Life as the Head of Documentary Trade Product Operations at Standard Chartered – Cedric’s story

Cedric began his career in banking over 20 years ago as a teller in a remote location in New Zealand. He has since developed a prosperous career as a trade finance expert specialising in risk and commodity trading in Asia. Cedric began his journey with Standard Chartered in 2019 as a Senior Manager within the Trade Finance Operations function of the Bank and has since been promoted to the Head of Documentary Trade Product Operations.

Tell us what led to you embarking on your journey with Standard Chartered’s technology team.

Standard Chartered is a globally renowned and reputable trade bank with a broad geographical footprint. The Bank’s international influence means it can offer a comprehensive range of products as well as pushing a high volume of transactions. As the market leader, Standard Chartered’s technology team is incredibly successful, and I wanted to contribute to its work towards digitising what was a heavily manual environment and transforming how the industry has traditionally operated for decades.

What do you love the most about your job?

I am lucky enough to lead a team of trade specialists who are service orientated and committed to driving innovation. I wholeheartedly love being part of a team that is willing to provide one another with unwavering support. We are all passionate about the industry and often discuss and debate over live cases, which has helped me to adopt different approaches and perspectives to our work. Another aspect of my role that I love is the countless opportunities produced by the ever-changing nature of the trade market. Our business is constantly evolving, which makes work fun and exciting. My role allows me to embed myself as a key player in trade finance, which is not only an honour, but also a pleasure.

Can you tell us a little about some of the projects you are working on?

I am currently working on a project with a talented group of product experts that is aimed at increasing customer digital adoption. The team has developed an online platform that allows customers to submit electronic documentation that reduces paper traffic and accelerates processing time. The platform provides customers with greater flexibility whilst streamlining the avenues in which our customers can interact with the Operations team. Overall, my team’s work on this project has simplified the banking process for our customers and I am very proud of how we have driven positive change.

What has been your proudest achievement since joining Standard Chartered?

I was given the opportunity to lead two of Standard Chartered’s main product streams in Hong Kong. This was an incredible opportunity, and I am honoured to be trusted enough to be at the forefront of such an important initiative. Since taking on my new responsibility, I have worked closely with product teams across a wide range of locations within the Bank. The journey that I have taken in this role has united teams that wouldn’t ordinarily collaborate, which has brought people closer together and facilitated future cross-function partnerships.