Jeļena Uļjanovska
AML Monitoring Officer
Jelena's story – environment and people that help you grow
Jeļena has gained considerable experience in the field of customer service. For more than a year now, she has been working as a transaction monitoring specialist in the Estonian market at SEB Global Services Riga. With her persistent character and attention to detail, she has become a valuable team member and an inspiration to many of her colleagues. Jeļena acknowledges that her professional relationships at SEB have contributed to her career growth and inspired her to achieve new goals.
Tell us about your experience at SEB.
I have been working at SEB for 11 years. For the first 10 years, I worked in the customer service branch, where my duties were very different from those at Global Services Riga. For the past year, I have been working as a transaction monitoring specialist in the Estonian market. My daily duties include analyzing suspicious transactions and preparing various reports. I still use the knowledge I gained in the customer service industry, as I dealt extensively with anti-money laundering (AML) issues and worked under bank instructions. Now, working at GSR, I have gained in-depth AML experience thanks to the training and hands-on practical work.
Why did you choose AML?
After working in the customer service branch for a long time, everything started to feel very similar and monotonous. It is very important to constantly grow and seek new opportunities. After reviewing all the open positions at SEB, I noticed that AML caught my attention the most. I really like the fact that my work is not monotonous. Every day I encounter different alerts where I have to track the financial steps of a client. Now, after being here for a while, I can safely say that I made the right choice because I learn something new every day, and I have been fortunate to have a very friendly and supportive team.
In your opinion, how have professional relationships helped you move forward both at work and in your personal life?
Every colleague I have met, both at the branch and here at the Gustav’s office, has helped me develop personally and professionally. I still have good contact with my former colleagues. One of my branch colleagues, after hearing my story about my experience in the AML department, was encouraged to make a change and switch her position to the AML department as well. My colleagues throughout my career have helped me set new goals and move forward in both my career and personal life.
Tell us about your current team’s environment and dynamics.
In my current team, both colleagues and managers are very supportive and understanding. Our work is mostly remote, so we unfortunately do not get to meet as often as we would like. Every Wednesday, we meet for a joint meeting and lunch. In my opinion, these traditions are very important to practice in every team, as they allow you to get to know your colleagues from a completely different perspective. For example, I was surprised to learn that one of my colleagues, with whom I have been working for half a year, is a certified guide in Riga’s Old Town. At one team-building event after karting, while waiting for lunch, he told us about the history of Riga.
What do you think is the most important thing to feel good at your workplace?
In my opinion, one of the most important things is a positive relationship with colleagues, especially for me, as a communicative person. I am very good at finding a common language with everyone. Then the work is completed smoothly and successfully with good results. Personally, I have gained a lot from my colleagues by listening to their experience stories. It makes me feel safe that I can always speak freely about what I do or do not like, or just express my thoughts in general.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I am not the kind of person who will sit calmly and read books or watch TV series. I like to spend my free time actively – running or walking, which gives me the greatest energy boost.
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