Global Transaction Banking UK, Santander

GTB (Global Transaction Banking) UK provides origination, execution and product support capabilities for Santander Corporate & Investment Bank (“SCIB”) clients. This includes marketing support / transaction assessment / transaction approval/processing advice and support, across the different sectors.

The Transaction Banking team at Santander Corporate & Investment Bank is a client facing origination and advisory team, providing the following services to our corporate and financial institution client base:

– Cash Management: providing bank accounts/payment services and liquidity management to a corporate and financial institution client base.
– Export Solutions: supporting the import/export of goods and services, including capital equipment and structured trade solutions.
– Working Capital Solutions: supporting clients to optimise their working capital position, allowing the release of trapped cash or to achieve particular client goals.

The GTB team has been shortlisted for the Team Diversity Award.

How does it feel to be shortlisted for our Team Diversity Award?

We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the Team Diversity Award. Our team of 49 is built from twelve different nationalities coming from seven diverse financial institutions. Women represent 39% of our team. This diversity allows us to create an inclusive safe space where individuals can grow and achieve their goals and it makes us proud to have been shortlisted for the Award.

How does your team contribute to diversity within your organisation?

It is the responsibility of all teams to contribute towards the diversity of an organisation. For us, we contribute by always trying to do the right thing and actively pressing for change. Our team has consistently highlighted the importance of diversity and has senior managers being remunerated on their achievement on delivering the team’s goals. We also approach recruitment with a diversity agenda ensuring we have a range of seniority in our team members that will allow longer-term embedded diversity solutions.

What are the star qualities of your team?

Delivering any agenda is reliant on a team delivering its overall commercial goals. Here our relentless focus on achieving our objectives provides us with the ability to successfully drive our diversity and inclusion targets. The star qualities to drive this are actively collaborating, treating individuals with respect, and speaking up where behaviours are not appropriate.

Why do you think recognising teams in awards such as the WIBF Awards is so important?

The WIBF Awards say loud and clear that diversity, equality and inclusion are part of the core mission of the financial sector. We understand the importance of strengthening these values across all financial organisations, and we see this award as an opportunity to encourage other institutions to drive their diversity agenda.

What lessons do you think other organisations could learn from your team around diversity and inclusion?

In delivering a diversity and inclusion agenda a number of key learnings stand-out for us. These include all stakeholders being part of any conversation, individuals owning, and being assessed, their delivery of a diversity agenda, and realistic goals being set as part of a more ambitious vision. However, the key component is being open to change. With this it allows goals to be embedded in an organisation and the status quo to be challenged.

What new projects have your team got coming up?

We have a number of key projects currently on-going in support of our diversity agenda. These include broadening the representation of women on our senior leadership team. We are also focused on delivering learning opportunities at all levels within the team to allow personal growth and experience to support future growth in diversity. Longer-term the key goal is to bring women to an executive committee level within the business.