Life as an intern at KBC

In an increasingly fast-moving regulatory environment, the role of the risk department has become more important than ever. PSD2, GDPR and other regulations all have a direct impact on the bank’s operations. New technologies can be a source of new product development for the financial services industry, but with this rapid change comes a number of risks. By identifying, mitigating and controlling these risks, the risk department enables KBC to deliver its strategic objectives and maximize sustainable value. On my internship so far, I have worked with both the Operational Risk and Financial Crime Unit in KBCI. It is evident from working with my fellow team members that KBC is a bank that truly lives its values: to be responsive, to be respectful and to deliver results.

A Typical Day:

The first thing to reiterate: there is no such thing as a typical day in the Operational Risk and Financial Crime Unit, as each day presents itself with new complex issues. This has helped me develop my problem-solving and analytical skills to investigate and mitigate risk. As part of the Operational Risk team, we provide independent, objective assurance and support for the business units in the management, monitoring and mitigation of risks.  We undertake challenge and oversight to support the embedding of risk control. On a typical day, I would respond to emails from other business units, assess activities against procedures and offer advice on possible solutions. I assisted in conducting a product review, whereby we had to assess product post-launch and offer possible solutions to minimize risk.

The Financial Crime Unit is responsible for all elements of Fraud Management across the bank. The unit’s primary goal is the prevention and detection of fraud through education, awareness and proactive monitoring. I have visited a KBC Hub as part of a quality assurance review which was a great way to see how a KBC Hub operates and understand the operating procedures in a digitally led bank.

So far, I have gained a great insight into the banking sector and the importance of leveraging people, technology and business processes and controls to improve the experience for KBC customers. I must admit that it is a very fulfilling role, knowing that you are making a meaningful contribution to improving customer experience. I have really enjoyed my internship so far and I look forward to seeing what the rest of my internship holds!