Pia, Specialist Reporting, Monitoring & Lending Analytics

How does the perfect working day start for you?

The perfect working day starts with a relaxed drive to the office with a good audio book or podcast. Once I'm there, I grab a warm cheese pretzel and then I check my emails upstairs in the office, which is still mostly empty at this time.

Tell us a bit about your career at ING Germany? How did you get to your current position? 

I had my first contact with ING in 2021 during an internship. During this time, I was able to work on a new product in the area of credit default insurance. Towards the end of my studies, I then completed a second internship with ING's HR business partners. During my internship, I looked around for a permanent position in the WB area and then joined the "Reporting Monitoring & Lending Analytics" team.

Why did you decide to switch from HR to Wholesale Banking? Is there something that connects the two worlds?

HR is the backbone of every company and is what holds the operational business together in the background. In my opinion, neither of these areas can exist without the other and if you work in a large company like ING, I think it's a great advantage to know this area. In terms of content, I was already involved with the WB area at HR at the time and had already met some colleagues, which motivated me to start there.

You have a degree in mathematics. What attracted you to a career in a bank?

I had already decided to study with the intention of going into banking. I recognized my strengths in mathematics early on, but my interest in the banking sector was also already strong. I was strongly influenced by the fact that many people today still have a negative image of banks, even though they play an important and central role in our everyday lives.

How did you find the onboarding process as a lateral entrant? Were there any particular challenges?

The vocabulary was probably the biggest challenge. Everyone with an economic background already has a basic knowledge of banking-related technical terms, which I lacked at the beginning. I know the difference between interpolation and approximation, but I first had to learn exactly what a syndicated loan is 😉

What do you think defines the working culture at ING?

I find the working culture at ING to be very collegial. Many colleagues are particularly helpful and are happy to pass on their knowledge to (younger) colleagues. That made my start at the bank a lot easier.

Is there another department/area that particularly interests you or in which you would like to develop further?

I am very interested in data analysis. I find wholesale banking very exciting, but in the future, I would like to go back to where I actually belong: the world of numbers. But I also want to be able to apply the knowledge I gained in WB. Let's see where it takes me. 😊

What motivates you in your work?

I have always been motivated by learning new things in my work. It's the only way to improve and gradually understand the bigger picture.

What drives you in life besides your job? What are you passionate about?

My particular passion is dancing. Like so many people, I started with ballet as a child and I still do it today. Over the years, I've tried out new dance styles again and again and realized that I like contemporary the best and enjoy it the most.

Can you tell us a personal fact about yourself?

I joined a show dance group a few years ago. Together we have performed in Portugal and at the Hofburg in Vienna and every two years we put on our own dance show.