Personal Portfolio for HSBC CFO Role

Module code:	BMAF008-20
Module title:	Planning Your Career in Business
Assignment:	1
Word count:	3,000 words – 10% +/-
Contribution to module mark:	100%
Submission deadline:	7^th Oct 2024 (Time: 23:59)

Student Name-

Student ID-

Word Count-

Introduction

A personal portfolio refers to the curated collection of one’s work and information demonstrating their abilities and accomplishments in a professional and attractive manner (Medium, 2024). It is an essential step for professionals to create a personal portfolio to display an individual’s personal brand, skills and achievements. This also contains tangible evidence and samples. Individuals can stand out in the highly competitive labour market through a well-crafted personal portfolio. This can allow employers to gain insight into the applicant’s skill set and work ethic, thus, helping them determine their suitability for that specific job role. A personal portfolio also creates the first impression of an individual by showcasing their capabilities, knowledge and potential as a professional. Therefore, a personal portfolio is quintessential for marketers to stay on top of trends and information about current opportunities.

Section A

Introduction to portfolio content and the reason for personal statement and CV

The portfolio will include a justification based on the choice behind the chosen job role in the chosen organisation namely HSBC UK. It will also include a personal statement, CV, a self-assessment with the help of SWOT and a SMART plan for skill development. The primary reason for both the personal statement and CV is to showcase my qualifications, experiences, and aspirations for a specific academic or professional opportunity namely Chief Finance Officer at HSBC.

Overview of HSBC

In 1865, HSBC first opened its doors in Hong Kong being founded by Thomas Sutherland (HSBC, 2024). The bank opened its first office in Wardley House and then opened an office in London in July 1865. On average, the employee strength in the financial institution increased to 221000 in 2023 from 219000 in the previous year (Statista, 2024). However, the workforce diversity in the organisation declined as the number of female staff reduced by 0.2% by 2021. The purpose of HSBC is to open a world of opportunities and explain why they exist (HSBC, 2024). The values of the company are to value difference, succeed together, take responsibility, and get it done. In the UK, the revenue of HSBC in 2023 amounted to roughly 51.92 billion pounds thus acquiring the top spot among the five largest banks in the country (Statista, 2024). Over the past 150 years, HSBC has been catering to 41 million personal, corporate, and wealth customers on average in 60 countries and territories globally (HSBC, 2024). The bank has survived all atrocities and changes such as new technologies, economic crises, and revolutions and then survived. The financial institution also maintains a stronghold in strict cost control, capital strength, and long-term customer relations.

Figure 1: Number of employees

(Source: Statista, 2024)

Justification of interest for working at HSBC

I am deeply interested in joining HSBC UK as a Chief Finance Officer due to several compelling reasons. HSBC operates in more than 160 international markets with 46 offices thus maintaining an extensive global reach (HSBC, 2024). On the other hand, the brand value of HSBC has increased to 19.56 billion US dollars in 2024 compared to 16.71 billion US dollars in the past year (Statista, 2024). Based on the same, the brand reputation and the global reach of the financial institution in the country and worldwide have attracted my interest as it perfectly aligns with my career aspirations. Back in 2023, HSBC also launched Innovation Banking by combining its expertise with that of Silicon Valley to strengthen its business processes internationally (HSBC, 2023). The concept of Innovation Banking is a new specialised and global proposition for businesses functioning in the cutting-edge sectors. This particular concept combines financial services with innovation expertise to support growth goals globally. Moreover, based on its sustainability strategy, HSBC has proposed to achieve net zero by 2050 to strive towards a more sustainable future (HSBC, 2024). The organisation also aims to create an environment where everyone feels supported and included thus encouraging community engagement (HSBC, 2024). The commitment of the bank towards community engagement, sustainability, and innovation precisely aligns with my personal values thus attracting my interest.

Second, I am drawn to the dynamic and challenging nature of the Chief Finance Officer role. This particular opportunity will act as a rewarding experience helping me to oversee strategic planning, direct a large finance team, and also manage risk. HSBC offers a range of support and services related to loans, mortgages, credit cards, investing, savings, insurance, and others (HSBC, 2024). The company reports a total of above 700,000 customers, more than 14 million customers, and over 23,700 colleagues supporting the financial services (HSBC, 2024). The organisation also offers wealth management and retail banking to private and public banking customers helping them to manage their wealth and daily finances. It also partners with a range of large, medium or small-sized businesses and supports their growth or developmental stages with the help of its universal banking functions. Other than these, possessing expertise in financial reporting, accounts payable, risk management, investment analysis, strategic planning, financial analysis, and others will help me to excel in the position of chief finance officer.

