LINOY
KIDD BUILDING
LEADING IN BANKING AND
SCHOOLS
Linoy Kidd , CIO of HSBC , shares the inspirational story of how she climbed the corporate ladder while raising money to build schools for children
Q . DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY INTO BANKING . HOW DID YOU GET HERE ?
» I did my undergraduate degree in IT , which has a direct correlation to the job that I do now . I did a summer internship at a Dutch bank called ABN AMRO and the people were so helpful . After that position , I went into telecommunications to try a new industry , but I really preferred banking . As you can imagine , some incredible brains work in the bank ; they have to understand so many intricacies including algorithms and underpinning formulas . That , and I really liked the fast pace of the job and how smart the people are .
For me , working with the business in partnership is the most rewarding part of my job . I joined HSBC 17 years ago and started in foreign exchange options as a support analyst , then worked my way to team leader . I moved on to Manager and then CIO in Mexico , before becoming CIO in MENAT for MSS ( Markets Security Services ).
As soon as I became a leader of men / women I knew this was my calling in life . I love being a leader and managing people . I really feel it is a privilege to manage people and to try and get the best out of them to work and output for the business .
Q . WHO WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD HERO AND WHY ?
» I grew up in the 80s , when Band-Aid was a big event on television . I knew that I wanted to emulate those that help others and to action change in the world in whatever small way I could . Martin Luther King sacrificed himself for the greater good to change the face of the world forever . I always quote him : “ I have a dream where all children can play together no matter their race ... not everyone can be famous but everyone can be great because greatness is determined by service .”
My grandmother was also a big influence . She could not read or write and would beg her grandkids to teach her . She was Kurdish from Iraq and was just never taught to