At Julius Baer, we endeavour to find out what really matters to our clients and, in line with our purpose, create value beyond wealth. It’s important that we do the same with our people.
Through our ‘I can be’ initiative in the UK, we want to not only celebrate the multitalented women we have in our business, but advocate for employees cultivating passions beyond their careers in wealth management.
By celebrating the individuality of our employees, we create dynamic, enriched, and empowered teams who can connect with, and work better for, our variety of clients.
Having hobbies provides dimensionality in our lives, according to Robert Cross who studied the habits of high performers for 20 years. Not only that, in their article, ‘The Importance Of Cultivating A Passion Outside Of Work’, Forbes go as far to say that they make us better at our jobs.
Hear from a few of the women in our UK business about why this might be.
A cherished family tradition
Assistant Relationship Manager Zoe has been at Julius Baer for over three years, having started her career with us as an Apprentice.
Whilst her weekdays are spent working closely with a team of four Relationship Managers, Zoe loves nothing better than waterskiing in her free time: “I’ve been passionate about water-skiing since the age of six. It’s a tradition that spans generations in my family.”
As well as enjoying the physical challenge, Zoe believes the sport helps relieve stress and has helped her become more resilient as, “in working life, facing setbacks and challenges are inevitable. When I was learning to water-ski, it involved a lot of falling and getting back up again.”
Skating to success
Having started figure-skating at the age of 7, Private Client Administrator Apprentice Jessica, who joined Julius Baer in September 2023, has spent many more years on the ice than in the world of wealth management.
Similarly to Zoe, Jessica recognises that skating equipped her with the resilience needed for working life, giving her the “ability to recognise and rectify mistakes, as well as take on other people’s feedback”.
Dancing from different perspectives
Olivia, Head of Business Assurance and Front Risk Management in the UK, has had a lifelong passion for dance: “it’s fascinating to me what our bodies are able to do and what beautiful pieces we are able to create”.
Over her 16-year career at Julius Baer, the skills Olivia learned through dance have not gone to waste. As well as discipline and dedication, it also developed Olivia’s softer skills. By having to dance in different roles, she explains she learned to “see from different perspectives”.
Reclaiming an identity
Tracey from Julius Baer’s Edinburgh office is an Assistant Relationship Manager by day, DJ by night.
Having learnt to DJ 17 years ago, Tracey reflects, “In my younger (more childfree) days I was lucky enough to play at various club nights around Edinburgh.”
Although she lost touch with DJing for a few years due to raising her family, she’s “caught the bug again” and is back to doing what she loves.
As well as giving her the space to switch off and have time for herself, Tracey explains her hobby has helped her to reclaim her own identity outside of being a mother, partner, or Assistant Relationship Manager.
Although some might struggle to see a link between spinning the decks and wealth management, Tracey explains, “there’s a lot of pressure that comes with playing a live set to a crowd (you don’t want to clear the dancefloor!) so it has definitely taught me how to perform under pressure!”