RBC has strong roots in Jersey. Not only has it been a foundational part of the island’s financial industry for decades, but it’s one of the island’s largest employers. Louise Stevens knew of RBC through its positive reputation on the island, as well as the many stories she’d heard about it being a great place to work over the years.
So, when the time came to jumpstart her career on the island, RBC felt like the right fit.
“It was my first proper job as a graduate,” Louise says of the private client service position that first made her an RBC’er in 2012. Now, more than a decade later, Louise is an Associate Director on the Fiduciary Specialist Team in Jersey. It’s something of a dual role, she explains, because she’s responsible for onboarding new clients and furthering business development, as well as managing her own book of clients.
“There really is so much variety,” Louise says. “There are lots of opportunities to learn from directors around me on the team in order to enhance my skills in business development and to learn the full onboarding process from start to finish.”
But to make it to her current role, Louise’s career path included a six-year break from RBC – making her part of a trending cohort at RBC, “boomerang” employees. She moved to a role in the same industry, but with a smaller company on the island for an opportunity to expand her skillset.
“I gained exposure to different asset classes and a completely different way of working,” Louise says. “It was a good opportunity to see how things differed when compared with working for a global, multinational bank like RBC. It gave me the opportunity to enhance my development, in the way I needed at that time.”
After six years at the other company, Louise had progressed to the manager level and began to feel like she needed the support of a strong leadership team in order to develop further.
“Although there were some inspirational leaders around me, I felt I needed a new leadership perspective in order to push myself to the next level,” she says.
Around the same time, Louise had arranged dinner with a friend, who happened to be one of her former colleagues at RBC. By chance, Louise’s friend mentioned that a role had become available on the Fiduciary Specialist Team.
“I immediately knew that this was an amazing opportunity and would be an excellent next step for me,” Louise says. “After I spoke with the head of the department, it really did cement that this was the right role for me, and it was the right time to come back to RBC.”
The opportunities for development and skill enhancement at RBC were the most enticing factors for Louise.
“Since being back at RBC, I have really recognised the scope of the opportunities available to me, which confirms that they really do want to ensure that their staff are provided with the skills they need to be successful in their current and future roles, as well as their careers overall,” says Louise. “This is something which was not evident at the firm I was at before. So, it really gives you the sense that RBC wants to retain and develop their staff into the best people they can be.”
But ultimately, it was the people and leadership that sealed the deal for Louise’s return.
“I knew that the individuals at RBC are true, inspiring leaders and that they would be able to help me with my development,” she says. “I had always enjoyed working with them previously; I knew there are good benefits and that the staff are well taken care of. The retention of staff is amazing, and it shows.
“But the thing that I’ve really noticed, which I probably took for granted previously, is that there’s a real sense of cohesion and people wanting to work together. Considering it’s a large firm, it really feels like a big family.”
