Manchester being announced as one of BNY Mellon’s key strategic growth locations

by Sean Turner, Global Head of Corporate Trust Operations and Manchester Site Leader

BNY Mellon is the world’s largest custodian bank and securities services company, with $1.9 trillion in assets under management and $46.6 trillion in assets under custody as of March 31.  It powers capital markets around the world through comprehensive solutions that help clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment life cycle.

Our unique perspective, informed by one of the largest financial datasets in the world, powers the financial industry. Businesses, communities and global economies rely on us because we prioritize client experience, collaboration, innovation and resilience.

What’s been your experience of working at BNY Mellon in Manchester

I was 18 in 2005, finishing my A-Levels and working in a local pub when I applied for an apprenticeship at BNY Mellon. I associated apprenticeships with the construction and manufacturing industries, but I was surprised to see the structured approach to learning and earning being available in financial services.

I started my role in BNY Mellon’s Manchester office, getting to grips with the basics of financial services. Being one of the first people through the doors in the new Manchester office, I was offered hands on training, not only to do my job as a Settlements Clerk better but to map my own understanding of financial services generally. Over the coming years, I progressed through the company, taking on more senior roles as I built my skillset and experience.

In 2016 I had the honour of being nominated for a Made in Manchester Award, winning Banker of the Year – an overwhelming moment for me personally and professionally.

I’ve been fortunate to be able to travel the world through my role, but Manchester is still my home. Outside my immediate role I want to invest time in young people to instil confidence within them to strive for success. I’ve worked on many community projects and invested time in various Manchester charity organisations.

In my current role, I lead the Global Operations team for our Corporate Trust Business, as well as being the Site Leader for our Manchester office location.

Why do you think the city of Manchester is such a good fit for BNY Mellon?

BNY Mellon has had a presence in the city since 2005.

BNY Mellon in Manchester has been a success story which we want to continue, since opening the site has thrived and matured and as a result, expanded the breadth and depth of functions and businesses we support.

BNY Mellon has become part of the fabric of Manchester, as one of the top 10 largest employers in the region. It was exciting to see relationships with the city being further cemented recently when the Greater Manchester US Mayoral delegation met with Executive Leaders at our headquarters in New York.  Plans on how the company will grow its investment into the Manchester city region were discussed and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) demonstrated its support as we plan to expand our Manchester footprint by adding more technology, legal, cyber and operational roles, in line with the city region’s Digital Skills Strategy.

One of the reasons the city has been successful for the Bank is because of the access to incredibly talented people on our doorstep. The market is ripe with talent from across the spectrum; from school leavers joining as Apprentices to Graduates from one of the many excellent universities in the region – we also have access to a wealth of experienced industry professionals across the region.

What’s next for BNY Mellon in Manchester?

Out of the 151 Global office locations Manchester has recently been identified as one of six strategic growth locations for our company based on our experience, regional talent availability and future potential.

We’re enhancing our employee experience by creating premier workplaces where teams can better collaborate and develop innovative solutions for our global client base. In addition to investing in our current staff, we also plan to build pipelines of diverse, top tier talent and grow our community presence through deeper relationships with local universities, charity partners and clients. The result will be an environment providing exciting career opportunities for our employees and a focused commercial approach.

It’s an exciting time for BNY Mellon in Manchester!

We are investing in upgraded facilities as well as expanding senior leadership and embedding more local managers to support employee development and connectivity with the firm. These roles will create career paths and career mobility opportunities, as well as help develop a strong campus culture that enables employees to thrive as they connect, grow professionally, and build careers.

We also will have responsibility for leading the site’s campus recruiting, diversity, community outreach, client engagement and talent development. We are concentrating on building our local presence, engaging with community leaders and organizations, establishing relationships with key universities and using these connections to build our pipeline for future hiring.

For those of us on the career ladder, it is our responsibility to help future generations prepare to step on. I want to endorse apprenticeships in schools and colleges across the country, encouraging young people to look at alternative routes into their career and gain advanced skills employers need.

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