Vineta leads a team which works with complex financial instruments - futures, and future can be every trading product: interest rate swaps, FX, commodities and other exchange traded derivatives. If you want to pursue a career in international banking or simply get a better understanding how the investment world works, her team is one of the very few places in Baltics where you can learn how to work with these products.
Tell us about your journey in SEB!
It’s been almost 8 years since I joined. My friend already worked in SEB and she suggested that I should apply. My first position was Bank Operations Specialist in Foreign Exchange Operations.
I didn’t have a particular interest in FX and I certainly didn’t have any previous experience in this area before I joined, and it was something entirely new for me. After two and a half years I became a Senior Specialist, and shortly thereafter my manager went on her maternity leave, and I was given the opportunity to replace her.
I spent almost two years in this role, and then I became the manager of Cleared Derivatives team, which is my current position.
Please tell us about your current responsibilities!
Our team consists of 14 people and we are dealing with exchange traded derivatives. They are highly specialised financial instruments, mostly used by large corporates and financial institutions to manage their financial flow and costs.
Vineta Peimane
Title: Team Manager, Cleared Derivatives Operations at SEB Group’s business services centre in Riga
Education: Master’s degree in Business Management, Riga Technical University
Personal interests: Taking care of almost 40 houseplants and travelling
Futures, FX, government bonds, interest rate swaps, commodities – all these instruments can be traded in an exchange as derivatives.
Once the SEB trader has signed the deal with our customer, our role is to book the transaction in customer’s accounts, charge the commissions and settle expired trades.
What motivates you and gives you energy?
I like to see the bigger picture and understand how our services fit in from the client’s perspective, and what value we are adding.
I am coaching my colleagues to look at the broader context of their roles, because it gives you the answer to the question: why am I doing this?
In our line of work where the financial instruments are almost intangible, it is important to know how the numbers I am entering in my computer translate to the real life.
In your opinion, what are the main benefits from working in your area?
My team is one of the very few places in Baltics where you can get hands-on experience in working with complex financial instruments like derivatives.
If you know derivatives, you can work in any of the global financial corporations and investment banks. Some of my former colleagues have done just that and are now working in London.
The flip side of it is that I cannot hire somebody with previous experience in my area. So, in job interviews I am looking for the right attitude and willingness to learn, because we will teach everything you need to know.
In which areas would you like to develop yourself in the future?
I am interested in being closer to the business. I am not afraid to change my area and learn new things. When I became a team manager, I saw how this role changes your characteristics and develops new skills. I have been a team leader for five years, and after a while you start to notice that there’s a certain cycle and at one point things start repeating.
My next position could also be something not related with managing people, maybe a new area where I could develop new competences. I am waiting for the feeling when I know – yes, this is what I want to do.
Can you reveal what are your hobbies?
I like to be active. I walk to the office each day. It takes an hour to get there, and then another hour to get back home in the evening. I do a lot of sports. I have a friend who lives in London, and we train together via Facebook Messenger.
I love travelling, and I am happy that I managed to visit New Zealand just before the pandemic started. I like to be in nature, go for walks and climb mountains. My most recent passion is houseplants. I currently live in a two-room apartment, and I have almost 40 plants to take care of.
