From Aircraft Engineering Officer to Chief Operating Officer, Global Corporate Banking

What were your main reasons for leaving the Service?

Forward career options seemed limited, plus change in personal circumstances as I was about to get married.

Which training, experience or qualifications gained during your Service career are now useful in civilian life?

General leadership training, engineering degree and all staff training acquired as a young officer.

Which aspects of Service life did you enjoy the most?

The people, the camaraderie and the sense of purpose, along with the opportunities for sport, adventure, training and travel.

Which aspects of Service life did you enjoy the least?

Bureaucracy.

Did you take any training courses or workshops, and if so, what were they and who was the training provider?

I undertook an MBA at my own expense once I’d left the Army; it was the best decisions I ever made.

How did you get your job at Santander, and what was the interview process like?

Through a personal contact. The interview process was standard.

What does your job entail and which skills gained in the military do you use?

The Global Corporate Bank COO is a key strategic role for the UK business in support of the CEO and provides a key interface with the Wholesale Banking Support functions, specifically finance, IT, HR and Operations to ensure the alignment of all wholesale banking initiatives. From the wider Santander SA group perspective, it provides a single point of contact for all the product and business areas with a global read and supports an integrated strategy for all wholesale banking activity that is fully aligned to the strategy at a global level.

The key skills gained in the Army that I use are: the ability to deal with multiple levels of uncertainty; [people] management; project management; a perspective on what’s really important and what is not; and, a sense of humour.

What obstacles did you face when settling into your job?

Normal cultural change of moving roles.

What advice would you give other Service leavers?

Use your networks, plan well ahead, ensure that you are trained for the type of role that you think you might want to do and have confidence that your skills are completely transferable. Military experience is invaluable in the civilian world in many roles, in particular the can-do attitude that a military person brings.