frequent feedback surveys covering a range of topics .
“ Regularly listening to colleagues gives us that opportunity to act quickly if something is raised or we can see a trend ,” says the COO .
“ Our smaller scale at Santander International is a big benefit as I can get to know a lot of colleagues across our business .”
The size of Santander International also means management figures can instigate tailored induction programmes , allowing new starters to get to know the company more quickly and meet wider teams across customer segments .
Moreover , the location of the Santander International business , compared to the UK arm , resulted in a swifter return to the office post-COVID . In both Jersey and the Isle of Man , employees are also benefitting from newly-refurbished surroundings following significant investment in their offices .
Wright adds : “ Feedback has been really positive around that , and it means we haven ’ t lost – to use a cliché – those water cooler moments , which is fantastic .”
Focusing on key partners Santander International has evolved to the point where it now has a clear strategy around partnerships . One of the most important aspects of this is to keep things relatively limited and focus on a select pool of key partners .
Typically , the business harnesses the capabilities of a combination of large , market-leading technical partners and platforms , particularly where strong relationships already exist across the group , to provide a backbone for the architecture . These are blended with more niche , sometimes local solutions and consulting ,
“Regularly listening to colleagues gives us that opportunity to act quickly if something is raised ”
WILL WRIGHT CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER , SANTANDER INTERNATIONAL
which might be more unique to the islands . An ongoing focus has been simplifying architecture to remove legacy bespoke solutions , typically involving numerous partners or third parties , resulting in a single strategy to solve business requirements . This , in turn , reduces integration points and subsequent risk .
“ Ultimately ,” says Wright , “ we ’ re striving towards that technical goal of achieving a single pane of glass for a customer , or even for colleagues to provide efficient customer service .”
He continues : “ Forming strong partnerships is absolutely vital . At our scale , I think it ’ s even more important to be plugged into all the continuous innovations we ’ re striving for . We need to be working with people outside the banking arena and understanding the wider tech development that ’ s going on .
“ There is a wider context to some of the relationships we have locally . Even though
74 January 2024