Part 1: Thank You Letter
Dear James,
I am thankful that you agreed to participate in an interview with me. I understand that you run a busy schedule and have a vision to take your company to the next level. I also understand that being around the end of the year; the company is running to complete the unfinished projects. Therefore, kindly receive my high regards for your humility and cooperation during the interview process.
During the interview, I was deeply inspired to think beyond the common thoughts and what has already been done, I aspire to develop this culture further to a point of bringing out solutions through innovations. The steps taken with the company by yourself and the team of great leaders have enabled the company to grow gradually and maintain its position in the changing market. I am practicing the skills you taught me on viewing a business opportunity in every problem or complain that I think of, and so far I have developed a long list of opportunities, and the process continues daily. I will select the opportunities where my passions exist and from this, I can develop the business plan and seek or funding.
I am about to present the interview to my professor, I am sure that it will be impressive due to the boldness you displayed in answering the interview questions. I take the chance to wish you all the best at growing Capco`s vision to a global company that employs a diverse workforce and witnesses growth as the industry grows. I cannot fully present my gratitude for the assistance and cooperation. Kindly receive my regards.
Part II: Introduction of Capco
Capco is a finance company that provides a variety of financial services including banking and lending of funds. These services are accessible to both individuals and corporates who present their details and request of services. Capco has been in existence for one decade and is about to enter a new decade of offering financial services to a range of individuals. Capco` great tread in the industry has left a large footprint being a young firm that was initiated at the brewing of the credit crunch. Standing out as a young firm and growing during a period when the big players in the finance industry have crumbled is not a mere achievement. As the CEO James McLaugh, indicates during the interview, it takes not only skill but also taking courage in the dream of the organization. These attributes as discussed during the interview with the CEO present explanations as to the gradual progress into the industry that has been displayed by Capco. Additionally, the interview sheds light on the functioning of Capco. Finally, it presents how the workplace is in general from the view of the CEO thus providing insight to individuals who may seek employment in the firm in the future.
During this transition period, Capco will be entering the second decade of success. The CEO, Hayvaert Rob is my choice of interviewee because he has been with the company through the period of its growth until this phase. The CEO will shed light on the questions asked regarding the company and the future steps planned by the management team.
Interview Questions
Me: Drawing back to the initial ten years of service, what has Capco`s most significant development been?
Hayvaert: Without a shadow of doubt, I hold that the rise in connectivity from the company has been the greatest development. Technology has done and continues to do wonders for the company. Additionally, it has driven a new culture into the way Capco and the employees conduct business. The changes include higher speed and volume in the global financial services that we can offer and this is simple phenomenal compared to the beginning of the company.
Me: Does this connectivity offer a competitive advantage? Do other firms in the industry benefit from a similar advantage?
Hayvaer: Actually, Capco does not own the technology, therefore it both apply. The connectivity level intensifies competition with the other players in the industry as well as offers the competitive advantage. However, one unique feature is that it eliminates the previous obstacles that existed in conducting business. One example is the function of straight through processing which will become more prolific due to the implementation of technology. Additionally, it will create opportunities whereby the efficiency is increased thus reducing the costs of operation. The players who understand the different applications of technology in the global finance industry will have an additional advantage over the other firms. Furthermore, the hidden strengths of technology in the industry are yet to be fully understood in Capco. Therefore, the process of unveiling and demystifying the application of technology makes it more interesting to look into the future.
Me: Was the credit crunch a lesson to Capco or did it redefine the view on modern financial times?
Hayvaert: I would answer the question using both yes and no. Yes, because many people in the international business community were affected by the crunch. However, No, because it did not translate to the end of capitalism even with the sector of financial services. Therefore, the lessons overshadow the negatives in the situation.
Me: How did the credit crunch offer lessons to Capco?
Hayvaert: The crunch made the company more mature and quite holistic in the way the employees conduct business and view the global economy. However, the company became more holistic because of the expectation of compliance. The clients highly value compliance and the clients understood that lack of compliance was the main cause of the downfall during the crunch. However, one of the very imperative aspects of the company is going beyond compliance. In this regard, the employees aim at providing extra caution measures to ensure that all items in the compliance list are met thus increasing the compliance of global financial services.
Me: what is the “beyond compliance” objective that Capco tries to achieve?
Hayvaert: the beyond compliance refers to a silver lining of compliance in the company. In this regard, the company aims at bringing transparency by providing effective information and data management. The employees are taught on how to manage risk in a similar way to managing and documenting risk thus not only satisfying the agenda set by the regulatory body but also meeting the compliance agenda of the organization. Retaining the employees in this regard is achieved because of the additional precautions taken in safeguarding the clients’ interests. I aim at getting it right with the first try because the company deals with investments made by individuals.
Me: What other outstanding policies does Capco implement?
Hayvaert: Capco maintains high discretion of the details provided by our clients thus maintaining high confidentiality.