I am particularly impressed by HSBC UK's focus on fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. The organisation also values differences by acknowledging diverse perspectives and ideas to manage risk, innovate, and drive business growth (HSBC, 2024). On a concluding note, I believe that my experience, passion, and qualifications will help to contribute my skills and expertise to the bank's continued growth and success.

Section B

Personal Statement

Antoaneta Aleksandrova

49 Featherstone Street

London, EC1Y 8SY, United Kingdom

antoaneta.aleksandrova.123@gmail.com

+44 7499-9000

12/09/2024

HR Manager

HSBC

1 Centenary Square, Birmingham

B1 1HQ, United Kingdom

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my keen interest in a volunteer/work experience placement in the Chief Finance Officer (CFO) role at HSBC. With a passion towards international business and finance coupled with expertise in economics in tourism and hotel management, I believe that I am appropriate for the job role.

My journey in hospitality began with a deep-rooted fascination for the intricacies of hotel operations. Working as a finance officer at Hamali LTD. has helped me to gain a comprehensive understanding of revenue management. Applying my knowledge at work has helped me to maintain and manage accounts payable, invoice processing, monitoring expenses, and payroll. It has helped me to gain a better understanding of financial planning, cost control, revenue management, and risk management.

I am particularly drawn to HSBC's commitment to fostering sustainable growth and its global reach. Possessing strong analytical skills and aligning with the purpose and values of HSBC will help me to ensure a valuable contribution to HSBC's financial success by contributing to the financial management of the leading bank in the country.

I am eager to apply my knowledge and skills to real-world financial challenges and learn from experienced professionals within the organisation. I am confident that my placement at HSBC will help me to develop the necessary skills acting as an invaluable experience. Through this experience, I also hope to develop a deeper understanding of finance in driving business success and networking with industry professionals to foster valuable relationships.

I have attached my resume for your review and would welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications further.

I am excited about the prospect of joining HSBC and contributing to its continued success.

Thank you for considering my application.

Sincerely,

Antoaneta Aleksandrova

Summary:

Seasoned finance executive with a proven track record of driving financial growth and strategic decision-making in complex organisations. With 9 years of proven success and possessing a deep understanding of financial management, I am seeking a challenging Chief Finance Officer role. With a proven track record of budgeting, forecasting, profitability and driving growth possessing relevant skills helped me to contribute to the long-term success of the organisation. I am also solely committed to fostering ethical business and financial excellence by fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation to deliver exceptional financial results in a dynamic business.

Work Experience:

12/2015 to Current:

Finance Officer | Hamali LTD - London, Whetstone

Responsibilities:

Maintained a detailed fixed asset register, including overseeing depreciation and asset disposals.
Reviewed and processed incoming invoices, identifying any discrepancies for the finance officer to review.
Conducted market research and prepared financial forecasts for review by the finance officer.
Independently managed payroll, VAT, invoicing, and other financial expenses.
Examined and reconciled bank statements to ensure accurate financial reporting and resolve discrepancies.
Handled financial transactions and maintained records with precision, ensuring compliance with company policies and legal standards.
Contributed to strategic planning discussions by evaluating the financial impact of proposed business strategies.
Tracked budgets closely to prevent overspending.
Assisted with the annual budget process, working with department leaders to project costs and revenues.
Regularly monitored cash flow forecasts, providing advice on investment options and liquidity management.

Educational Qualification:

09/2007-10/2011:

Diploma of Higher Education: Economics in Tourism

University of Agribusiness and Rural Development - London, Bulgaria

09/2001-05/2005:

Diploma of Higher Education: Hotel management

Professional high school of tourism ‘Asen Zlatarov – Plovdiv

Achievements:

Successfully implemented a new financial reporting system that increased efficiency by 25%.
Prepared accurate and timely financial reports, including monthly, quarterly, and annual statements.
Conducted a comprehensive financial analysis that identified cost-saving opportunities of $100,000.
Successfully completed multiple financial audits without any significant findings.
Developed and implemented a financial forecasting model with a 95% accuracy rate.
Developed and implemented internal controls to safeguard company assets and prevent fraud.
Attended workshops and completed a 6-month course.
Led a team of finance professionals, providing mentorship and guidance.
Achieved certifications while completing a course in financial management.
Created accurate financial models to support strategic decision-making.
Provided financial analysis to support business expansion and investment decisions.

Name: Antoaneta Aleksandrova

Address: 49 Featherstone Street, EC1Y 8SY

London, United Kingdom

Email: antoaneta.aleksandrova.123@gmail.com

Mobile Number: +44 7949-9400

Skills:

Accounts payable/ accounts receivable
Invoice processing
Expense monitoring
Payroll
Financial analysis: Capable of analysing financial data to make informed decisions.
Risk management: Can identify and mitigate financial risks.
Strategic planning: Efficient in developing long-term financial strategies for the company.
Financial reporting: Can ensure accurate and timely financial reporting.
Investment analysis: Proactively evaluating investment opportunities and making sound financial decisions.
Negotiation skills: Capable of negotiating contracts and deals on behalf of the company.
Communication skills: Can effectively communicate financial information to stakeholders.
Problem-Solving: Efficient in identifying and solving complex financial problems.
Compliance: Capable of ensuring compliance with financial regulations and laws.
Leadership: Can lead and motivate a team of finance professionals.

