How CIMB Shaped The Career Paths of These Talent!

Everyone knows CIMB Bank as your big red friendly neighbourhood bank. What people might not know is that apart from providing excellent banking services, they are one of Malaysia’s most preferred employers that constantly produces world class talent.

Their accolades as a banking powerhouse are reflected in the many awards they collected in 2020 including Best Bank for Investment Solutions in Malaysia and Thailand, and Best Domestic Private Bank.

But as an organisation that always puts their people first, CIMB takes pride in the development of talent from all fields, transforming them into reputable professionals who excel inside and outside of work, helping talent acquire new skills while polishing the tools already in their arsenal.

Get up close with three CIMBians and learn how far they’ve come in their careers and what the future holds for them. Two of the three talent interviewed are from CIMB’s flagship young talent development programme The Complete Banker™ (TCB) Programme that you can apply for at GRADUAN Aspire this 9 to 12 July!

Amanda, Bachelor of Science (Information Management), University College London
Approaching her second year in the company, Amanda began her journey with CIMB as an ASEAN scholar in 2016. Since then, she has gone from Scholar to TCB Associate and is now a Business Analyst with the Digital Innovation & Strategy team with the Group’s Digital Banking.

What accomplishments did you achieve throughout your time in the organisation?
My TCB batchmates and I had the honour of organising the International Women’s Day (IWD) project in conjunction with its 2020 theme, Each for Equal. We were part of a dedicated taskforce that was responsible for planning the entire event from start to finish.

This involved so many different elements that required us to step way out of our comfort zones: Generating social media buzz, pitching ideas to top management and getting their buy-in (this was quite a steep learning curve experience), and most memorably, choreographing a flash mob!

It was a humbling and fulfilling experience, from collaborating with various entities across CIMB (locally and regionally) who were so willing to support our initiatives in any sort of capacity. We were also able to provide a platform for female-led businesses in Malaysia to showcase their delicious goods. My favourites were Ibupreneur and Waka-Waka Gelato!

When did you realise that this was the career path for you?
I was always inclined towards the Sciences, despite it never being my strongest suit. But eventually, curiosity got in the way. It always fascinated me how fast technological trends evolve and how deeply this impacts economies and ultimately human behaviour, sometimes for the worst and sometimes for the better. I also knew that I wanted to develop strong business acumen to help me have a better grasp on the changing world. Through the CIMB ASEAN Scholarship, I was able to secure a place at UCL to study Information Management for Business, a degree that married the best of both business and technology. Exposure to the bank allowed me to understand just where my interests could flourish – in the realm of FinTech and digital banking.

What do you hope to accomplish in the coming years?
When the situation gets better and borders reopen, I would love to gain some regional work experience with CIMB, perhaps in the form of a secondment to one of our neighbouring countries. This would be a greatly enriching experience given how vastly different our ASEAN counterparts operate. Within digital banking, I hope to be a part of the greater movement to advance the digital financial inclusion for our youths in the ASEAN region.

What are some words of advice you would give to today’s youth?
If there’s one thing I could tell my younger self, it is this: Build your own value system and have conviction in it. What are the things that matter to you? These can be cultural, spiritual and even social; this is everything that defines you at this point of life. When you’re starting out, every step forward is a new decision to make. Knowing yourself better helps make the journey a smoother one.

Kyle, Bachelor of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Rotations across teams as a TCB Associate gave Kyle a better grasp on what banking is all about and why having so many teams is necessary in running a bank the size of CIMB. Almost three years into his time at CIMB, Kyle has advanced to the role of Business Analyst in the Digital Banking department under the Group’s Consumer Banking division.

What accomplishments did you achieve throughout your time in the organisation?
Together with my team, we managed to develop and introduce the “Goals & Savings” feature on the CIMB Clicks App to the public. We set out to make savings fun and help facilitate the process for our customers so they can create financial goals and effortlessly save up to reach them! This was especially essential given the pandemic situation where emergency funds are a must.

When did you realise that this was the career path for you?
It wasn’t something I decided over a pivotal moment but more of a gradual exploration. I have always had an interest in the investment and banking sector so I decided to apply for CIMB’s TCB programme as my first job after engineering school. From there, my interest gradually grew and this propelled me towards my current role throughout the two-year programme. The rotational scheme of the programme also helped me generate a deeper appreciation and interest.

What do you hope to accomplish in the coming years?
I wish to independently lead more projects and achieve more milestones at CIMB. I believe these roles will give me the opportunity to mentor my juniors that are now in the position I once was in. This will be an important learning curve to prepare myself to advance into a managerial position in the coming years.

What are some words of advice you would give to today’s youth?
Three simple words: Explore, execute and have fun. Opportunities are abundant in today’s world. You can learn literally anything and connect with anyone virtually.

Edward, Bachelor of Science (Finance and Business Management), Henley Business School – University of Reading Malaysia
Edward’s CIMB journey began when his team won the inaugural CIMB 3D Conquest in 2019. The University of Reading Malaysia graduate started off as a Business Analyst at the bank and has now advanced into the role of Associate Product Owner where he works on new features for a mature digital product.

When did you realise that this was the career path for you?
About three months after joining the bank and getting to know the ins and outs of it. I worked with one of the top consulting firms and was also part of the process in designing the to-be SME Banking customer journey. At times, I spent long hours participating in business process alignment discussions and software deployments. It’s fun when I have supportive people to do awesome things with!

Share with us some traits you feel are necessary to succeed in any field.
I believe in always standing up for what is right and challenging to professionally and positively disrupt the market to stay relevant in this digital era. It’s also essential to challenge ourselves and step out of our comfort zone to explore and experience new things at different stages in life.

What has motivated you to achieve the heights you’ve reached?
So far, everyone I’ve met in my career journey has been nothing short of amazing and inspiring. I have great coaches and mentors who supported me along my journey until today.

What are some words of advice you would give to today’s youth?
Be bold, grab all the opportunities, and appreciate the learning process. Talk to as many people as you can and connect with great mentors. The resource that you have today is massive!

CIMB will be looking for the next young talent to be an agent of change at GRADUAN Aspire this 9 to 12 July!