Renardo Pinnock

After studying law, I decided to pivot into financial services because I developed a strong interest during my studies in commercial modules such as Mergers & Acquisitions and Company Law. This made me realise I wanted to provide commercial coverage of corporates and play a more active role in originating strategic financing.

I started my career with HSBC in 2014 as a Teller at the Gloucester Road branch in Kensington, London with aim of building my financial experience and acumen before transitioning to a corporate role.

I also had an interest in working overseas, which is why I chose HSBC over three other banks that accepted my application.

Today, I am a Senior Associate Relationship Manager in Commercial Banking in San Francisco, U.S.A. supporting Global Relationship Managers with coverage of corporate clients. This entails oversight of existing banking solutions provided to clients; as well as the presenting them with new product ideas that will help improve their operational efficiencies, reduce costs, improve working capital and help them raise cash.

Progressing from a bank Teller in the retail business in one market to a corporate banker in the commercial business in another one was definitely an aspiration of mine and has been both an exciting and rewarding journey. Some promotions came quickly, like moving from a Corporate Associate to a Corporate Analyst in eight months, while others, like being transferred to the US, took longer – about seven years. Each progression has come from a combination of hard work, a dedication to learn new things, supportive leadership teams and great peers.

The experience has enabled me to see first-hand how our global business delivers its international network in different local markets.

A key development resource has been the bank’s online learning courses that gave me access to develop my understanding and skills in areas such as Financial Markets, Credit Risk, Financial Modelling and Sales.

I’ve also benefited from the bank’s mentorship programmes and support for external certification courses which has enabled me to earn several certificates and qualifications from the London Institute of Banking & Finance, Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment and Moody’s Analytics.

I enjoy helping colleagues and have had the pleasure of being involved in several graduate recruitment cycles and projects both in the UK and US, and through training, mentorship and interview preparation helped several colleagues accelerate their personal development and obtain promotions within the bank.

Some advice I have for those starting out is to focus on professional development and embrace all the opportunities to build your skills and experience whether this is in the classroom, on the job, or by demonstrating an interest in tasks outside of your remit.

Be prepared to go beyond your role, e.g. even though you may be ‘just’ an analyst, prepare for client meetings as if you were the bank lead; don’t just pay attention to your assigned tasked but think about what your stakeholders are ultimately looking for from you. Cultivating this mindset will aid your development and ensure you get the most from all experiences.

Stay engaged with the big picture and how your team and the organisation support and contribute to various clients and industries, and how that all feeds into the broader economy.

Lastly, enjoy your time with your colleagues. Corporate organisations invest a lot of money to hire capable people who fit well within their teams. Maximise this investment by supporting colleagues, sharing knowledge and good practices, and – this is really important - having fun and building relationships!