By Jacqueline Frost with Jane Karczewki
In this week’s episode of Finding Your EPIC, host Jacqueline Frost sits down with Jane Karczewki, Head of Investor’s Business Development at Societe Generale. With a career spanning 30 years in banking, Jane’s journey is nothing short of epic. They discuss agility, adaptability, visibility and navigating career choices.
For the full conversation, Finding Your EPIC is available here.
Jane’s formative years as the sole child in her family, coupled with a diverse cultural upbringing, became the crucible in which she honed the art of multilingualism. Her ability to speak various languages not only distinguished her but also played a pivotal role in etching her initial triumphs, and becoming a key catalyst for her success.
Do you think men are as agile and adaptable as women are?
Jane: “It’s interesting, I have two views on that, I think, quite often, I’ve seen some of my male colleagues get offered a role that’s completely out of their realm, more naturally. ‘Oh, they’ll be fine, let them have a go.’ But actually, of the people that I’ve seen who have done that, there have probably been more failures than successes. Maybe because they are less adaptable and less agile, unless they’ve got political support and have been in the organisation a long time. But I would say on the flip side, females that I’ve seen do that because they’re I think, generally us women have more empathy and more of a sort of second sense, so to speak. They can read rooms, they can read characters a little bit better. And I do think that is hugely important in leadership.”
With leadership comes heightened visibility
Jane: “Unfortunately, in the current environment we’re in, male colleagues will say that she only got the job because she’s a woman, because we’re trying to tick that box at the moment, which is unfair, ludicrous. I’ve had that when I moved to HSBC, I had one of my former colleagues/ bosses say, ‘Wow, you must have interviewed well!’ As in, could you possibly even be capable of the job! I don’t think he realised what he said or he meant it in that kind of way, but he obviously said it without thinking and that made me think. So I do think that people do look at you more, because they expect you to be this strong, powerful woman that’s got the role that’s going to deliver. But I don’t think I’ve ever let that really frighten me.”
Jane Karczewki’s journey serves as a testament to the significance of agility in navigating a successful career. Her experiences underscore the power of adaptability, resilience, and building collaborative relationships in a dynamic professional landscape. As we strive to find our own epic, Jane’s story inspires us to embrace change and step into the unknown with confidence.
Listen to the full discussion with Jane here. For more on Jane Karczewki, visit her on LinkedIn.
Finding Your EPIC releases new episodes biweekly here. More on Elevate Talent and Jacqueline Frost can be found here.
