Tomás Vasconcelos
Describe your role and what it is that you do overall and on a day-to-day basis.
I have a role in SEB’s sustainable banking team. It’s a well established and driven team with a lot of expertise and ambition! Within sustainable banking we have five groups:
- The Climate and Sustainable Finance team evaluates market trends and innovations in sustainable finance and works on the development of new offerings.
- The Policy team follows up on the latest sustainability-related regulations. My colleague Karl-Oskar, for instance, is a member of the EU Sustainable Finance Platform and develops the bank's policies on specific sector and sustainability issues.
- The Tellus team develops innovative sustainability data solutions using data science and artificial intelligence.
- The Modelling team develops and measures our progress against our overall sustainability targets (The Brown, The Green and Financed Emissions goals).
- Teams focusing on integrating the bank's sustainability policies and goals across its various divisions (e.g., private wealth management, retail customers, large corporates, SMEs).
My role is within the division teams (5) focusing on the mid-sized corporates segment. It's a broad role focusing mainly on strategy, change management and customer advisory.
What interested you about the field/company/role you are currently in?
Sustainable Finance is in the intersection of a prioritized issue for society and it matches my skills and passion. It was meant to be. 😊 The financial sector can be a catalyser for change as money moves the world, so let's make sure it moves the world in a more sustainable direction. SEB has been a leader in sustainable finance since it launched the world's first green bond in 2013. This changed the sustainable finance landscape in the whole world and it's a dream come true to join this innovative team!
Why did you choose to study your subject area at SSE?
SSE is among the best in the world in the fields of Business and Economics and Sweden is one of the most advanced welfare states in the world – is there a better place to learn about economic and welfare policies? In addition to that, I was awarded a scholarship by the Swedish Institute to study in Sweden. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse and the opportunity that changed my life!
How did your time/education at SSE help guide you to the career journey you have embarked on?
The students at SSE are hard-working, brilliant people from all walks of life – philosophers, business people, central bankers, military, activists and this diversity really challenges you to take in new perspectives. You also get the chance to meet many inspiring companies while studying. I met my first employer in a corporate presentation at SSE. It was KPMG’s sustainability team, presenting about their environmental and social impact project with Volvo. I went up to them and said, “Please let me work with you, I will even do it for free”. Maybe that was a bit naïve and desperate? I was just so keen to find a job in sustainability and so easily impressed back then – but it worked!
What path did you take from graduation to where you are now?
I completed a 6-month internship at KPMG, followed by 4 years as a sustainability consultant there. I worked at KPMG’s Center of Excellence for Sustainability in Amsterdam for a year, then continued at Swedbank for about three years before moving on to SEB to further my career.
Following your time studying, do you have any words of wisdom or advice you would like to share with our current students?
When the graduation date starts approaching, an enormous amount of pressure starts building up. Many of your peers are taking jobs at the most competitive companies, doing PhDs at top universities – everybody seems like they have their lives together. But don’t pay any attention to that. Don’t compare yourself. Take your time. Find jobs and roles that sound like a good match for YOU. Accept the ‘NOs’, learn from them and be patient. And apply for scholarships, exchanges, conferences, internships – these experiences might change your life. 😊