Alexandria K.

Interview

What do you enjoy about the work you do?

It’s been an honor to work within the Risk Review Group for the past seven years. It’s a unique area to work in because, throughout our audits, we get to see so many different areas of the bank and learn about them. It is always interesting to start a new audit and get to know another line of business and build relationships. I enjoy learning about new products and meeting new people. As auditors, our jobs are to understand the business’s risks and controls and independently assess how they are working. When we find areas for improvement, we help them to strengthen their controls, and it is very rewarding to be looked at as a trusted risk partner/advisor. Through the experiences gained while with Risk Review, it’s been easy to transition to my new promotional role as an Operational Risk Officer within Risk Management.

What did leadership look like in the Risk Review Group?

Leadership is focused on the success of Risk Review, not just as a whole department but as each individual within the department. We are encouraged to be open with our managers on what our career goals look like, and then opportunities are found for experiences that will help us to achieve our career goals. There are many training opportunities for things we want to learn about.

What has your Key career path looked like?

My career started at Key in 2011, when I was a teller for around two years while pursuing my undergraduate degree. Once I graduated, I moved into the Finance Department, working as an Executive Assistant for about a year while pursuing my master’s degree. During that time, I expanded my network and thought about where I would want to move next. It was suggested to me that Risk Review could be an interesting choice, so I pursued a position in Risk Review in 2014. Since joining Risk Review, I have been on three teams within the department and enjoyed a couple of promotions. My most recent move into Risk Management was a logical move due to the experience and knowledge that I gained from working within the Risk Review Group. My career path has not been so much of looking for opportunities but utilizing my network and sometimes taking a position that was not necessarily something I had planned on doing. Over the years, I have learned that sometimes the unexpected opportunities are the most rewarding.

At Key, we strive to offer employees a flexible work environment. Have you found that to be true? In what ways?

Key offers very flexible work environments. When it comes to balancing my outside life with my work, I don’t feel stressed. Our leadership understands that life happens outside of work and understands that we need to be our best outside of work to be our best at work.