The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Top finance students of state universities were recently introduced to global bank Citi’s banking products and services at the launch of Citi Junior Bankers mentoring sessions.
On its 12th year, the program funded by Citi Foundation aims to train and provide career opportunities to these students, and help level the playing field as they compete with graduates of private colleges.
In this latest run, program partner Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines Research and Development Foundation Inc. (FINEX Foundation) accepted 133 student participants, giving them access to seminars and workshops, followed by on-the-job training in the top 500 companies in the country and finally access to senior executives as mentors.
Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed welcomed 23 students from University of the Philippines in Diliman, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and Cavite State University and drew on stories from his four decades of global banking experience and his assignment in 11 countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America as he coached them on leadership.
It was a highly interactive session as Ahmed encouraged students to share their own views and raise questions about what they learned in the classroom, what they are learning in the real world as they complete their on-the-job trainings, and their concerns on what awaits them when they finally join the workforce.
Ahmed told the future business leaders that they should be catalysts for change.
“You want to be the first mover. You should be leading the change and not just be part of the pack. If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always gotten,” he said.
Aftab shared a popular saying that “there is prosperity in movement”.
He also advised them to be comfortable with taking risks and to have a bias for action.
Apart from Ahmed’s talk, Citi also treated the students to a tour of its Smart Branch in Makati to demonstrate the Branch of the Future, how touch screens and high definition media walls allow clients to have a “smart banking experience” which is designed to attract, engage and connect them to various products and services, all on demand.
The day ended with the students having their one-on-one sessions with their mentors from Citi Philippines.
The volunteers came from various businesses such as Corporate Bank, Consumer Bank and Citi Service Center.
FINEX Trustee and Director Ronaldo Goseco said the Citi Foundation and Citi Philippines program was an instrument in molding the future leaders of the country.