As of this morning, Britain has an ex-banker as its culture secretary. Sajid Javid, banker (ex) has been promoted to replace Maria Miller, who resigned after a big row about her expenses. Javid used to work at Deutsche Bank. This is what you need to know.
1. Sajid Javid left Deutsche Bank in the summer of 2009
Before he left to pursue a career in politics, Javid says he was a ‘senior managing director’ at the bank.
2. Sajid Javid became a VP at Chase Manhattan (now part of JPMorgan) aged just 25
Javid graduated in politics and economics from Britain’s university of Exeter in 1991 and went straight into a job with Chase Manhattan. He worked in the bank’s emerging markets team.
3. Sajid Javid is the son of a bus driver. He says British banks were too snobbish to offer him a job
The son of a bus driver from Rochdale, Javid says he interviewed with several British banks but that they were too snobbish and class-conscious to make him a job offer. “I didn’t have any background in finance, my family didn’t know anyone who worked in a bank until I started working for one myself,” Javid told the Birmingham Mail. “I was interviewed by British banks and I was interviewed by (US banks) Chase Manhattan and Merrill Lynch. I got offers from foreign banks, I didn’t get an offer from the British banks. I can think why.”
4. Sajid Javid was turned down by Rothschild
One of the banks that rejected Javid’s graduate application was Rothschild, which he says was male and elitist.
“At my Rothschild interview, I can remember it very well, the people interviewing me were seven men sitting on a stage. I was standing while they were sitting. The first question was what school I went to,” he told the Birmingham Mail. After that, Rothschild proceeded to ask what his father’s occupation was and to suggest that he applied to a high street bank.
5. Sajid Javid was poached by Deutsche Bank in 1997
Javid came back to London with Chase in 1997. In 2000 he was poached by Deutsche Bank, which tapped him to become head of emerging markets structuring for EMEA. In 2005, Deutsche promoted him to global head of emerging markets structuring, based in London. The Conservative party spins Javid’s emerging markets experience as, ‘helping raise investment for developing countries.’
6. Sajid Javid moved to Hong Kong and became global head of credit trading for Deutsche in November 2006
Javid reported into Rajeev Misra, who subsequently left for UBS and built up the Swiss bank’s ill-fated fixed income trading business.
7. Sajid Javid became a board member for Deutsche Bank international in 2007
Hence the ‘senior MD’ title (see point 1).
8. Sajid Javid has stuck up for bankers in Parliament
He is ‘strongly against’ the concept of a renewed bonus tax and has criticized the British Labour Party for spending their proposed tax several times over. When the UK’s top tax rate was reduced, Javid spoke to Goldman Sachs bankers in person to ensure that bonuses at the firm in London weren’t delayed. In 2012, he urged Britons not to “slam the City,” saying it represented some of the best of capitalism.
“They [banks] don’t care about social background, your religion, your colour. What matters the most is that you work hard and contribute and help to make money for that institution,” he told the Evening Standard, contradicting his earlier claims of classism (see point 3).
Related articles:
Six signs you have to quit your banking job in the next six months
A good year: When bankers turn to wine
This is why you need to change your banking job every five years
The post All you need to know on Sajid Javid, banker turned culture secretary appeared first on eFinancialCareers.