Kur Mayen

Current City: Lethbridge, Alberta

Year arrived in Canada: 2009

School: University of Guelph

Academic Programs: Management Economics & Finance

Current Occupation: Senior Manager, Commercial Banking

1.    What inspired you to pursue your studies in finance of all the academic programs that were available to you?  

I was admitted into International Development at the university of Guelph. I explored my career prospects with this degree in mind and they weren’t looking too good. So I had to look for alternative majors. Finance career opportunities in Canada looked promising so I decided to switch to finance. The new program was an hybrid, Management Economics and Finance. I opted to specialize in the finance stream and the rest is history.

2. What are your main success factors in your academic journey? Inherent intellectual aptitude goes without saying.

I would say it was more personal discipline than anything else. I left home and moved to Kenya in an effort to go to school and make something of myself. Education was starting to come online back home and people ‘holding pens’ were revered. I wasn’t to be left behind by this education tide that was sweeping Bor at the time. My success in life was tied to my success in school, so I was laser focused at University.

3. Can you tell me a bit about your career path and what led you to your current role (if working)?

I never thought I would be in banking. When I was in 4th year, I took a project-based course with 10 other students. Part of our course milestone was to present a case solution in the presence of alumni working in the industry. An executive from Scotiabank was in attendance that day. I networked with him and got his business card. One thing let to another and I got my first job as a Customer Service Representative at Scotiabank after graduation. In my first year, I managed to be in the top 1% in performance across the bank at my level. That success fueled my growth to where I am right now as a Senior Manager at a bank in Alberta.

4.      What are some of the biggest challenges you faced getting to where you are today, if any?

How others interact and judge you will always be informed by your looks, accent, behavior, tone and attitude. All these things are scrutinized. You always have to prove yourself at every stage. Any simple mistake you make will be treated as an inherent incompetence and not seen as a one-off mistake that it is. You can never fully relax your guard and be yourself. This can get tiresome at times. Everyone is inclined to interact with people naturally. Also, as I move up in my career, there are very few others with my profile at my level, so it gets lonely. Sometimes you wanna talk things over with a colleague who fully understands your experience.

5. What does your average workday look like?

I sit down with business clients and listen to their business stories and financial needs. I would then offer lending options that can solve their liquidity problems. This also involves advising them on what they can do to meet different lending criteria and associated lending policies. When I am not meeting clients, I am reviewing financial statements and assessing lending risks. I look at key ratios, history of the business and the 5 Cs of credit, character, capacity, capital, collateral, and conditions. To approve a loan, I need to assess and comment on going-concern and the projected rate of return.

6. What’s something about your line of work that would surprise the average street Joe?

Contrary to what the general public believes, banks don’t set out to screw borrowers. Most bankers do what is in the client’s best interest. They make an effort to set you up for success. Borrowers that fail spread negative stories to their friends and family and it is not good for business. We try to strike a delicate balance between portfolio growth and the ability of borrowers to manage their debt. We care about our customers. We really do.

7.      Do you have a mentor? If so, how have they helped you in your career?

I have no mentor at the moment but I am working on it. However, I have some mentees. I am making an effort to share all the tips I have learned so far. I acknowledge the importance of having a mentor you can trust and confide with. Someone you can be vulnerable around.

8.      What does it take to excel in banking and grow professionally?

• Banking is all about customer service, sales. Therefore good attitude is essential, be nice. It is monitored. Never lose your cool.

• Be flexible and open to different opportunities and experiences in other locations. Careers are rarely linear. One thing leads to another.

• Prioritize building a relationship with your manager. They have a say on your next move.

9.      What’s your favorite thing about your job or industry? In other words, what fuels your enthusiasm and helps you get out of bed on a Monday morning?

The feeling that I am making a difference in someone’s life. That the line of credit I am extending will be used for payroll and keep the lights on. That my services will help a business buy a piece of equipment that will increase their output. The feeling that you are playing a role in someone’s success is good.

10.      Is your racial profile helping or hindering your professional growth? That is, if race is a factor at all.

Race has not been a factor in my journey as far as I am aware. I go out there expecting to be treated like any other person. I am not really sure if it has influenced things behind the scenes somewhere along the road, I don’t know.

11. Looking back, did you envision this is where you would be when you were in high school? What do you know now that you wished you had known before you started your career?

I didn’t foresee that I will be where I am today. I wanted to be a lawyer. What I know now is that attitude and humility are important in a professional setting. Never challenge your boss regardless of how ‘right’ you may feel. Never be too sensitive to criticism. People around you will not share their great ideas with you if you walk around with an impression that you know it all.

12. Do you have any advice to new WUSC students?

• Be curious & open minded.

• Explore what is out there, don’t set tight boundaries.

• Learn how to take care of yourself. As they say, it takes a village to raise a child. You will be your own village in Canada. You are you own mother, father, sister or brother. No one will correct you when you deviate from your goals and principles.

• Embrace the new challenges and opportunities in your new environment

• Build your network. Networking is paramount to your success in Canada.

• Learn how to connect and deal with all kinds of people. Dealing with vile people with a good attitude will help you.

• Be humble and build yourself up from scratch. You will start with zero social equity. You are not the son or daughter of so and so, no one cares about you. Don’t let it demoralize you. You will need to earn your stripes.