Kinga Glama

I wanted to work closer to clients and I found that opportunity here

She recently finished her short-term assignment in Sydney, Australia, and has just started in her first fixed position. Despite doing a Risk traineeship, Kinga chose Wholesale Banking for this new role.

In this new chapter of her traineeship, Kinga expects to be able to combine her background in economics and psychology with the helicopter view of the banking industry which she developed during her three previous rotations in Risk. “During those assignments I saw different aspects that are important for how a successful bank functions.” Kinga says. “I am glad that this traineeship has given me the opportunity to find out what I like and where my strengths lie.”

‘A great place to start my traineeship’

“My first rotation was in the Compliance Innovation team, which is responsible for implementing fintech solutions for the Compliance space. It enabled me to develop a range of soft skills such as stakeholder and project management. I got the chance to work with a lot of different people, contribute to the team and work on my own projects. It was a great place to start my traineeship, and I am sure that the skills I learned will come in handy for the rest of my career.”

‘I learned how the bank’s commercial interests are balanced against risks they entail’

“For my second rotation I decided to explore the world of credit risk. This was quite a technical assignment with a focus on transactional approval for Wholesale Banking. I learned about different products that ING offers to Wholesale Banking clients and I gained a broad perspective on how the bank's commercial interests are balanced against risk interests. I liked the deep dive into companies to the extent that I chose Wholesale Banking for my fixed position.”

‘Australia had just reopened its borders, so the timing was perfect’

“But first, I got the amazing opportunity to do a short-term assignment in Sydney. Australia had just opened its borders for the first time after the pandemic, so the timing was perfect. The assignment was in market risk, which was a brand-new topic for me. ING Sydney is a small but rapidly developing branch, so quite a change in comparison to the headquarters in Amsterdam. I was surrounded by very supportive colleagues. I got the chance to see and learn a lot, both inside the office and while exploring the Australian outback in my free time.”

‘I’m looking forward to exploring my new position’

Her enthusiasm to do her first fixed position in Wholesale Banking remained and, perhaps surprisingly, Kinga chose first-line relationship management. “I wanted to work closer to clients, and this was a good opportunity to explore that. I expect to be able to put a lot of what I’ve learned in my past three assignments into practice here, especially in terms of soft skills. I am looking forward to exploring my new position and everything else that comes with being an alumna of ING’s traineeship programme.”

Kinga

  • Is originally from Gdynia, Poland
  • Chose to study in Aberdeen, Scotland, when she was 19
  • Did a joint master’s in Economics and Psychology
  • Graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a master’s in Economics, with a specialisation in Monetary Policy and Banking
  • Loves exploring small, independent cinemas, cycling through the city when the wind blows in the right direction, and walking on the beach. She also practices acrobatics, at the beginner’s level for now.

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