Priscilla To – Returning to Hong Kong as a Graduate

Standard Chartered, Hong Kong’s Priscilla To explains how returning to her home country gave her the opportunity to work with influential clients, contribute to high-profile global projects and build an international career.

I joined Standard Chartered as a Graduate after graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2020. I was excited to embark on my career in banking and wanted to develop my skills with an organisation that invested in innovation and supported its employees to build successful careers. Standard Chartered’s strategic positioning in Hong Kong coupled with its global footprint creates an extraordinary opportunity to connect with international clients, which motivated me to return to my home country to begin my career in one of the fastest-growing financial markets in the world. The Bank’s Graduate Programme is also well known for its industry-leading career development strategies and unique opportunities to gain international exposure. After completing the Graduate programme and spending a year in my role as an Associate, it is clear that working with a global bank has helped me to lay the foundations for a prosperous career.

Beginning and building a career in Hong Kong after graduation

Hong Kong is one of the Bank’s key markets and has a strong retail presence in the region. It is the ideal location to work on piloting initiatives and seize opportunities to gain international exposure. I, therefore, chose to return to Hong Kong as it is a hotbed for innovation and growth opportunities. I knew that the unique opportunities produced by Hong Kong’s rapidly expanding market would help me to gain international exposure and be a part of the future of finance. I also wanted to be closer to my friends and family so that I could truly enjoy the flexible working benefits available at Standard Chartered. 

Gaining a well-rounded understanding of the global financial sector as a Graduate

I work in Priority Private, the affluent client segment of Standard Chartered, Hong Kong. I oversee the client privileges and loyalty programme and lead campaigns to acquire high-profile clients to the Priority Private segment. My role has enabled me to build meaningful relationships with our partners and establish a network of distinguished individuals worldwide. Hong Kong’s growing market attracts a wealth of talented individuals from various industries and nationalities, so I have developed a strategic and well-rounded understanding of the global financial sector.

Putting theory into practice 

My experience as a Graduate has been purposeful and I have had the opportunity to contribute to exciting new initiatives created by Hong Kong’s expanding market. One of the most notable projects I worked on during the programme was the launch of Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercards in Hong Kong. It was incredibly insightful to understand the processes of a successful launch and to put the theories from Standard Chartered’s training programme into practice. This was a very high-profile project that allowed me to gain valuable insight into the industry and develop a meaningful understanding of sophisticated projects.

We are enabled to make a real impact regardless of our experience level

Graduates perform a purposeful and vital role at Standard Chartered. I have been given countless opportunities to work on projects outside of my daily responsibilities and my mentor has supported me every step of the way. I have had access to a wealth of knowledge from senior management and I understand how my work supports the strategic direction of the Bank. My management and team are very open to our fresh ideas and perspectives and I feel that our contributions are truly valued. There is a flat hierarchical structure at Standard Chartered so it is possible to make real impact regardless of your experience level or title. My team is like one big family and we support each other to achieve our goals.

Driving positive change in fintech as a Graduate

As a graduate, part of my role is to help to drive positive change at the Bank. Our fresh perspectives are utilised to combat the obstacles experienced by our customers and colleagues. I contributed to numerous projects that substantially impacted the Bank’s processes during the programme, but I am particularly proud of my contributions to a fintech initiative. As an intern, I joined a hackathon organised by Standard Chartered and researched the internal and external pain points in SC Mobile, our mobile app. As a group, we devised solutions to tackle the vulnerabilities to improve the customer experience. Our findings were presented to Mary Huen, Standard Chartered, Hong Kong’s CEO and I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to make such a positive impact.

Contributing to the Group’s piloting initiatives before global rollout – INSEAD Wealth Academy

Hong Kong’s rapidly expanding market coupled with the plentiful resources available at Standard Chartered creates a unique opportunity to be a part of piloting initiatives and work on exciting projects. Since joining the Bank, I have contributed to piloting initiatives such as the INSEAD Wealth Academy. The training programme was first launched in Hong Kong and Singapore and I felt very fortunate to be supporting such a beneficial and insightful programme. Taking part in such projects has exposed me to the latest advancements in wealth management.