Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken : William – a master of prioritisation that are not afraid of a challenge

William Jonsson has a lot on his plate, to say the least. With a job as IT-manager that requires great responsibility and leisure time packed with activities it is important to prioritise, but also to dare to take mandate and risks.

Tell us about your journey at SEB

'I joined SEB through our Tech Program. It is a program for young people in IT where 50% of the time is spent in a regular work role and 50% is spent on activities and projects together with the trainee program. I have an education in both IT and finance and after graduating I always believed that I would pursue my career within finance. But after being in various recruitment processes, I got hooked on SEB and its Tech Program. Five years later, I am still very happy with my choice. Today I am the manager of a team within trading on the IT side.'

How does a normal work day look like for you?

'I am very tired in the mornings and I always come in to work in the last minute. I spend a lot of time in meetings and projects, but I also try to spend a great deal of my time on my employees. They are the ones who do the most important job! Together we ensure that we deliver on what we have promised and that we have the right conditions to deliver. Something I really like about the leadership at SEB is that we receive trust, confidence and mandate. I think it is important to take mandate and dare to take risks, even if it sometimes involves that you fail. Otherwise, it is so much that does not get done because of fear of making mistakes.'

What is best with your job?

'It is when I have contributed to either a project or a person succeeding. I also think it is fun that IT and the business work so closely together, which is crucial for my area to work smoothly. I also run side projects on SEB's approach to 'open source' and how SEB as an employer should attract tomorrow's talents. I like to sometimes work with completely different things than I normally do and here I get the opportunity to do so. And of course, having fun with my colleagues is the absolute best thing. Otherwise I would not have stayed for so long.'

What are your interests?

'Climbing, going to the gym, play golf, tennis, badminton and skiing. I also like gaming, CounterStrike, and to just relax when I have some spare time.'

That is a lot of interests and you also have a job with large responsibility, how do you cope?

'The key for me is to let go of things that are not important and to say no sometimes. I think that I am good at being focused and maintain a balance, making the prioritisation of work much simpler. The most important part is to trust my amazing employees that are making my work easier.'

What is your favorite app?

'Something a bit unusual in these times is that I do not use social media. I understand the concept, but personally I have never become interested in it. Reddit is instead a favorite when it comes to apps and especially the subreddit 'explainlikeimfive'. You can ask anything you want and get it explained to you as if you were five years old. It is perfect!'