THREE TESTIMONIES, ONE PROFESSION
This is a special month for Cuban banking. The celebration of Banking Workers' Day in commemoration of the 61st anniversary of the nationalization of banking in Cuba reaches the entire system. Restricted by the extensive epidemiological situation, the new initiatives are surprising for their novelty and ingenuity. The Banco de Inversiones joins this day of celebrations, also adding its 25th Anniversary Campaign. On this occasion, Bancoi wanted to pay tribute to its workers who have remained faithful to the banking system for 25 years or more with a short interview. They give testimony not only of the daily and dedicated. They also talk about their motivations and individual commitments, what they love about their profession, in short, to capture in black and white a tiny part of what defines them as unique human beings within the Banking Sector.
The three interviewees, all women, a living image of loyalty to their profession, smiled in complicity when asked (separately) the age at which they started in the system and the years of service. We talked between Marlié's deep and intelligent reflections, Konsuelo's mischievous joy, and Xiomara's calm experience, about what motivated them to remain as pillars before the more inexperienced or young bankers. Here we present them:
Marlié León Simón: Executive President. 25 years of service in the Banking System. From 1996 to 2018 worked at Banco Central de Cuba. From 2018 to the present at Bancoi.
Consuelo Núñez Hernández: Specialist A in Banking. 25 years of service in the Banking System. From 1996 to 2016 she worked at Branch 8981 of BNC in Isla de la Juventud. From 1997 to 2016 at Banco de Crédito y Comercio. From 2016 to 2021 at Bancoi
Xiomara Teresa Espín Basulto: B Accountant. 60 years of service in the Banking System.
How old were you when you started working at SNB? What motivated you to do so?
Marlié: I was only 25 years old when I started. After spending my social service at the Municipal Court of Centro Habana as a professional judge, I saw the opportunity to work at the BCC as a perfect opportunity to practice my profession in a profile that was not practically taught in the Law Degree programs.
Konsuelo* (with a K, laughs): I was already 36 years old. What motivated me, for the most part, was to achieve better working conditions and salaries.
Xiomara: Only 20 years old. My main motivation was that I have always admired the image of distinction and rectitude of the banking system. It was decisive for me to move from student life to working life in the Savings Department of the former Bank of Canada in Camagüey, which after the revolutionary triumph became branch 160101. It benefited me a lot that my cradle was the bank.
After all this time, to what do you attribute your loyalty and commitment to the SNB?
Marlié: This system (I mean the banking system) has given me the possibility to grow both as a person and as a professional. I am a persevering person and in constant self-preparation. Being part of this system has allowed me to exploit my professional qualities to the fullest and forge invaluable friendships and personal relationships.
Konsuelo: I enjoy banking, and more importantly, I feel useful with the activities I do. Also because of the specialists I have worked with and continue to work with. And because of the friendships making along the way.
Xiomara: If you get used to working in the bank, it is difficult for you to go and work somewhere else outside the system because you get used to the discipline and order that reigns in the bank. The training of the bank worker makes him a very sought-after individual in other jobs because he has good professional training and rigor even in his private life. I do not see myself in any other work. The bank is like a vice from which it is difficult to break away.
Think about your daily work: what do you most love to do in your day? What do you least like to do in your day?
What do you like to do least in your day?
Marlié: I love the constant challenge that forces me to study and improve myself. I hate wasting a single second of my time.
Konsuelo: I like the economic planning and control. I like least the planning and control of activities.
Xiomara: I like my daily work. Now I can't answer you what I don't like to do because nothing comes to my mind.
In all your years of work experience, you should treasure an accumulation of memorable situations, whether good, bad, funny, or sad, that is part of your wealth of personal experiences. Share an anecdote that you consider unforgettable.
Marlié: Of course, I have many anecdotes to my credit, but I'm not going to tell them. What I will tell you about is the feeling of being part of the solution to a problem. That feeling generated by the conviction that you are contributing to something good is unspeakable. Being part of the solution to little conflicts is wonderful too. That small moment, when you are certain that you are right, and that you are part of that process, is when I feel realized on a professional level.