Languages:

English
Spanish
French

Hobbies:

Playing music
Travelling
Reading books
Painting

Section C

Self-assessment reflecting skill gaps

According to Yan and Carless (2022) self-assessment is an introspective action fundamental for self-regulated learning. This allows individuals to introspect their current skills to identify gaps in their skill set to improve themselves over time. In this part of the portfolio, I will conduct a self-assessment of myself using the SWOT analysis framework.

Strengths

I believe my analytical skills are one of my strengths. Having worked as a finance officer with over 9 years of experience, I have honed this skill. As my job role requires me to manage financial transactions, budgeting, overseeing asset registers, payroll, and more, my analytical skills have enhanced making me confident in this skill. This skill is necessary to help professionals make informed decisions and find solutions to various situations (CFI, 2024).
I am quite adept at communicating and can easily interact with others while ensuring the message is conveyed them to clearly and precisely. In my present job role, I have to work with others for strategic planning, forecasting expenditure and more which require me to have excellent communication skills to minimise any communicational error. In the view of Dolce et al. (2020) communication skills are one of the most relevant skills to employers. Hence, my ability to communicate with others both verbally and non-verbally can help enhance my appeal as a professional to employers.
I am quite confident in my problem-solving skills as I have the responsibility of understanding complex financial problems and finding effective solutions for them. Van Laar et al. (2020) have given ample stress on this skill as it is necessary to generate meaningful problem representations by analysing and integrating relevant information regarding a situation. Through the effective utilisation of this skill, I have been able to help my team make strategic decisions and resolve various issues.

Weaknesses

One of my weaknesses which affects my overall appeal as an efficient professional is my lack of time management ability. Time management is the process of planning and allocating time according to specific activities and it is important for professionals to realise their goals (CFI, 2024). Despite having over 9 years of experience in this field, my time management skills are not on par with my other abilities as I can struggle to allocate time efficiently. It sometimes creates challenges in completing tasks in a timely and efficient manner.
Although I am able to work in a team setting, teamwork cannot be considered my strength as I prefer to work individually more. Finance professionals are required to work collaboratively to ensure effective and accurate management of financial data. In my case, sometimes I feel less connected with my teammates which affects the work. Hence, it will be necessary for me to focus on reducing this skill gap as early as possible.

Opportunities

Enhancing my current technological skills can be an opportunity for me to develop myself further. The financial sector is being reshaped with the advancement of technologies. Hence, staying up to date with advanced and new technologies required in finance can help me enhance my potential as a professional.
Enhancing my leadership skills can provide a great opportunity for professional development. Although I have leadership capabilities as I have been responsible for managing and leading a team in my professional career, enhancing this skill can help me attain leading financial roles at HSBC. Effective financial leadership skills can help make strategic connections between a company's mission and finances (Consero, 2024). Thus, it will allow me to contribute to the organisation’s success as well.

Threats

The competitive labour market in the UK can be a major threat to me considering that there are approximately 1.54 million people employed in the finance and insurance sector in the country (Statista, 2024). Additionally, as reflected in Figure 2 in the Appendix, there is a downward trend in the sector regarding employment which can make it difficult for me to secure my desired job role in the future.
A lack of emotional intelligence can pose a threat to me to work collaboratively with others. Krén and Séllei (2021) have mentioned that emotional intelligence allows individuals to understand others’ emotions and manage them to correlate with the group’s performance. Hence, my ability to connect with others on an emotional level can strain my relationships with my coworkers negatively impacting my performance.

