Charis Pattikawa
The support I get from ING is unrivalled
Charis Pattikawa has had a string of interesting HR roles in her 14 years at ING. “It almost feels as if I’ve joined a new company every two years,” she says, looking back. She is currently combining two demanding HR positions. Her story is one of seizing opportunities when they arise.
When she was considering further education after secondary school, she didn’t necessarily have a strong desire to pursue a career in HR. “I have very broad interests, so I also thought about studying fashion or design. But I ended up doing HRM in Utrecht, followed by a master’s in Employment Law at the University of Amsterdam. I started work at ING immediately after that.”
Charis combines an international position with a nationally oriented one. “I am Global HR Business Partner for Wholesale Banking (WB) Capital Markets & Advisory, which involves working for our WB locations in New York, Singapore, Brussels, Madrid and London, among others. I have global responsibility for all strategic HR topics, including internal organisation, compensation, leadership, development, talent management and diversity and inclusion.”
“This position came my way when I was asked to cover for someone who was going on leave. I had just returned from maternity leave myself at that time. It was initially a six-month assignment, so the perfect chance for me to see whether I enjoyed an international role. Then I got the opportunity to stay on in the role, and I liked it so much that I didn’t hesitate to say yes.”
Additionally, Charis leads the HR Business Partners team for Wholesale Banking in the Netherlands. “In that role, I have overall responsibility for all HR-related matters for WB. My two roles are a logical combination; wholesale banking is an international business and there are multiple touchpoints between the tasks. Plus our global headquarters is in the Netherlands.”
Charis has not exactly followed a clearly mapped career path. “I’ve done a lot of different things. I’ve switched roles roughly every two years; it has been very organic. But things haven’t happened by themselves, of course. I’ve worked hard and voiced my ambitions. You have to make good things come your way. Spot opportunities and seize them. As I see it, if I want to become CHRO or HR Director in the future, I need to have the necessary managerial, international, strategic and operational experience under my belt.”
Is it tough? Sometimes! An international job involving lots of travel always sounds nice, but I don’t actually get to see much of the cities I visit. And when I’m back home very late or being jetlagged, I want to be there fully again for my kids and for example bring them to school. Meanwhile, in my Dutch team, the buck stops with me. If something isn’t going well, it’s ultimately my responsibility.”
“But that’s far outweighed by all the fun, interesting aspects of my work: my colleagues, the opportunities, the unrivalled support. I’ve been on maternity leave twice, and both times I was promoted as soon as I returned to work. I don’t know of that happening much outside of ING. As an added bonus, I met my future husband at ING; we’re now married and have two children. Because he knows ING from the inside, he fully understands the dynamics of my work.”
About Charis
Charis joined ING in the HR Learning Team in 2010. She lives with her husband and their children in Amsterdam, where she enjoys all the opportunities the city has to offer: from playgrounds and parks, to pavement cafés and museums.