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Passion and opportunity turns graduates into leaders
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Bryan Antolik (BA, LLB, LLM, MSc Finance, CFA) joined the CIB graduate programme in 2000 and was recently promoted to execuitve level in the Group Corporate Development team. Below he illisutrates the importance of passion and culture in long term success.

"My path into investment banking began with an Arts degree, with majors in Philosophy and Law. Hardly a standard path for pursuing a career in investment banking (in SA at least). Why did I end up in banking then? During my law degree I realised that the stuff that interested me (capital raisings and IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and the like) pointed towards investment banking and specifically the corporate finance teams. I took the plunge. Having already accepted articles with a large Joburg law firm, I applied to SCMB’s (what is now CIB) grad programme. Before I knew it I was having a difficult conversation with aforesaid law firm, and moving from the Sleepy Hollow of Pietermaritzburg to Johannesburg, to start with the Big Blue Bank on the 2000 Graduate Programme.

The grad programme gave me the one thing I was seriously lacking before joining the bank, an understanding of what a corporate and investment bank actually does (so if you’re not sure yet exactly what banks do, that’s okay). The programme itself was a fantastic opportunity to get paid a salary, whilst still learning and, most importantly, building relationships with people across the bank.

After the programme I joined Credit Risk for two years, which was invaluable, and then transferred to Corporate Finance in January 2003. For me, this was the ideal job, as it requires a balance of numeracy, logical thought, communication and verbal skills and a dash of creativity. Corporate Finance as an endeavour is intense, requiring high levels of commitment to getting things done and is a great deal more than a job.

I currently sit in Group Corporate Development, which is the Group’s internal corporate finance function and have been involved in acquisitions and disposals in Russia, Turkey, Argentina, and obviously Africa. I worked in the bank’s London office after taking a sabbatical to study at London Business School and I even met my wife there! (Please note, however, that we cannot guarantee you will meet your life partner at the bank.)

So why do people love working here? For me it's the people and the culture – you cannot value this highly enough. While the rest of the international banking world is trying to redefine its value system to become more principles-driven, collaborative and socially aware, Standard Bank has been there for years. The bank is top tier, produces excellent people, products and services, and is the best positioned to capitalise on the African growth story. I get calls and e-mails from my fellow alumni at London Business School looking for opportunities because they recognise the unique position the bank holds, with its extensive African network, and having the largest Chinese bank as a strategic shareholder. The opportunities at Standard Bank are huge.

No blog would be complete without a couple of cheesy straplines so (with apologies to the Lottery and both the Bulls and the Sharks (I am from KZN)): Tata ma chance and apply, and if you join us you’ll see that ons bloed is blou! www.standardbank.com/graduates"
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