Justina's journey - from assistant to leading a team of 120 people
- Title Head of Lending Operations
- Organisation SEB Global Services
- Education Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Vytautas Magnus University
- Personal interests Family, music, politics and cycling
“Before I started to work in the bank, I imagined myself pursuing a career in diplomacy and maybe becoming an ambassador one day. But I quickly understood that finance is the right area for me, and now I can say that I have my dream job where I can develop myself and support my colleagues,” says Justina, who is responsible for the Lending Operations team of 120 people.
- Title: Head of Lending Operations
- Organisation: SEB Global Services
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Vytautas Magnus University
- Personal interests: Family, music, politics and cycling
“Before I started to work in the bank, I imagined myself pursuing a career in diplomacy and maybe becoming an ambassador one day. But I quickly understood that finance is the right area for me, and now I can say that I have my dream job where I can develop myself and support my colleagues,” says Justina, who is responsible for the Lending Operations team of 120 people.
Tell us about your journey in SEB
Soon it will be 14 years since I am with SEB. My first position in SEB Lithuania was assistant to investment services manager in Klaipėda branch. I spent six months in this position, after which I was promoted to assistant private banker. In 2009, I moved to Vilnius for personal reasons and joined the emerging Lending Operations team, which was an extremely interesting period and the beginning of my work at SEB Global Services. I joined as a Bank Operations Specialist, and after a while I became a Process Area Specialist in the mortgage area. After a year and a half, I became a team leader, which was a big change in my career. Up to this day I am grateful to my then manager, whose support and trust encouraged me to choose the path of a leader. Until then I was focused in developing myself, but now my job was to lead a team and help others to grow. What could be more interesting and meaningful?
During my years at SEB, I had the opportunity to lead several other teams and expand competencies in another department, and in 2020 I was offered the position of Department Manager in Lending Operations. 11 years ago, when I started in an entry-level position, I didn’t even dream of leading the whole department one day! And I have great leaders in this organization as examples from which I can learn in a new position.
Please tell us about your current responsibilities
We are 120 people, eight teams, two of them are in Stockholm and six in Vilnius. Our department is responsible for products such as mortgages, bank loans and leasing. For example, when SEB is issuing a mortgage in Stockholm, our job is to handle all the required processes: setting it up in the systems, changing conditions when necessary, processing documents, reviewing collaterals, dealing with insolvent customers, etc. We are responsible for the entire lifecycle of these products, except for sales, and our main markets are Sweden.
What motivates you and gives you energy?
It is my dream job and I love every day. I am proud of the strong culture of our company. In SEB, I am always surrounded by the best professionals who are enthusiastic about their work, and it’s great to work with people you can trust and learn from. And it is still true, I am learning every day, and over the years many of my colleagues have become my friends. So SEB is not only an employer, but also a way of life! Each year I get more opportunities to develop myself, and it gives me a lot of joy to explore new potential and learn new skills.
I am also constantly aware of the value which we bring to our customers. Taking a mortgage to buy a new home or leasing a new car are major decisions, and we are helping people to reach their goals. It puts a certain pressure on us, because we have all been there and we know that customers expect the process to be as quick and simple as possible.
What are your current challenges?
The current situation demands a new approach from me as a manager. I used to meet my colleagues quite often and talk with them, and that’s how I was able to get a feeling of how they are doing. Remote leadership is something I am learning right now, trying to find the best ways of maintaining touch with my teams. There are team members I have never met in person! Another, perhaps, universal challenge in this period is how to make the best decision when the situation is changing so fast, but we do not always have all the answers.
Can you please reveal what are your hobbies?
I have two little sons that I try to pay a lot of attention to. My family gives me a great boost of energy. I love cycling, which helps to balance time with family, movement and the opportunity to visit new places. I love art, culture. During a pandemic, unable to attend events, I decided to remember an activity I had forgotten for 20 years - playing the piano. I bought a piano, trying to revive my playing skills and make some progress in this activity. I am also interested in politics, international relations and history.