Konsuelo: Well, I don't remember any anecdotes right now, or I remember so many at the same time that I can't put them in order (laughs). But what I can say that is memorable has been to enjoy the friendship, throughout the country, of so many good people, including me (more laughter). I have a special memory of having worked with Alfredo Pérez Roja (former delegate of Bandec in Holguín province, now deceased) and with the team of the Business Sub-Directorate headed by Arístides García Merlot of Bandec. To them, I owe the fact that they have ingrained in me a sense of belonging to this sector. I am a civil engineer and there was a moment when I felt that my training was not very useful to exercise it as a profession in the banking system, but they took advantage of my strengths and got me out of the mistake. That is why I especially treasure the time I worked with them. I also remember with great affection all the meetings with colleagues, whether they were working or not. It was nice to arrive in several provinces in other professional functions or on vacation and receive the hospitality of the bankers. This is something very natural in the provinces. I also remember with satisfaction the respect and gratitude of the Clients. I have erased the bad memories from my memory and I don't want to know anything about them (laughs). And as a funny anecdote, I tell you that in all the events and meetings I participated I gave the international character... How? Well, for those of the big island, I came from ¨Outside¨. When I moved to Havana, I ran out of glamour (much more laughter).
Xiomara: For many years, I worked in a credit department for the Ministry of Agriculture. We were a very small but very cohesive group, and we traveled a lot to the provinces. This helped me in my training as an auditor.
I especially remember when, in 1995, I approached Esteban Martel, who later became Superintendent of BCC, intending to apply for a position in the group as an auditor, and I presented my resume. The satisfaction I felt when I was accepted is something I will never forget. I am honored to belong to the founding group of this Banking Supervision activity.
To what extent has worked at SNB contributed to forming or consolidating your personality?
Marlié: A maxim in my life has always been how can I be a better person today than I was yesterday? My work, both at BCC and here at Bancoi, has helped me to grow constantly. The challenges I have faced, the obstacles I have overcome have made me the person I am today, in constant confrontation with my limits.
Konsuelo: It has contributed to the attention and demands of my family, with my friends, and with myself.
Xiomara: The strict discipline of the banks' schedules has a great influence on all their workers, especially on the young ones. Which molds them and turns them into good professionals. I was not exempt from this influence. I made a great effort and sacrificed a lot to carry out my profession with my family, whom I love very much and who always supported me unconditionally. I have enjoyed too all the facilities that the Revolution has given to the people and women in particular. I have received in the banking sector all the stamps for years of work, and the last one, the one for 50 years, I received as great merit since it meant that I had given my life to the bank.
Given the difficult situation facing the country today, how should bank workers support the common good?
Marlié: First of all, do not despair. The bank's workers as assets of the nation's economic system must remain calm and stable to create feasible methods. That provides real solutions and useful tools to contribute to the economic development of the nation at a macro level. But it also has a responsibility to society and the tranquility of the citizens. He must be well seen, educated, set an example, and feel good to contribute to the common welfare.
Konsuelo: In my opinion, today more than ever, one must study hard, keep updated with the changes and comply with the guidelines received, with professional ethics, honesty, and fidelity to the principles of banking work and the homeland.
Xiomara: We are in a situation of revolutionary confirmation amid this COVID 19 pandemic and the economic crisis. We must be aware that the virus of Covid is present in our country and are very contagious and aggressive. Added to this situation, the attempts to destabilize the Revolution with the intensification of the US blockade. This is why we must be alert and prepared, not be confused, and be ready to defend the Revolution.
Finally, one last question: What message do you give to the new generations of bank workers?
Marlié: I always give young people the same advice: Study and prepare yourselves. Confront yourselves get out of your comfort zone. There are many things to do in the future, and you are the masters of yourselves. One of the greatest joys I feel for my co-workers is when they decide to take on a challenge that pushes them and forces them to improve and better themselves.
Konsuelo: Banking is not a professional career, but it is a professional with an ethic that everyone respects and trusts. You have to study hard and apply with all the professionalism and respect the work you do. We must remember that we work for someone and that this someone trusts us. DON'T DEFRAUD ME!
Xiomara: I would tell them to take advantage of their time, study. We bankers have the possibility of taking courses at the CNSB. This contributes to having more knowledge and opens up a range of possibilities. Above all, I tell too young people to do things with optimism. Life subjects us to many vicissitudes, and sometimes it is very hard. So you need to have great optimism to be able to succeed both in your personal and professional life.
The End.
*Although her official name is Consuelo, she insists on putting a K to the C sound.
