It was a pleasure to host seasoned Chief Risk Officer and experienced senior executive, Rick Hunkin, at our WIBF Edinburgh event on 21st November. With a fantastic turn out at HSBC’s lovely city centre office, participants were treated to a relaxed, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable night.
Rick provided the audience with an honest reflection of his journey from the branch network, where he was told by managers to ‘shave and smarten up’, to the boardrooms of some of the largest financial organisations in the UK. The various barriers he has faced along the way include his initial lack of a university degree, working with powerful and challenging colleagues and not being seen as a typical senior leader, which sometimes meant fighting harder to be heard. He believes in the value of each individual and collaborating with others to solve problems, a key tip for us all to use in situations we may not be comfortable resolving on our own.
It was a fascinating insight into the mind of an intelligent, passionate, driven executive and perhaps the simplest message was also the most stark – the only real barriers we face are usually the ones we put there ourselves.
Thank you to all attendees for contributing to a great event.
Distinguished Speakers