In our 'Five minutes with...' blog series, we get to know different personalities of the RCI Bank team to find out about their role, their views on the bank and on the wider banking industry. In this edition we chat to Operations and Change Manager, Chantal Disbrowe…..

Could you tell us a little bit about your professional background and what made you want to work with RCI Bank?

I’ve been lucky enough to be part of the RCI group since 2012, initially working for RCI Financial Services, before making the jump across to RCI Bank in September last year as their Operations & Change Manager.

On top of my professional career, I’m also working towards a master degree in finance and risk management at the Open University. When I heard RCI Bank was looking for someone to fill my current position, I jumped at the chance as it allows me to put my studies into practice on a daily basis.

Can you explain your role for the Bank?

In a nutshell, I ensure that the day to day running of the bank goes smoothly. It is my job to make sure the best possible people are in the right roles in order to make sure our customers’ experiences with us are as good as possible. It’s all about delivering the best end result for our savers.

When I talk about my role to anyone, I always use the car analogy. I see myself as the driver, driving activity along with everyone else working hard around me. It’s a great position to be in and one which I find exciting week in week out.

Why is it so important for businesses to have an internal Change function?

All businesses should embrace change. Without it, businesses would likely lose their competitive edge. At RCI Bank, we make listening to our customers a fundamental part of what we do and having an internal change function means we can adapt as a business to reflect our customers’ needs.

I try to work as closely with every team throughout RCI Bank, as I need to have strong working relationships across the board to ensure our customers are well looked after.

Are there any big projects coming up for you over the next year that you can tell us about?

A lot of the work we’re doing at the moment revolves around regulation, the changing UK savings landscape and making sure the bank is always up to date with the latest changes that are happening across the banking sector.

I have a real passion for what I do and my work around regulation always gives me exposure to the senior members of the RCI Bank team including our CEO, Jean-Louis and our CFO, Peter McEvoy. Working alongside these highly experienced individuals is great for my development and helps me grow my skills as a manager, whilst also adding to the work I do for my Masters.

What do you love most about your role?

It sounds like a cliché, but I really enjoy all the aspects of my work at RCI Bank. However, I feel most proud about working for a challenger bank. That’s something I love about my job.

Being a part of a challenger bank and being able to change people’s perceptions of the banking industry never fails to give me that feeling of pride.

Finally, tell us something about yourself that we wouldn’t know...

I’m rather good at Latin American ballroom dancing and have recently been placed in the UK top 24… Strictly here I come!