Saving you time, money and/or helping your business grow overseas

2nd assignment of STEP - Santander's programme for future leaders, based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I work with the management team for the bank's commercial team that provides financial solutions to SME businesses throughout the country. Daily focus on reinforcing sales force utilisation of CRM tools developed specifically for Santander's customer-focused strategy.

STEP is Santander's programme for future leaders, that provides international business experience with continuous executive training from some of the most reputable business schools in the World. During the 3 year course, I will work in 2 different roles (and geographies). This role was based in Madrid, where I was a business models analyst in the Global Retail Corporate Unit.

The Scottish Real Estate team is responsible for growing Santander's commercial property portfolio in Scotland. My role was to help forge professional relationships with property investors and developers, identifying opportunities for Santander Corporate Banking to assist with financing need, and structuring bespoke financial packages to suit business needs. I worked with the bank's underwriters to obtain approval for each loan, and with professional advisers to manage the draw down process. My background in law means I can take a proactive and unique approach to this process.

I worked in Sao Paolo, Brasil for 4 months with the Mundo Santander program. My role was an analyst within the Multinationals & Real Estate Team, identifying cross-border opportunities for the bank, specifically between UK and Brasil. During my time in Brasil, I also spent time with the UKTI who play an important role in the country, assisting British companies looking to establish trade links.

As my first banking role after leaving the legal profession, responsibilities were initially to grow the Society's commercial loan book, however as the global financial crisis took hold, I was responsible for doing diligence on the Society's commercial loan book. The Society was placed into Building Society's Special Administration, in terms of the Banking Act 2009, on March 31st 2009 and KPMG were appointed as administrators. From this point on, my role was to manage existing loans and ensure repayments were made. Where defaults occurred, I worked with underwriters and KPMG to find a solution. This experience was a positive one for me - I experienced what can go wrong in commercial lending, and I believe this has made me a more effective lending manager.

After leaving University, I trained with Harper Macleod for 2 years. I worked in the litigation, debt recovery, employment and commercial property departments, before joining the firm's Banking team in summer 2004. From day 1, I was client facing, whilst managing the legal process to conclusion. I acted for government and quasi-public organisations, high-street banks and was head of the firm's Banking Practice Group. The Group prepared quarterly bulletins for clients, containing useful updates on the law as it related to our clients' businesses. One of the firm's clients was Dunfermline Building Society, and this eventually led to my move into banking in 2007.