Kristaps Puriņš: If you prove your skills, you will get a lot of opportunities

If you are using SEB platform to buy company shares, Global Process Manager Kristaps Puriņš is making sure you get what you buy and that your transaction is carried out in a smooth and precise manner – just as you would expect. “My job is to make sure that the process of buying and selling shares through SEB is world-class not just from the customer experience point of view, but it also meets all requirements from regulators and other stakeholders,” says Kristaps.

Tell us about your journey in SEB!

Five years ago I joined the Derivatives Confirmation team within the Trading Operations department. These five years have been dynamic for me and I have changed quite a few roles, but all of them have been related to transactions with equities and how these transactions are processed within SEB.

After a year in my initial position, I had the feeling that I am ready for more challenges, so I went for cross training in the Fixed Income Settlement team. After a while I transferred to Sweden and spent six months there participating in the relocation of equities operations functions from Stockholm to Riga. When I returned, I became the Global Process Expert, and I spent two more months in Sweden for cross training.

As of January 2021, I have taken the next challenge and become the Global Process Manager in Equities and Cleared Derivatives Operations.

Tell us more about your responsibilities!

In my area changes are never-ending. Some are induced by legislation changes or new regulatory requirements, because equity trading is a tightly regulated area. Other changes are caused by implementation of new IT systems. On top of that, we are always looking for opportunities to improve our own ways of working.

So my job is to make sure that our processes can run smoothly in this environment of constant changes, and we are compliant with all regulatory requirements. I have to follow the market news to understand if and how processes such as Brexit are impacting our operations.

A big part of my day consists of attending meetings with stakeholders in Stockholm and London. We are introducing and updating a lot of IT systems, and introducing new robotics and scripting solutions to improve our speed and efficiency, and I am involved in these areas as well. I am also responsible for a small team of experts which I can rely on.

What do you like best about your work?

There’s no routine. A lot of my work involves solving problems which haven’t been solved before, and I really enjoy this process. It is like piecing a puzzle, and every situation requires a unique solution.

I am the representative of Latvia in our Equities and trading tribe within SEB, which is our new concept of agile collaboration, and I must say it has really improved the way we work together across different countries on a daily basis.

What’s it like working in SEB?

We have an environment where everyone, including the managers on all levels, is open, positive and forthcoming. SEB also excels in developing the talents of their employees, especially in the area of leadership. I have yet to meet a bad manager in SEB, and so far I have had eight managers.

Another great thing is that if you prove your skills, you will get a lot of opportunities, and it is up to you to take them.

Also, SEB understands that everyone is different and has different ambitions. You can become a leader of a team or take responsibilities for managing processes, or you can remain in your position as an expert, and be a valued employee in any of these scenarios.

What do you enjoy doing after work?

I like boxing and playing basketball, football, ice hockey, and I am fairly skilled in all of these disciplines. But what I am really passionate about is fishing. I am one of those guys who can get up at two o’clock in the morning, summer or winter, just to get the best fishing spot.