Q&A with Jérôme Diegues 

Q: What first attracted you to a career in finance?

A: The prestige. Finance touches everyone. Whether it is someone taking on a mortgage or a government raising money to invest, finance is everywhere. I wanted to challenge myself and work in an impactful environment.

Q: How did you hear about BNY Mellon and what were your first impressions when you joined?

A: I moved from France to Poland in 2015. As I did not speak Polish, I focused my job search on international companies that welcome candidates of diverse backgrounds. A fellow expat told me about BNY Mellon and I instantly liked the idea of working for a prestigious, global company. It is literally the first bank in the history of the United States and has been around for more than 200 years. I sensed I would have many opportunities there. And I was right. 

My first impressions were very positive. In particular, I liked how friendly people were. I remember how my birthday came up 6 months after I joined. My teammates signed a birthday card and gave me a few presents. I really felt part of the team. That is what I really like. We are serious about work but we have friendly personal relationships.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge you have faced so far in your career?

A: At the beginning I was anxious about the cultural shock but my colleagues made me feel part of the team very quickly as I just mentioned. After that, the most challenging was to wrap my head around what the company does. BNY Mellon offers a multitude of services and this means many departments and business lines exist. It was difficult to understand who does what at first. 

What helped me was to meet people and talk about their work. For instance, I was part of a mentoring programme. My mentor was a senior leader who explained many things to me. At the same time, I was working on a project with mentees from different departments. Once I understood how all these teams interact, I got a clearer vision of our mission.

Q: What has impacted your professional development the most?

A: The abundance of opportunities. I started as a hedge fund administrator but over the last 6 years I’ve been with BNY Mellon I worked in three different teams and was promoted twice – first to the position of senior analyst and most recently into an assistant manager role. It’s the depth and breadth of our organisation that provided me with these opportunities for career mobility. There are just so many different departments and interesting paths to follow. I personally value the possibility to learn and explore. At BNY Mellon development is easy and encouraged if you know your strengths and take ownership of your career. If you want to develop in finance, BNY Mellon is where you want to be.

Q: Which aspect of the company’s culture resonates most with you and why?

A: People have the greatest influence on my experience in the company. We are all people before being employees. We respect each other and we care for each other. As a company we always seek out who is missing from the conversation and make sure that everyone is heard. BNY Mellon employees can join and participate in a number of Employee and Business Resource Groups providing us with opportunities to share, collaborate and support one another. I’m a proud member of IMPACT, which leverages cultural diversity and inclusive leadership as a competitive advantage to deliver enhanced employee and client outcomes. Being part of the group has helped me make friends from Poland to Japan. That is why I've been with the company for 6 years. I feel respected, valued and recognized for my efforts. This has been a great place for me and I want more people to know and take the right next step in their careers.

Q: What advice would you give to someone considering a career in finance?

I want to dispel the myth that finance is only about trading, it is so much more than that and everyone can find their place. I know employees who also are personal trainers, psychologists, translators or musicians and we all get together and make it work. My advice would be to think about what you are good at and what you like doing. An analytical mind can do great in data science, someone who likes interacting with people could consider  Human Resources or Training & Development, another person who likes technology could apply to join our IT department. Do not be intimidated by the complexity of finance, as long as you use your talents where they can shine the brightest, you will do great. And once you become hungry for more, there will be plenty of opportunities and talented people to give you a new challenge.