What does career development look like at Lloyds Banking Group?

"My name is Sabreen Anwar and I’ve worked for Lloyds Banking Group for 13 years. I currently work as a Product Owner on the Insider Risk Programme."

Could you tell us a bit more about your career history and what attracted you specifically to the digital apprenticeship?

"I joined Lloyds Banking Group through the Halifax branch network at the age of 17 as a Customer Advisor. I worked in branch for 5 years before moving into a testing position in head office. I helped deliver some interesting projects which included the introduction of Wi-Fi and tablets into retail branches.

I had always wanted to study further and looked into undertaking a degree on numerous occasions but I always felt that due to the lack of grades (A-levels etc) alongside the financial aspect this would not be possible for me.

I saw the Digital and Technology Solutions Degree Apprenticeship advertised internally and immediately registered. It sounded too good to be true, but I was also hesitant that I wouldn’t be accepted due to my past experience. I attended the introduction call and was over the moon when they said no qualifications were needed apart from grades A-C in English and maths and that if you didn’t have this they would provide support to get these qualifications in place. For me it was a no-brainer, an opportunity like this would not come around every day.

The journey has been life changing for me. I learnt multiple new skills (coding, report writing and many more) that I wouldn’t have gained without this apprenticeship.”
 

"I currently lead the direction and delivery of the Group Customer Segmentation Strategy, working with teams from across the business and Transformation to design and deliver customer solutions which have been developed to meet the specific needs of our customers. An example of this is millennials needing a very different relationship with their bank versus a customer who is nearing retirement.

Prior to my current role, I held a variety of positions across divisions within LBG, my most recent being Customer and Colleague Experience Director for Community Banking; a role in which I led the customer insight and regulatory agenda, redesigned colleague roles to meet more complex customer needs and evolved the way in which our channels operate. 

Outside of my direct role, I am actively involved with LBG networks Breakthrough and REACH, championing the inclusivity of females and cultural diversity in the workplace. In my work with these groups, I have been involved in a variety of activities and campaigns, being an Ethnicity Sponsor, and participating in talks such as Footprints in the Snow, writing blog posts to share my perspectives and helping introduce younger generations to the world of Banking through internships.

I have lived in and travelled to many countries - growing up across three continents in addition to project work and leisure, and have travelled to over 40 countries.  Most importantly, I am a proud mother to my two daughters, Annika and Serena."

"What I love about working here is the focus on my own development. It’s had such a huge impact on how I’ve grown my career. I started here in our HR department. I got to do a lot of different roles in different business areas, and it helped me really reflect on what I liked to do at work. I realised that I loved working with people and co-ordinating projects.

I ended up in a role where the team I was working with had adopted Scrum, a type of project management framework, to help them deliver their best work at a fast pace. I absolutely loved it, it was so motivating and we delivered so much, fast! I was determined to learn how to become a Scrum Master, and everyone I reached out to was so keen to help me. I started out with shadowing Scrum Master mentors, and joined the Accelerated Development Program.

"I’ve found the learning and development here amazing. It’s helped me switch roles so easily, and find the right path for me throughout my career. When I joined, I worked in one of our Fraud departments . I helped to enhance and automate processes, and improve my colleagues’ experiences in the workplace. After a while, a colleague pointed out my mindset and work style in that role would be a good fit for Technology and IT. I did a bit of research, spoke to a few other teams, and found that it really suited me.

I applied for a role as a Lead Business Analyst in Cyber Security. When I got it, I realised just how transferable the skills I’d built up were. I was able to thrive in a completely different business area. Now, I work in Commercial Banking as a Cybersecurity Manager. It’s a role that challenges me, and my team have been so supportive. I’m always given the resources I need to learn new technologies and drive things forward for LBG and our customers.