data or make a change to their banking arrangement.”

Greater automation also reduces the risk for errors. The more manual work that is done, the higher the risk is for an error.

How is it working for a bank?

It’s not at all like people think. Now I have had the good fortune to be part of the transformation that the entire banking sector is currently undergoing, with digitalisation as the main driver. It’s very exciting! Since I have worked in various parts of the bank, I have also had the opportunity to see this development from many perspectives.

It also adds an extra dimension to work in a societally essential company that plays a vital role in keeping the wheels of the economy rolling. It’s stimulating to feel a sense of purpose of why you go to work.

What advice would you give yourself as a younger person?

Take it a little easy. It’s not important to have your career crystal-clear and charted out. On the contrary: Take opportunities as they come but be cognizant of what energises you and not only what others think is important. Trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to try something new.

If you want to work for a bank, Business Services is a great place. Here you get insight into the bank’s entire customer deliver and all its business processes.

Inga Burmeistere

Team manager at Client Data Management, SEB Global Services

Inga's career story: seizing growth opportunities

Inga started her career at SEB five years ago, changing her field of work from aviation to finance. In January of this year, Inga became a team manager, and she admits that these five years have been full of learning, new experiences, and challenges, but Inga saw an opportunity to develop and grow in every challenge.

How did your path in SEB begin? Did you deliberately choose a job in a bank?

Before that, I worked in the aviation field for more than six years. Daily, I faced various challenges, primarily – with clients, addressing their questions. I realized that I had grown out of this position and therefore I was looking for a job in another industry, where I could not only perform my daily duties but also influence processes, improve them, and introduce new ideas. I don't like routine. I know that many people consider the bank to be a boring workplace, but when I read the job advertisement, I noticed that the list of duties was different from what I had seen before. I felt that there would be an opportunity to challenge myself, and my intuition did not fail me. Currently, I work with colleagues from many countries around the world – Singapore, China, and Europe – and no two days are the same.

Did you have to learn a lot about work processes and systems when changing the field of activity?

Yes, of course, but the process of learning the duties was organized and I was surrounded by knowledgeable colleagues all the time, there was also a mentor to whom I could ask questions, and online lessons were available that I could learn independently at a time convenient for me. I am curious by nature. I like to understand how processes work. I usually don't limit myself to my duties but try to explore other related processes as well. If you have an initiative or ideas, there is always an opportunity to improve something.

Why is it important to be open to new knowledge and opportunities?

SEB is a dynamic international environment, new opportunities to learn or improve your skills are constantly appearing here. You can get involved in a new project group, which will allow you not only to learn something new about bank processes and participate in their improvement but also to meet new colleagues and possibly gain work experience abroad. I have participated in a project where I worked in Sweden for several months and it was a great experience!

You became a team leader in January. Please tell me how you reached this new career milestone.

I have worked in this team since the first day at SEB. I feel good here, I have colleagues around me who have supported me every step of the way. During these five years, I have used various opportunities to improve myself – I learned from people around me, analyzed daily processes improved them, and participated in the development of completely new processes. I feel satisfied and happy about the opportunity to take the next step and lead a team that I have known for so long and with which many challenges have been overcome.

I take my new responsibilities very seriously and currently, my main priority as a team leader is my colleagues' well-being, development, and growth. I try to encourage my colleagues in the same way that the management once encouraged me – to show initiative, to step out of my comfort zone, and to propose ideas even in cases when I do not yet know if and how they can be implemented.

What support does SEB offer if you are in doubt about the next step in your career?

There are many opportunities to move forward. We have knowledge platforms Campus and Pluralsight with learning materials on a wide range of topics, from finance and technology to psychology and leadership. Development coaches are available to help you understand what direction you want to go and what skills you need. At SEB, you can find many opportunities to develop your career not only vertically, but also horizontally – we have many business areas and each of them has different work tasks. It is not always possible to understand in which field you will be able to find a better application of your abilities, therefore we also have internal career days and opportunities to shadow colleagues in other departments, as well as an internal job advertisement portal. Everything is in your hands!

What would you recommend to people who are considering joining SEB?

I would say – if you have the desire to grow and develop, here will be the right place for you. Here, learning is part of the internal culture. People are supportive and open to new ideas and your initiative will not go unnoticed. There are also many opportunities to enjoy being together with colleagues and "recharge your batteries" without leaving the office – visiting the gym, game room, library, in warm weather – enjoying the panorama of Riga from the roof terrace. This environment and people inspire me every day!

Levan Elashvili

Process Area Specialist, SEB Global Services

Continuous learning – Levan’s key to a future-proof career

Levan came to Riga from Georgia to finish his education, completed his Master’s degree and now is studying for PhD. But learning is not only about degrees for him, it is also his general approach to life and career – he is passionately curious about everything he encounters and is making the most of his journey. Read the story about the restart of his career in a new country and making his knowledge and skills future-proof through continuous learning.

How did your journey with SEB start?

About a year ago I was looking for a job. As I like to make decisions based on information from various sources, I did small research involving my connections in LinkedIn and university peers and concluded that SEB might be a good place to restart my career here in Riga. I had a good financial background from my work experiences in Georgia, but coming to a different country I decided that I would start from a more junior level and prove myself in order to move forward with my career. So, I applied for a Bank Operations Specialist position in SEB.

What was your initial impression about SEB and did that change over time? 

I had heard some positive feedback before and I was not new to the world of finance, so in terms of the job itself there were no big surprises, however I was surprised with the environment I found here. Everyone including my colleagues and manager were very welcoming, caring, and willing to share knowledge to help me fit in faster. I have worked in big companies before and have not experienced such culture before, it is really all about the people.

