As we count down the days until American Banker’s 15th annual “The Most Powerful Women in Banking” awards dinner, we also continue to spotlight different #ProtivitiWomenInFSI. This series will feature a variety of women, from diverse backgrounds and career perspectives. While their stories are all unique, the one thing they have in common is that they work closely with Protiviti’s financial services clients. Next up in the series is Denise!
- What was your path to Protiviti? “I was at the end of my studies, searching for ‘the right’ topic for my master thesis when I heard about a cooperation between my university (Justus-Liebig University in Giessen, Germany) and Protiviti. They were looking for someone who would do some research about antitrust risks in the banking industry. Since I was interested in compliance and especially in fraud prevention, I applied for this job and was hired as an intern. My role was to write an academic paper on the topic (which I was also able to use as a basis for my master thesis). Based on this successful collaboration, my paper was published in the European Competition Journal and Protiviti offered me a full-time job, so here I am!”
- What is one of your most memorable FSI projects? “I was part of a global Protiviti team that reviewed the fulfilment of OFAC (Office Of Foreign Asset Control) requirements at an internationally operating bank. Working with so many people that were distributed all over the world (New York, Frankfurt, Singapore, etc.) was really fascinating and sometimes challenging due to the time differences. The interesting thing about these global engagements is that you have to consider so many different local laws and regulations which can also be conflicting sometimes. During this engagement I learned a lot. Not only about laws and regulations in other countries but also about working with people of different nationalities and cultures, in different time zones and with different work approaches.”
- What excites you the most about your work in the financial services industry? “Most of my projects are in the field of Anti Money Laundering. I think it’s really fascinating that potential criminal activities can be identified by customers’ transaction behavior. Getting to know all these processes and controls that banks need to implement for detecting and avoiding money laundering is still exciting for me, even though I have seen these control systems in quite a few banks now.”
- What advice would you give to both current and future women in banking, to face the future with confidence? “The advice I would give is the same as for any other industry. Be professional but remain authentic and individual. Stay self-confident even in challenging situations and believe in your knowledge and skills.”
