How long have you worked at the SRB and how has it changed since you joined?
Four years have passed since I joined the agency I am proud to serve. Four years may seem a limited period of time, but it was long enough to assist remarkable advancements in our systems, policies and internal organisation. Our guidance documents, gradually published since 2020 and periodically updated, currently provide an extensive operationalisation of the SRB Expectations for Banks, which are the core of our approach to bank resolvability. We are also about to make a great step forward with the introduction of a new IT system – IRIS – which we will use for the management of annual cycles and the exchanges of information with banks and other authorities. Leveraging years of incremental changes, the SRB is now fully operational to carry its mandate and ready to confidently move towards the ambitious goals under the SRB Vision 2028 strategy.
At the same time, I should also take note of what has not changed, and I am talking about the dedication and enthusiasm of many fully committed professionals, whose daily work contributes to the financial stability of the Economic and Monetary Union. With so many good people around the working environment at the SRB is outstandingly enriching and stimulating.
What do you particularly like about your work at the SRB
The SRB is a place where individual initiative is encouraged. There is always the possibility to contribute to a project or an expert network for people who are ambitious and capable. The SRB Vision 2028 I mentioned had an unprecedented participation of staff members who contributed to the definition of the activities of our multi-annual strategy, depending on their fields of expertise and interest. The cooperation between the SRB and national resolution authorities has been a key ingredient for the establishment of the Single Resolution Mechanism and it is certainly a prerequisite for everything that lays ahead. I would say that if you have a solution-oriented approach and a proactive attitude, the SRB can be the right place for you.
Would you recommend the SRB as an employer?
I lost count about how many times I suggested friends to keep an eye open on the SRB vacancies. Our contracts are governed by the EU Staff Regulations. Needless to say, the economic treatment, social security and benefits make the European public employment very attractive. People who are keen to learn or improve languages will have the possibility to access free language courses all along the year. I took French classes, which helped me greatly in settling well into the French-speaking environment of Brussels.
What makes you happy about working at the SRB?
Being a civil servant of the European Union is a mission towards European citizens, and it shall be accomplished with integrity and honour. The SRB contributes to this mission by ensuring that in case of crisis the critical functions provided by banks to our families and enterprises will be continued. To achieve this goal, we actively prepare our banks to crisis through resolution planning and testing and we annually imposed impose requirements on the level of capital and liabilities that banks shall hold. In our field, even the most junior agents have to deal with financial and legal issues of high relevance for financial stability and consequently for the whole economy. I can promise that with this spirit, one walks to the office in the morning with a great sense of responsibility, but leaves it in the evening certain that he has done something that truly matters. This is what makes us proud of and committed to our agency.
Is it hard to prepare for a competition at the SRB as a resolution expert?
For these specific positions, a competition at the SRB requires a certain level of technical knowledge about bank resolution and financial supervision. This should not scare a potential applicant; on the contrary, it means that the perimeter of key concepts and notions is well defined and limited to our field. Technical knowledge required is not a barrier, but rather an opportunity for applicants to learn and specialise in a well-defined field.
Our social media accounts are a good way to keep up with the continuous developments in the area of resolution.
To all future candidates of our competitions, I wish the best of luck, with the hope to meet many of them one day as colleagues around a good cup of coffee.