Careers City Rising Star, Trina Knowles is a Risk and Business Manager for RBS International Banking’s Transaction Services business. She joined RBS in 2006 and has held a number of roles across the Group’s Corporate and International Banking divisions, and is also Global Strategy Manager for RBS Group’s Focused Women’s Network, an employee network with over 7,000 members across 30 countries.
Prior to RBS, Trina read Politics at Swansea University and spent a number of years in Industrial Relations before converting to computing via a postgraduate course at Cardiff University. She then spent three years at Oxfam managing the Marketing Analysis team and managed a national database project for the British Red Cross.
Tell us a little bit about a day in the life of a Risk & Business Manager
I work within a Front Office sales team focusing on Transaction Services for Financial Institutions clients. My role covers many of the elements required to run a successful business, such as finance, people, risk, infrastructure, strategy. My primary objectives are to develop and manage internal and external stakeholder relationships to ensure that my business is both represented within the wider Group and has the information and insight necessary to serve its clients effectively. In a typical day I will cover everything from analysing sales performance or industry bench marking, agreeing business requirements for management information or business improvement projects, consulting with sales colleagues about their portfolios, contributing to strategic plans, and preparing presentations on business performance giving insight to senior level management.
What did you study or what experience did you obtain in order to get in to your current role?
My background in politics and industrial relations at first sight seems at odds with my more recent career in Financial Services, however there’s a key theme – take a large amount of complex information, understand and articulate the problem, and find a solution. The logic remains the same whether the environment is employment law or banking and finance. In each role I have focused on how I can add value to the business and how I can quantify benefits.
Determination and a small amount of rebelliousness has also played a factor – I was once told I would never get a job in banking because of my ‘not for profit’ background!
What do you most enjoy about your role?
On a day to day basis I speak with colleagues all over the world. I love that I might be speaking to people in Singapore in the morning and the US in the afternoon with Italy or Germany or India in the middle!
Working with a global team can have its challenges, but it’s rewarding and definitely one I enjoy.
I also enjoy the breadth of my role and having the opportunity to work with senior leaders. There are very few jobs which offer this level of exposure to different cultures and leadership styles.
Can you tell us a little bit about what is great about working for the Royal Bank of Scotland Group?
Without a doubt, RBS Group has some great people and I’ve made a number of good friends over the years. I’m continually impressed and inspired by the hard work and dedication exhibited across the organisation, in particular from my RBS Focused Women colleagues who willingly give up their personal time to volunteer for fundraising, networking and personal development events. The diversity of opportunities for development and career growth are evident, and senior management willingly support flexible working or career development requests if you can demonstrate the benefits and how you will make it work for your role and your department.
Do you network either internal or externally?
I’ve always been a great networker, mainly because I’m quite sociable! I attend both internal and external RBS Focused Women’s Network events as Global Strategy Manager, and I’m a member of Women In Banking & Finance. Given my career background, I will often attend charity events. I am quite active with my network, whether introducing someone to a potential mentor or sharing details of a job vacancy.
It’s reciprocal – if you support other people, they will support you.
Tell us about your own career aspirations?
I would like to return to working in the Not for Profit sector at board level, so my long term career focus is on developing the leadership experience and skills necessary to support this. In the short term, I use my appraisals and feedback during the year to identify my development needs and tackle them head on.
I enjoy a challenge so I can be quite demanding if I’m not being stretched.
What advice would you give to someone wanting a career in Business Management?
I work in business management but I have also worked in both Industrial Relations and IT based professions. Whatever career path you choose, be determined, be realistic and don’t give up. Think creatively to get the education and experience required – there are plenty of opportunities if you look for them, such as part-time study, volunteering, work shadowing, secondments, mentoring, project initiatives. In everything you do, keep it simple and demonstrate how you add value. Then deliver it.
Oh, and a sense of humour helps…