Me: Does that mean that you conceal the information of your bankers to other parties?
Hayvaert: Yes, but not in a way to support money laundry.
Me: do you think the status of operational issues and technology has changed and become more diverse in the global finance industry?
Hayvaert: Yes. As Capco started technology did not have much impact in the way that business was conducted in the industry. However, the issue of status on technology and the embrace towards diversifying business functions became more serious. The big shift of financial services in the global finance industry has become the core in attracting more clients. For example, embracing IT has significantly influenced the application of globalization in the firm. Today, Capco enjoys a wider clientele base due to the access to more clients in the world. Additionally, leading in the application of technology into the business functions of Capco is an aspect that has transformed the company to becoming a transformational agent. One thing I have learnt in this period with the adaptation of technology into the firm is that the big shift works well with the young minds that the company has employed. The young employees are eager to work with new systems because they are quick to learn how to use diverse applications in financial services.
Me: How do you know that you have fully integrated technology into your services?
Hayvaert: the client satisfaction is one of the key items of measuring the integration of technology in the company. This is a unique measuring technique whereby, the employees listen to the clients complains about the turnaround time in the company. The higher the turnaround time the more frustrated clients become. Therefore, the technology measures are conducted with a review on complains about turnaround time.
Additionally, there lies the danger in incorporating technology into the organization because it may not match with the client’s experiences thus making the technology difficult to use in the company. The employees and I look forward towards increasing the value of clients by providing usable systems. Therefore, the technology employed is less complex and more usable to the diverse range of employees. Furthermore, Capco is not in the industry to compete with other firms on how to implement technology. Therefore, technology use in the company is more of an upgrading of the systems rather than leading in technology. In this perspective, my consideration of technology at Capco is that it should reduce any complications and optimize the applicability.
Me: Have you felt like giving in to the pressures of leaving Capco?
Hayvaert: Yes, but the vision of leading in global financial services keeps me going.
Me: Did you always look at being a CEO and working in the financial services sector?
Hayvaert: No, but I was interested in being a leader and working with individuals and businesses thus being the source of solutions.
Me: How do you deal with the issues of diversity at your workplace?
Hayvaert: the company policy on issues of diversity is to comprehend and harness diversity for the wellbeing of the company. Diversity plays a significant role in the organization with reference to both clients and the employees. I am more capable of handling diversity in relation to the employees rather than that with the clients. In this perspective, all employees are welcome to work with Capco because of their knowledge of the global financial industry. Therefore, preferences are granted to employees who have high knowledge background on finance and who show a great integration with other employees.
Me: Have you formulated any guidelines to ensure that diversity is enhanced in the workplace?
Hayvaert: Not quite a form of policy because the company cannot close out applications from qualified individuals who seek job positions in the firm.
Me: So how do you enhance diversity in Capco?
Hayvaert: the company partners with local learning institutions and gives internship opportunities to a range of individuals in this perspective, it is possible to have a diverse number of applicants to the firm. Therefore, the applicants are judged in terms of their ability to work after receiving the training.
Me: Therefore, diversity is given in terms of the employment opportunities?
Hayvaert: Yes, equal opportunities are offered to individuals to apply and receive training at Capco thus making diversity a reality in the work place.
Me: Where do you visualize Capco in the next ten years?
Hayvaert: to consider the next ten years of performance, I have to consider the past ten years that Capco has been in existence. The differences that have taken part in the global financial industry have been the core in the changes that have taken part at the organization. The future has a great resemblance with the past and this provides my insight for the future. I look at Capco as the preferred banking institution. I also look forward into ensuring that the company remains relevant in the industry. That said, Capco should grow into a company that creates and delivers value to the clients and works continuously to maintain loyalty from the clients.
Me: What skills should I develop to become a potential employee:
Hayvaert: you should have the ability to stay on task. In this perspective, you should maintain regular checks with all journals and relevant trends in global finance. Keeping up to date on the relevant trends in the industry is key in maintaining your understanding and relevance at the workplace.
Me: what have you enjoyed mostly about working at Capco?
Hayvaert: the ability to earn the trust of different clients each day as they increase their deposits an investment at Capco. Additionally, hearing or reading the name Capco on different documents and knowing that I have employed individuals thus reducing unemployment brings joy to me. Therefore, it reminds me of my ambition as I started Capco.
Me: which is the very rewarding experience you have had at Capco and in the finance industry?
Hayvaert: overcoming the falling trend that dominated during the credit crunch. As a new financial firm during the credit crunch, we faced numerous challenges in terms of following the trend and offering the credit and lending services as was with other firms. However, I understood that the massive lending would have some implications. This means that the most rewarding feeling was having the feeling of retaining the position of Capco in the industry.
Me: Any concluding remarks?
Hayvaert: I look forward to receiving your application or working with you in the finance industry.
