INTHEBLACK August 2024 - Flipbook - Page 16
MEMBER PROFILE
“If I had moved in a linear path, I would be a CFO at best, but, even then,
I feel companies are looking for strategic CFOs. If I hadn’t made those
moves, I don’t believe I would be a CEO today.”
RAJEEV ADRIAN FCPA, ABC INTERNATIONAL BANK
UPSKILL
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because I kept moving sideways or even
downwards. I often worked for people
much younger than me who had taken
a more linear path.”
Adrian kept making bold choices and
moving into new areas. This included
taking up an invitation by his manager
at the time, head of business at The Royal
Bank of Scotland, to make a spontaneous
move to the Netherlands in 2007.
“We took over ABN Amro, the largest
Dutch bank, so he invited me to move to
Amsterdam, but he asked me on a Friday
and wanted me to move on the Monday,”
Adrian recalls. “I went home and told
my wife, ‘Oh by the way, I’ve got this
opportunity, but I need to move in
a few days’. She was very supportive, and
the family followed me there.”
This winding path has led Adrian to his
current role, as CEO and managing director
at ABC International Bank in London,
a subsidiary of the global Bank ABC Group,
where he is responsible for the UK and
European operations.
Taking a strategic approach to reaching
the C-suite requires a determined yet
flexible mindset.
“You need to recognise that five strategic
career moves to the top may become 10 and
that you are only competing against yourself,”
he says. “Don’t compare yourself to others
along the way – it will tempt you to make
choices towards short-term gain,” he says.
CAREER TIPS
Aim to acquire and demonstrate
soft skills
Several of Adrian’s career moves
occurred because he was head
hunted. These opportunities came,
he believes, because colleagues
and prospective employers
recognised his soft skills in
addition to his technical skills.
“To make those opportunities
arise, people need to see you.
They need to see that you
are resilient and that you can
work well with people – that
your EQ is as strong as your IQ,”
he says.
It is also important to seek
situations where you can acquire
the skills you lack. “If you feel
nervous about public speaking,
16 INTHEBLACK August 2024
for example, consciously put
yourself in situations where
you are acquiring that skill,”
he explains. “It is very good to
recognise your strengths, but
a lot of people do not proactively
address their weaknesses.”
Look after your physical
and mental health
Whether you are in the top job
or working long days to get there,
a good work/life balance and
strong support network is key.
“As you rise up in your career,
positions at the top can be very
lonely,” he says. “The decisions
you make have an impact on
many people’s lives, so you
need to find the space and
the support to have belief in
yourself and your decisions.”
Adrian also believes in the power
of exercise and finding passions
outside work to maintain wellbeing
and a sense of balance. In addition
to spending time with his family,
Adrian swims, cycles and plays
tennis. “I try to get to the gym, even
if it has to be at 5.30am or 9pm.”
Appreciate connections
Throughout his career, Adrian
has forged strong connections
with colleagues. “Accounting can
be quite autonomous, and people
do not always take the time to
recognise and develop connections
with others in their organisation,”
he says. “Yet we learn new
