Employee Stories

Balaji Ranganathan

Being a part of an award-winning Tech team

Standard Chartered Singapore’s Principal Architect, Balaji Ranganathan has been a member of the Bank since 2016. Since joining almost seven years ago, Balaji has worked closely with industry-leading architects in the Technology team, allowing him to gain a unique and well-rounded experience of how technology is utilised in the financial industry to drive innovation.

What attracted you to join the Standard Chartered Technology team?

I was initially attracted to joining the Standard Chartered Technology team as the Bank understands the importance of integrating new technology into daily operations. After going through the interview process, I was able to understand more about the team and I was very impressed by the visionary leadership. Their vision to transform the Bank’s digital future was inspiring and I comprehensively understood how their work directly contributes to Standard Chartered’s strategic direction.

Tell us about a notable project that you have worked on since joining Standard Chartered.

As a Principal Architect, I work on multiple ongoing projects and have the opportunity to learn something new daily. The most notable project that I am currently working on is implementing a new cloud strategy and architecture that will be used across the Bank.

What do you love the most about your job?

Prior to joining the Bank, I worked within organisations that were solely focused on technology and development and because of this, I was only involved in certain stages of projects. I love my role at Standard Chartered as I am involved in projects from their inception to their completion. The end-to-end perspective that I have gained from my job has helped me to develop a well-rounded understanding of the strategy behind our technological initiatives and I benefit from a greater sense of achievement because of this.

Another aspect of my job that I especially love is having the opportunity to work with senior leaders within the Bank who are industry experts. I have learned a great deal from them sharing their experiences and they help me to understand the larger purpose of my work and how it is tied to Standard Chartered Technology priorities as a whole.

How has Standard Chartered recognised your achievements since joining the Bank?

Standard Chartered recognises the importance of rewarding its employees and since joining the Bank, I have been presented with the Intrapreneur of the Year award for my work on developing Standard Chartered’s new cloud-based platform. I am very proud to have been awarded this and it is refreshing to be a part of an organisation that recognises my achievements. Our cloud-based solution also won external industry awards and I am honoured to be a part of such a talented team.

What would you say to someone thinking about making the move from a technology-focused organisation to Standard Chartered?

Working at Standard Chartered provides a unique opportunity to work with the latest FinTech whilst learning from inspirational leaders specialising in technology. The Bank’s international reputation attracts the best talent, so embarking on a career with Standard Chartered means that you can absorb the knowledge of industry leaders whom you can look up to for years to come.