South Africa to suits, to shoes, to supporting the UK economy at LBG
- I moved from South Africa to the UK in 2017 to complete my A levels and gain access to higher education here. Confusingly though, I am not South African - I was born in London and moved there in 2004.
- I started working for Charles Tyrwhitt selling shirts and suits when I was 16 and did so for almost two years. Long enough to earn the start up capital to create my own small business.
- I used platforms such as eBay to launch a web-shop that specialised in selling large volumes of sneakers and streetwear. This began halfway through 2018 and carried on until my final year of University in 2022.
- As much as I enjoyed working for myself, I wanted to venture out of my comfort zone and build out my experience, while growing my network. I was fortunate enough to be successful in my application to join the Consumer Banking scheme at LBG.
- Now I can apply my ideas on a much larger scale to support the growth of our business and positive outcomes for millions of customers across the UK, all while growing a brilliant network of kind and talented people.
Making overdrafts accessible, fair and transparent for our customers
- I manage the onboarding journey, reducing unnecessary friction, improving transparency and accessibility for people who rely on the safety net of having an overdraft.
- I develop the narrative around best practice behind overdraft usage, whether it's a stop gap between jobs, help to protect your savings when times are tough or to seize an opportunity in the moment, knowing you will be able to get back on track later. It's an equally important area where we can identify customers who may need support and ensure that it is provided to them.
- In more detail: I have overhauled multiple segments of the customer journey, from the decline page to the pre contract credit information, all in the aim of making things easier to digest and understand and personalising the experience to the customer.
- I have also been heavily involved in the commercial and trading side, ensuring we are in a good position to meet our plan and carry out any required analysis where we fall short or overperform.
The fantastic people and the size of my impact.
We have a young, vibrant and ambitious team who all support one another in achieving the best work and by extension, the best outcomes we can. Going into the office is never a chore, it's an exciting day out!
Some of the changes I've made impact up to half a million customers per month. It's amazing to take a step back and realise the far reaching impact you have working here.
Be yourself and aspire to make a difference
Nothing resonates more than expressing big ideas that you are passionate about. There is no such thing as an idea too big, change happens in small incremental steps in the right direction. Inspire others to see the world in a more positive light. Always be willing to learn and never give up!
I don't have an individual achievement I am most proud of.
It would be easy to say something like getting my degree, running my own business or being accepted onto the Lloyds Banking Group graduate scheme. For me though, I aim to be proud of the small wins we achieve every day, this could be a presentation that went well, or an interview or even a social interaction. This way I keep myself motivated and consistent. Maybe one day I will look back on the culmination of everything and feel proud of all of it as a whole but I have a lot more to prove to myself yet!
