Source: Date: Updated: |
TheBahamasInvestor.com
Friday, August 22, 2014 Friday, August 22, 2014 |
Justin Knowles and Lauren Russell, both College of The Bahamas students, have completed a summer internship at Andbank (Bahamas) Ltd, an Andorran-based, family-owned private bank that provides wealth and asset management.
Over the last twelve weeks, Knowles, an economics major, and Russell, who is studying banking and finance, worked closely with a team of private bankers, risk officers, compliance officers and other front and back office staff.
They also gained invaluable experience taking part in client meetings, updating client information, and pitching new ideas to increase efficiency.
Daniel Brunner, head of Private Banking, said that the main objective of the programme is to serve in the best interest of both the intern and the bank.
“In addition to gaining the required knowledge and skills, internships also provide a snapshot of what it would actually be like working in a particular field. Although an individual may conduct research and informational interviews with respect to their career choices, this cannot give a true picture of the day-to-day activities of say, a wealth manager, in its true form.”
As to benefitting the bank, he says “as is the case with most interns, they are usually young and objective, and tend to come with an open mind. They often question established practices, which can be the impetus for positive change.”
“They also tend to be tech savvy and even with minimum experience, an extra set of hands can make processes more efficient. Being an industry leader requires an institution to have knowledgeable, dedicated, and talented employees–an internship programmed can be a means to fulfilling this requirement.”
Claudine Farquharson, director at Andbank, provided oversight for the programme and was happy with the outcome.
“In order to ensure the future of this industry, it is absolutely necessary to mentor and train up-and-coming (young) individuals to be the catalyst of change, innovation, phenomenal growth and great success within this sector, both now and in the years ahead.”