SMART Action Plan Tailored Towards Skills Development

Specific	Measurable	Achievable	Realistic	Timeframe
To enhance my leadership skills	To measure my leadership capabilities, I can ask for feedback from my colleagues and peers to gain their insight on this matter. Results from the classes can also help me measure my knowledge regarding leadership.	Effective leadership requires leaders to reflect upon themselves frequently and adapt themselves to serve the requirements of the ever-changing workplace (Forbes, 2023). Hence, I will be required to reflect on my leadership capabilities and find the leadership style most appropriate to me. Additionally, I can also focus on practical experience to enhance my leadership skills by taking on more responsibilities requiring me to act as a leader. Furthermore, taking classes in leadership can help me learn about the nuances of leadership.	Enhancing leadership skills will not only help me in leading a team towards success but will also help establish a positive and productive work environment in the workplace.	6-9 months
To improve my time management skills	Self-assessment can aid me in understanding the development that I have made regarding my time management and point out areas which need further enhancement.	Dierdorff (2020) has emphasised the necessity of identifying and prioritising tasks to ensure that the task is completed within the allotted time. Additionally, to ensure effective time management, creating and maintaining schedules can be effective for individuals. Another effective method is to evaluate how realistic the time assessment is. In this case, I can evaluate how long it has taken me to complete a task and where it deviated from the allotted timeline.	Enhanced time management skills will help me complete tasks in a timely manner along with aiding me to balance several tasks at the same time.	3 months
To improve my teamwork skills	I can ask for feedback from my colleagues and others to evaluate how well I can work in a team and measure my progress.	Having a positive mindset can be helpful in the development of teamwork skills as this can help me foster an environment of care and support. Working in more group settings can be helpful for me to work collaboratively with others. Additionally, active listening can also allow me to pay attention to the needs of others and their perspectives, thus, helping them in their issue and creating a positive team environment.	Effective teamwork skills will be necessary to adapt to the dynamic workspace and aid in attaining team goals effectively.	3 months
To strengthen my emotional intelligence capabilities	I can measure this through self-assessment.	Seppälä (2024) has implied that focusing on one’s emotions and measuring them on the spectrum of pleasant and unpleasant or intense and not intense can be helpful. It allows an individual to understand their emotions and thus, control their emotions accordingly. Additionally, meditation can also help me to have better control over my emotions. Being aware of my emotions will allow me to pay attention to the way I behave with others.	Emotional intelligence is highly important for teamwork and ensuring a positive work atmosphere.	5-6 months

Table 1: SMART Action Plan

(Source: Created by the learner)

Conclusion

Thus, the portfolio has presented a comprehensive view of my personal and professional skills and competencies. My work experience of 9 years as a finance officer has helped me hone my skills like analytical skills, communication and problem-solving ability. I have an aspiration to become chief finance officer at HSBC and I believe my experience as a finance officer will help me in this context. I have attached a detailed CV outlining my work experience and skills along with educational qualifications. Through a SWOT analysis, I have evaluated my current capabilities which identified communication, analytical skills and problem-solving ability as my strengths. On the other hand, poor time management, teamwork ability and lack of emotional intelligence can affect my professional development. In this regard, I have developed a SMART action plan which has outlined the various actions I will be required to take to improve my leadership, teamwork and time management skills and emotional intelligence.

Reference List

CFI (2024) Analytical Skills. Available at: https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/management/analytical-skills/ (Accessed: 12 September 2024).

CFI (2024) Time Management. Available at: https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/management/time-management-list-tips/ (Accessed: 12 September 2024).

Consero (2024) What is Financial Leadership. Available at: https://conseroglobal.com/resources/what-is-financial-leadership/ (Accessed: 12 September 2024).

Dierdorff, EC. (2020) Time Management Is About More Than Life Hacks. Available at: https://hbr.org/2020/01/time-management-is-about-more-than-life-hacks (Accessed: 12 September 2024).

Dolce, V., Emanuel, F., Cisi, M. and Ghislieri, C. (2020) The soft skills of accounting graduates: Perceptions versus expectations. Accounting Education, 29(1), pp.57-76.

Forbes (2023) 15 Ways Managers Can Improve Their Leadership Skills. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/02/23/15-ways-managers-can-improve-their-leadership-skills/ (Accessed: 12 September 2024).

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HSBC (2024) Sustainability hub. Available at: https://www.hsbc.co.uk/sustainability/ (Accessed: 12 September 2024).

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Krén, H. and Séllei, B. (2021) The role of emotional intelligence in organizational performance. Periodica Polytechnica Social and Management Sciences, 29(1), pp.1-9.

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Statista (2024) Number of people employed in finance and insurance UK 1997-2024. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1385996/uk-finance-workforce/ (Accessed: 12 September 2024).

Statista (2024) Revenue of the largest banks in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010 to 2023. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/939531/leading-banks-in-the-united-kingdom-by-revenue/ (Accessed: 12 September 2024).

Statista (2024) Total number of employees at HSBC from 2010 to 2023. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/258419/total-workforce-at-hsbc-from-2010/ (Accessed: 12 September 2024).

Van Laar, E., Van Deursen, A.J., Van Dijk, J.A. and De Haan, J. (2020) Measuring the levels of 21st-century digital skills among professionals working within the creative industries: A performance-based approach. Poetics, 81.

Yan, Z. and Carless, D. (2022) Self-assessment is about more than self: the enabling role of feedback literacy. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 47(7), pp.1116-1128.

Appendix

Figure 1: Number of Employees in the UK Finance and Insurance Market