Sandra Brice
Head of Finance Development/CPO Finance, Risk and Data tribe in the Baltics
Education: Degree in Business Administration, BA School of Business and Finance (2006-2011).
Hobbies: Tennis, Ashtanga yoga, walks in the city.
Recommended hiking routes in Riga: Kronvalda Park, and Song Festival Park.
Recommended hiking routes in Stockholm: Djurgården Island, Drottningholm (Bromma).
What exactly does a person in your job do?
This is a Baltic-level role that can be divided into two parts. One is related to the development of financial solutions, the other one to the management of product, processes and technology strategy in the areas of finance, risk and data management as well as partially in the areas of financial crime prevention and sustainability. SEB’s development function internally is organised in agile way of working where development activities are carried out by teams of employees or, as we call them, – “tribes” and many of the processes in my area of responsibility are cross linked in terms of resources, prioritization and solution design. Therefore, the scope of responsibility is quite broad. For example, if it is necessary to change something in a supervisory reporting, our challenge is to understand how these changes should be implemented and what other related solutions it will affect. Do we have access to necessary data, does existing IT system landscape provide necessary capabilities or development of new tools or capabilities is required? You could say that my team is in the middle of demand for some innovations & changes and their daily application. Unlike the developers of specific banking products, where the boundaries of tasks and needs are relatively clear, our big challenge is to define and structure this “playing field” ourselves by accumulating facts from across the bank and ensuring effective communication with the stakeholders.
What would you mention as the main tasks that need to be accomplished in this job?
In a large organisation, the efficiency and internal culture are of great importance, because it may be that the organisation employs many talented people, but the result may not reach its full potential due to some structural limitations. That is one of my main focus areas – to recognise these opportunities and have a holistic and strategic view while being able to zoom into details when necessary. The internal organisational culture is also particularly important here, which in the case of SEB means a willingness to change, keep learning and improving yourself and the team and always do what’s best for the bank.
When and how did you start your career in the financial sector?
One of the first jobs I worked in parallel to my studies was at the insurance company Balta. I have been working at SEB since 2008, my first job was in the leasing company. Within a few years, I was part of the SEB Leasing management team, but from October 2013, I moved to SEB banka becoming Head of Risk department. In 2016, an opportunity arose to continue my career at the bank’s headquarters in Stockholm. Initially, I was offered a one-year contract at the SEB Group level in Sweden but ended up spending more than eight years there. My work involved managing large scale transformations across different regions and various functional areas of the bank. It was not about developing a specific product in a single country, but about changes in the governance, processes, technologies and solutions on a global level.
What qualities do you need to have to do this job?
This requires systemic thinking, as it is often necessary to implement a new structure or framework where it does not yet exist. You need to be able to see the big picture while also zoom into details to understand the context and where change is needed. Additionally, you must be able to communicate complex things in a simple way that people can grasp, as well as take and execute necessary decisions. I think I am good at this, so there was the opportunity to not only “hold on to the job" but also to grow at the SEB Group managerial level.
The three main values of SEB banka as an employer are relationship building, curiosity and sustainability. What have these values meant in your career, what have they given you?
All three have been of decisive importance. I would particularly like to emphasise the training and development opportunities that SEB offers to its employees. There are two benefits – knowledge and the opportunity to make new contacts. Just as former students support each other, participants in the SEB education programme recognise, collaborate and support each other in their future work. This is a great value because mutual trust is built in the relationship. This is something unique in our organisation. For me, as someone who has grown less through academic learning and learnt more through doing, trust has been particularly important. Trust, in turn, is based on a person’s desire to learn and do something new, as well as openness and regular networking. People appreciate this and are willing to trust you.
Does working at SEB’s headquarters mean working locally in Stockholm?
Yes, for more than eight years I had two homes, one in Stockholm and one in Riga. It was difficult at the very beginning because as a relatively young person, I found myself in a team of mature people, and as a Latvian, I had to familiarise myself with the Swedish business culture, mindset and environment. It was immensely helpful that I had access to mentors who trusted, guided and helped to gain confidence in myself so that I was able to increase respect, esteem and trust in the team. In general, SEB differs from other large organisations because of this family-like, strong support for colleagues. In Stockholm, I first worked on a project implementing Basel requirements on effective risk data aggregation and risk reporting, and after a year I moved to risk function. There I was coordinating the annual review of the liquidity risk measures and stress testing as well as developing a strategy to centralise and automate processes to the SEB Global Services in Riga. I also oversaw the implementation of this strategy, which covered the 16 countries where SEB was represented. One of the key achievements of my team during this time was the digitalisation initiative, which ensured the migration of data and system to the external cloud. Later, I worked with credit and customer approval process and led business development at the SEB Group Credits. It included new technologies, changes in processes and governance, to also incorporate sustainability, financial sanctions and financial crime prevention into customer approval process.
Why did you decide to return to Latvia?
They were mainly private considerations – the frequent flights from Sweden to Latvia and back began to tire me out over time. My husband and I had decided that we would prefer to be based in Riga at the moment. So although I could stay and work in the Group, I gladly accepted the opportunity to continue my career in a Baltic role in Latvia. These years have been valuable for me because I have understood how a large organisation is run and have been involved in important decisions in a bank that employs around 17 thousand people worldwide.
In your opinion, what are the main differences between Swedish and Baltic work culture, and attitude towards work?
Firstly, it is about the way decisions are made. Swedes talk and discuss thoroughly the matter that needs to be solved and make sure that everyone has understood it the same way. But when this period of discussion is over and a decision has been made, the execution is relatively quick and synchronized. In the Baltic states, the opposite often happens – we make decisions quickly, but when it comes to implementation, it turns out that we have understood things somewhat differently, the goal is only partially clear and therefore the implementation becomes more challenging. Secondly, there is a strong tendency in Sweden towards consensus in decision-making, which takes precedence over the individual decisions. I know that we are fast and can get a lot done in a short time, but the fact that we do not fully coordinate and anchor with everyone involved often causes us delays in the implementation. We have become accustomed to working at a high pace in an overload mode, sometimes forgetting that if we invest a little more time in the initial planning phase, we can save the time needed to correct changes and various misunderstandings later.
What qualities does a person need to have to qualify for a career at the Group level, which in SEB’s case could be compared to the top-tier sports?
Firstly, I would emphasise such as positive tolerance that is aimed at listening, learning and being willing to change. In my job, it is important to support multiple teams with different goals and needs at the same time. Therefore, you must be able to compromise to find a common denominator and come to a result. Communication skills that unite, engage and inspire people are important.
In Latvia, there is a lot of discussion about the taxation of banks, about lending. Can similar processes be observed in Sweden?
Swedish society has historically been much longer and more thoroughly educated in financial matters, so the people’s understanding of personal financial planning and the possibilities of the financial markets is much higher. Also on a national level, it allows you to make rational and logical decisions, without complicating things unnecessarily, without burdening the investment climate and business development opportunities.
How do you manage to keep your energy in such an intensive work mode?
Firstly, good sleep is important, and secondly, physical activity. For me, that means tennis, Ashtanga yoga and hiking in forest and by the sea. My favourite routes in Riga are walking from Kronvalda Park to Song Festival Park and along the Kurzeme seashore. In Stockholm, I can recommend Djurgården Island and Drottningholm to walking enthusiasts, where there is a picturesque landscape with a royal castle and gardens. Thirdly, quality time with family and friends is a great source of joy and energy for me.
