The first chapter of my career was in investment banking and I understand perfectly well the thrills and also the challenges of working in a male-dominated and fast-paced sector.

I started as an intern in 2010, in Paris at Natixis in trade finance, right after banks started hiring again following the 2008 financial crisis. Since I started working, there was a crisis every 2 years or so… I know one thing or two about managing uncertainty !

I moved to London to start a graduate position at Societe Generale in 2011, in the specialised lending area of mining & metals financing.

I can still remember the late nights closing deals, the compromises on who will present what at the client pitch, the endless negotiations with the credit department … and the difficult calls with the clients when we had to decline a transaction with them.

I also remember the team work and the congratulatory beer at the pub celebrating closings and the camaraderie during business trips.

I never thought I was ready to lead a team, but in 2021, I put up my hand to set up a new team dedicated to Sustainable Finance and serving SocGen’s UK client base.

This was a transformative career move - was I ready ? probably not. But I had been recently promoted to director, and had to make a choice : continue doing what I was good at but was repetitive to me, or take on a new challenge that make an impact.

No one in the UK was properly covering sustainable finance in the UK and there was an untapped potential for developing impactful business. So I applied and obtained the role.

I learned how to look strategically, beyond doing a deal. I learned how to build senior relationships, influence and engage with others in a way that makes them follow you.

I also learned how to manage people, junior and senior (hint : managing senior people is a lot harder than juniors!) and how to manage myself : dealing with my own stress response, understanding my limiting thinking patterns, tapping into my strengths.