Meet Dena Al-Nakeeb

RELATIONS MANAGER, EUROPE ARAB BANK

Dena Al-Nakeeb

"My contribution to society was recognised in 2012 when I was nominated to carry the Olympic flame on part of its journey around Britain."

In a nutshell, what does your job involve?

My role is to maintain good relationships with clients so that the business can maximise the value of those relationships. Central to this is identifying key contacts at potential client companies in order to establish and then foster relationships.

What inspired you to become involved in the Financial Sector?

I worked for many years as a child and family psychologist in young offenders’ institutes and last-resort schools in Norfolk and London before switching to the financial sector. I had always been interested in finance and how it worked and when I started to feel that being a psychologist was not fulfilling me any longer, I decided to change direction completely.

Run me through your typical working day.

I get into the office pretty early every day to maximise the time difference for the jurisdictions I look after, so a typical working day will start around 7am and finish at 6pm.

Can you tell me about any exciting projects on the horizon?

I am currently working with some big brands to make beautiful corporate gifts for our special clients. One of the brands happens to be the manufacturer of my favourite British home scent and I look forward to creating a personalised candle with a unique aroma that our clients can enjoy at home.

What is your biggest weakness and how do you overcome it?

Being blunt. I have absolutely no filter when it comes to speaking my mind – it just comes out. I have never overcome it and I don’t intend to! Honesty is the best policy, in my opinion.

What is the worst piece of career advice you’ve ever received?

Being told to accept the role that pays you the biggest salary. This is such bad advice on every level. Money really doesn’t buy you happiness, whereas a good work-life balance or a great boss can bring a great deal of job satisfaction, I have found.