I started as a Danske Bank trainee in 2001 at the Nytorv branch in Copenhagen. In spring 2007 I was appointed deputy manager of the Odder branch. On a scale of one to ten the gap between what I do now and what I did when I first started is around nine. I was trained as a personal customer adviser and I have remained in this area ever since. But since becoming branch director I have had to wave goodbye to my customers to make way for my management roles – a change that I see as extremely positive.
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Kristian Knudsen, 27 years |
Qualifications: Mathematics diploma, one-year HH (Higher commercial examination), Danske Bank Trainee
Job title: Deputy manager
Location: Odder Branch
Experience: Joined Group in 2001 |
Age no barrier
Although I am relatively young to be a deputy manager, I have not noticed any particular prejudice in relation to my appointment and I feel just as respected as my older colleagues. But I have also had lots of help from the Group along the way. This has included going on courses tailored for new managers; I was also assigned a mentor who was absolutely invaluable.
Being there to make a difference
What motivates me in my job is that my being there can influence development and that I am part of the decision-making process. I am very result-oriented and I like to see situations develop. I am the Bank’s man in the sense that I want to do everything I can to avoid becoming the stereotype of a fusty, conservative banker. I am part of a very professional Group, which means that my contributions must be of equal professional worth.
No longer one of them
The greatest challenge I have faced moving from personal customer adviser to deputy manager has been getting used to the fact that, in taking on a management role, I’m no longer one of the others. In reality, I was also the last person to really accept that as a manager I had a different role in relation to my colleagues – especially those who were my age. But now it’s working really well.
Geography tour
I have moved geographically in the six years since joining the Group. I grew up in southern Jutland and started my career in Copenhagen before moving to the Prismet branch in Århus via Skanderborg. I have also worked in Northern Ireland.
Having a laugh in the pub
I was posted temporarily to Northern Ireland in connection with the Group’s takeover of Northern Bank and National Irish Bank – the two Irish banks that merged with the Group in 2006. I was assigned to a large branch outside Belfast and was there to help the branch install and run our central IT platform, which involved everything from tearful Irish colleagues to having a laugh, and several beers, in the local pub.
This proved to be a terrific experience both culturally and in simple human terms. It was a great education for me to have to teach colleagues who spoke a foreign language and came from a completely different cultural background. I made many contacts during my stay in Northern Ireland and gained an insight into how large the Group actually is.