Florence Mwila

Bank Julius Bär and Co. Ltd

Master student in Economics University of Zambia

February 01 - April 30

AT WORK

I did my internship at Bank Julius Baer in CRO compliance under the AML transaction monitoring team. My line manager was Sibylle Heer and my mentor was Sandra Scheitlin. I had an amazing opportunity to work with three fantastic buddies (Fadime Saffuri, Vanessa Marcial & Sutha Gunanathan).
On my first day of work, I received a very warm welcome from my mentor. I was quite nervous, but seeing how genuinely happy she was to have me on the team, my nerves calmed, and I felt at home. I found chocolate on my desk, but most of the team members were working from home because it was a Friday. My buddy Fadime gave me an excellent tour of the office, including nearby eating places, and introduced me to the canteen. After successfully setting up my work laptop with Fadime's help, I received wonderful welcoming messages from my team and numerous invitations for coffee and lunch. The team was kind enough to take me to the Rhein Falls and the chocolate museum. They also introduced me to various types of cuisine, such as Indian, Mexican, and Japanese.
I had the opportunity to gain an overview of Compliance. I spent a day in AML investigation, FIU, IWMS, Compliance control room, and the CDB desk. I have acquired valuable skills and knowledge regarding financial crime, and I am very grateful to my team for taking the time to teach me and for being patient in answering my questions. I am pleased to know that these skills will contribute positively to the growth of the Zambian economy.

MY SWISS HOST FAMILY

I had an amazing experience staying with Vanda Mathis and her two wonderful daughters, Anna and Wara. The family introduced me to authentic Swiss culture, where I got to taste three different types of fondue. We also played games together after dinner; I lost most of them, but I learned new games. We visited various places such as Rigi Mountain and Grindelwald. We even went bowling, and I managed to win the game. I am incredibly grateful to the family for making it easy for me to settle in and integrate into Swiss culture.

HIGHLIGHTS AND CHALLENGES IN SWITZERLAND

My biggest highlight was walking through the ice cave at the top of Europe; it was unreal. I had an amazing time in Paris and other places like Lugano, Lucerne, Schaffhausen, Germany, and Zug. It was incredible to see and touch snow for the first time.
I encountered two challenges. The first one was the cold weather, especially when it snowed. The second challenge was the language barrier in stores, but it wasn't too bad, as it was possible to find someone who could understand English.

MY FUTURE PLANS

My plan is to complete my master’s thesis and graduate next year. I will also start applying for jobs once I get home, as I would like to work either in the banking industry or in economic research and policy analysis. Currently, I have a transport company set up, still in its beginning stage, but I plan on expanding it. Getting a Ph.D. in Economics within the next seven years is one of my goals.

PERSONAL MESSAGE

Undertaking this internship has been an amazing experience and provided awesome exposure to work and culture. It has shown me that one's background does not limit how far they can go. I am glad that being here has opened new insights for my family as well as the young people who know me in Zambia. They now believe that with hard work, they can reach the top. It is my pleasure to inspire, and I am grateful to B360 for giving me the chance.