What do you do on daily basis?

I work in Foundation Services. We provide different types of financial services to foundations based in Sweden – from accounting and salary managing to taxes and reports. 

What do you like about your job?

Freedom to plan my time according to my schedule, work more when I am most productive and managing my own tasks. I know my responsibilities and what deadlines I should meet, and I can plan accordingly with no micromanagement or tension from management side. I enjoy partially working from home too, to have more time to spend with my family instead of sitting in traffic. I genuinely like spending time with my colleagues. Whenever we meet in the office, we all are smiling and happy to be there. Our team is quite diverse, we have colleagues from different countries. 

Sharing knowledge about my culture and learning about other cultures helps us understand each other and work better as a team. 

You seem to enjoy learning a lot. What opportunities do you use to learn here?

In SEB we have a learning platform called Campus, there I have found numerous learnings, tutorials and presentations on processes and work of other departments. I am curious how processes work, how my colleagues in other departments work because I believe learning will help me be better at my job and understand all the processes we are involved in, so I spend a lot of time learning. Last year I spent 150 hours in Campus and additionally, when I want to see some processes in action, I apply for shadowing colleagues. Sometimes I learn tips and tricks to do my work faster and better. This is also something I appreciate about the SEB culture – your willingness to learn and improve is always supported. 

Is there something you are excited about in the future?

Finishing my PhD and exploring what the future of banking services will look like.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I like spending time outdoors. In the summer me and my family usually go to Kalngale to enjoy the seaside, but in winter we go for long walks in the forest nearby our house. Spending time outdoors recharges my batteries and helps me prepare for the next working day.

What would you say to anyone considering joining SEB team?

I would say, no matter if you are an experienced professional or just starting your career path, here you will find opportunities to learn and grow using your talents and skills. To me, curiosity is the main driver for progress, so stay curious and keep learning – that way you will ensure your expertise is valid on the job market for years to come.

Yuliya Eremina

Team Manager at Corporate Actions Global Custody, SEB Global Services

The art of relationship – Yuliya’s key to success

She came to do an interview for her Master’s thesis but ended up staying as an employee and later becoming a manager – this is Yuliya’s story. Before that, she already had a job as a designer and thought that a bank would probably be a rather boring place to work. However, it took one interview and some encouragement by a colleague to change her mind and apply for a job at SEB. Now, 5 years later, she is a team manager encouraging others to leave their stereotypes behind and discover the exciting world of finance. Learn more about Yuliya’s story.

How did your journey with SEB start?

Although I was studying finance, I could not imagine myself working in a bank, because I have always had a creative side that I thought would not be used working in a financial institution. But then I started doing research for my Master’s thesis, and I was looking for someone to interview, and there was an SEB employee I reached out to. The interview with him made me look at finance from another perspective, and he actually encouraged me to apply for a job. Even though I did not have previous experience in finance – I applied and got interviewed by three managers for three different teams. I made the decision based on my gut feeling, joined the Corporate Actions team, and soon after, I was already diving into new experiences and absorbing all the information I possibly could. 

How did you grow to become a team manager?

With the support of my team and managers I learned and explored all the processes around me. After a few years, an opportunity emerged for me to move to the Global Custody department where I became a Global Process Expert, which was the time when, thanks to my managers, I really understood the importance of soft skills and what it means to lead and support a team. Soon after, I had my own team – 14 colleagues to whom I was now a mentor and supporter. Suddenly everything fell into place, and those great connections and relationships I had built before allowed me to feel good in my position and help my department reach great results.

What was your initial impression about SEB, and did that change over time?

As I said, I didn’t think a career in a bank would be something exciting for me. To my surprise, there was not that much routine – every day was different, with new experiences, and the Swedish work environment makes everyone – from teammates to senior management – approachable and supportive – it made me love my job even more. 

What does your department do to support customers?

We remove borders for investors by being the bridge between them and the global markets, there is no longer a need to travel to be able to purchase shares or invest in companies abroad, the client can just simply come to SEB and we will help. We also support other functions like transactions, dividends and tax reporting. Our customers are both from the private sector as well as businesses and corporations. We work behind the scenes to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

What is special about your team, what is its superpower?

We have very diverse responsibilities within the team, allowing to cover different parts of processes and we support each other every step of the way. In our team, we cross-train and shadow each other to understand what is the role of every colleague and the overall process that we contribute towards as a team. New ideas and initiatives are always welcome, as we all have the same goal – to work in the most efficient way and make decisions that will help our customers succeed in the long term. 

Because we are a team of creative individuals, that are always looking for new experiences, we not only work together, but we also do different kinds of activities together after work such as bowling or painting for example. So, I would say our superpower is teamwork and curiosity.

You mentioned Swedish work environment. What does it mean to you?

It’s all the things I have experienced here during different periods of my career and life. The support, genuine care, and interest in my development that people have shown and that I am now trying to give to my team members. It’s the general approach to problem-solving, searching for the best solution not just for the moment, but for the long term. It is about respecting and nurturing work-life balance. I am a mom of a 2-year-old, and I can truly experience the supportive environment that we have here at SEB. It’s about always having opportunities to develop and grow if you really want it – you can feel the output if you really put in the work. And it is about building relationships that will help you grow professionally and personally.

What would you say to anyone considering joining SEB team?

If you want to learn, grow, experience an inclusive and supportive culture, and use your talents to create a positive impact, no matter if you have the experience or not – this is the place where you can do it. This is the place where the community will push you forward to fulfil your potential.