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Interview with the Professionals

Name : Declan Oliver

Job Role : Business Manager

Place of work : Deutsche Bank

Location : London

Qualifications : FSA Registration

How many years exp in the industry? 5

Job Sector : Investment Banking

Tell us about your key challenges in your role?

Our key group challenge is to generate as much profit as possible out of out assets. My personal challenge is to provide the group with the infrastructure to make this possible

How did you start out in your career?

I started out in technology as a developer and quickly realised I did not like it. I then moved into an technical analyst type role. I increased my knowledge of how the business uses the technology. Then moved into the front office as a business manager.

What experiences have you gained along the way?

It trying to focus on the strategic and not let the tactical issues slip. Tactical issues, if left, create nothing but pain. Strategic initiatives are what differentiate business.

Right now, what do love most about your job?

I love getting something completed. It's the satisfaction of seeing something works.

Where do you see yourself in a years time?

Im still learning my trade, so I see myself in exactly the same place. In 3-5 years I see myself as a COO of a hedge fund

How do you keep a good work balance between your job and life outside work?

Thats a very difficult one. I find that to have a good work life balance you need to be able to walk away at the end of the day comfortable in the knowledge that you know what is going on. To accomplish this I do some basic things, I find getting in early helps, the couple of hours of in the morning when you are with out interruption is a great benefit. It helps to keep a to-do list. And when it get too much and everything is flying around you just stop and re-evaluate what is important. I also try and switch off when the weekend starts, not always possible but I try..

What do you look for when youre hiring?

When hiring the important thing is to get some who fits the organisation. You can train people to do jobs but if you cant stand to be in the same room as them it is not going to work.

What three tips would you give someone newly starting out in your field?

1. You are always learning.
2. Never be to proud to say "why" or "I dont understand".
3. You get 80% of the information you want out of a meeting, 50% from a phone call and 30% from an email. Go see people, people do more for you if you know them.

If you would like to submit your own interview please answer the above questions and send them with a photo to interviews@financialappointments.com.