Barclays.comA Day in the Life of Sarah
I'm on Barclays Global Leadership Programme for MBA graduates and my responsibilities will change depending on the area of the business I'm assigned to. MBAs on the scheme change geography and function every year for three years to develop their leadership skills. At the moment I'm working in GRCB Emerging Markets focusing on business development and strategy.
Name
Sarah
"Working in the GRCB Emerging Markets business has presented me with broader, more challenging and more diverse career opportunities than would be available in a more mature market."
Role
Business Development and Strategy Manager
Works in
Global Retail and Commercial Bank (GRCB), Emerging Markets
Location
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
My working day
No two days are the same. I could be travelling to meet shareholders from a company we might acquire or based at my desk analysing information on how Barclays can grow its business. I cover Emerging Markets for Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, and my responsibilities range from looking at new market entry strategy (acquisition versus organic launch) to transaction execution.
In the morning, 09:00 to 11:00
There really is no typical morning in this job. If I’m in the office I could be working on a strategy presentation for the Chief Executive of Barclays Emerging Markets, or co-ordinating how we fund an acquisition. Alternatively I could be overseas developing business relationships and meeting with stakeholders.
Around lunch, 11:00 to 14:00
Examples of work I might focus on at this time of the day range from facilitating a workshop with the Executive Committee from the Emerging Markets division, shaping our strategy to enter a specific target market, to coordinating the due-diligence process on a potential acquisition target with colleagues, law firms and auditors.
Early afternoon, 14:00 to 17:00
I often need to speak with Barclays colleagues from a variety of functions based all over the world. This could range from working with Corporate Affairs in London on arranging a press announcement or launch event in a new country, to co-ordinating with our Integration Team to assess what kind of people we need to hire if we’re going to start a business in a new market.
End of the day, 17:00 to 18:00
If I’m on a business trip to find out more about a country we’re considering moving into, or a business we might acquire, it’s likely I’ll spend the evening meeting with delegates and stakeholders to develop relationships. If I’m in Dubai, I’ll perhaps meet up with some of my peers from the Global Leadership Programme for dinner.
My career at Barclays
I joined the Barclays Global Leadership Programme in March 2008 and for the first year am based in Dubai in the regional centre for GRCB Emerging Markets. For the first three years I’ll ‘rotate’ roles each year, moving to a new country each time.
How I started out
After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in Mathematics, I became a Management Consultant. I then studied for an MBA at Insead – an international business school with campuses in both France and Singapore. I was drawn to Barclays Global Leadership Programme because of the excellent international exposure and career opportunities it offers.
