Updating Results

Westpac Group

4.4
  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Kevin

One of the things I love about Westpac Group is the people I work with, who are incredibly warm and supportive

I’m Kevin, a 2021 Graduate and part of the Corporate and Institutional Banking graduate program. I studied a combined Bachelor of Commerce/Engineering at the University of Sydney and in my spare time I love catching up with friends and playing tennis.

Explain what your business area does or its function within the group.

Corporate and Institutional banking essentially helps some of our larger clients in meeting their funding needs to grow and undertake different projects. This can be done in many different ways, tailored to the client’s needs, whether through traditional debt raising, or through products such as receivables finance, asset finance, or structured finance.

Why did you apply for a graduate role at Westpac Group, and why your chosen business area?

Having previously interned with Westpac in their Business bank, the friendly and collaborative culture of the bank really stood out to me. CIB stood out in particular because it’s a fast-paced, client-facing side of the bank, and it deals with a huge range of clients across all industries.

To date: please provide an overview of the rotation(s) you have completed and, if cross-functional, which business areas/groups you have worked in

I’ve rotated through the healthcare industry coverage team, and with the ongoing pandemic, this was a very exciting industry with plenty of activity in the market. In this team, we perform financial and credit analysis for customers within the healthcare industry, ranging from aged care facilities to medical device companies. Furthermore, we work closely with product teams on transactions, tailoring them to suit the needs of the customers.

To date: has there been a project you have been involved in that you found particularly exciting or engaging?

During my rotation in the healthcare coverage team, I was able to work on a deal for a large medical device company that was looking to raise debt for an upcoming project. This was particularly exciting because coming from a biomedical engineering background, we had interacted with and learnt a lot about this company from an engineering design perspective, and this project allowed me to find out how things worked from the funding side.

So far, what has been the highlight of the graduate program?

A highlight of the graduate program is being able to meet people from all parts of the business. There are regular grad events, from the standard Friday night drinks to social events on the weekends, so there’s plenty of opportunities to meet grads from other parts of the bank.

What is one thing you love about Westpac Group?

One of the things I love about Westpac Group is the people I work with, who are incredibly warm and supportive. Something I’ve noticed about Westpac is that everyone is very approachable and happy to have a chat, even if they’re a lot more senior or in a completely different business area.  

Which of our five values – Helpful, Ethical, Leading Change, Performing, and Simple – resonates with you most, in terms of your role as a Westpac Group Grad, and why?

The value that resonates with me the most is definitely ‘Helpful’. I really do believe that banking is intrinsically a people business, and helping clients succeed is at the forefront of what we do. Even as a grad, I’ve been able to work on projects where I feel like I’m a value add to the team.  

What role/area/project are you excited to get involved in the post-Grad Program?

Because of COVID, most of the client meetings we’ve had are virtual, and something I’m excited about in the post-Grad Program is being able to have face-to-face meetings with clients.

For Uncommon Minds

Although I came from an Engineering background, I’m working in CIB!

To Wrap Up

Please describe your business area in three words.

Exciting, unpredictable, fulfilling.

Please sum up your Grad experience (to date) in three words.

Fun, learning, engaging