Elsie Gung has worked with HSBC for more than 10 years. But each day she still draws on many of the skills and connections she built up during the trainee programme which launched her career.
Gung is an example of how HSBC's Personal Finance Services Young Business Leader programme helps to propel trainees into top positions. The two-year programme offers an unmatched opportunity to get the highest level of management training and build a special relationship with the bank.
The exposure to different banking sectors, international positions and leadership roles the programme offers gives trainees skills and connections they can draw on for the rest of their careers.
'The number one asset for me was the connection made with people working in the bank's different groups,' said Gung, now the senior branch manager at the Mong Kok flagship branch - a role she has just taken on after successfully launching community banking initiatives in the past 18 months. 'It's a connection I've used later on in different departments.'
Trainees typically rotate through four postings in roles such as product development, marketing, channel development and branch management, building a broad body of contacts and understanding for different parts of the business.
'We picked up various types of knowledge when we were posted to different departments,' said Gary Goh, a graduate of the programme now working as a branch manager.