Meeting with Johanne Riendeau
During the lockdown, all of our employees have been mobilized to ensure the business continuity and the services to our clients.
We have met Johanne Riendeau, Executive Director Key Client Group at Wealth Management. She gives us her thougths on the lockdown period but also on how the situation has pushed digital working and her relationship with her clients to the next level.
Hello Johanne, could you tell us more about you?
My name is Johanne Riendeau and I work as Executive Director Key Client Group at BNP Paribas Wealth Management in Switzerland
I provide private banking services to a UK and international private clientele. Member of the BNP Paribas Wealth Management Key Client Group, I work hand in hand with experts within the bank in bringing UHNW clients the bank’s collective expertise in Investments, Private Equity, Credit, Real Estate and Wealth Planning among others.
The lockdown accelerated digitalisation of our processes via electronic signatures, zero printing, secured modes of document sharing…and ensured more efficiency during this extraordinary period and for the future.”
Johanne Riendeau
How did you feel and manage to get through this unusual time?
I have been working from home since mid-march. We are now progressively going back into the office since May 18, in small teams for a week every 3 weeks to allow necessary social distancing.
I feel very privileged to be able to continue working under good and safe conditions for a solid organisation, in such a difficult period for all.
I was truly impressed by the bank’s ability to deploy home office capabilities for over 1,000 Swiss staff, on such short notice! This allowed us to maintain quality services to our clients. It was reassuring to work safely from home at a time when the pandemic was progressing rapidly in Switzerland.
On a personal point of view, the newly found lockdown time is happily spent in more frequent face/zoom time with family and friends, wonderful moments to keep privileging once the crisis is over!
The recent and progressive un-lockdown is welcome news both from a sanitary and social perspective. It is a pleasure to see colleagues again and hopefully our clients soon when travel resumes!
Have the lockdown and the obligation to work from home impacted your way of working ?
Moving to a Flex office environment was a large step last fall. The lockdown accelerated digitalisation of our processes via electronic signatures, zero printing, secured modes of document sharing…and ensured more efficiency during this extraordinary period and for the future.
Has the situation had an impact on your relationship with your clients?
Our clients are reassured by the financial strength of the bank and our ability to rapidly deploy contingency plans to keep servicing them when they needed us the most. Regular communications, updates and advice through this highly uncertain period allowed us to strengthen relationships with our clients.