Ask anyone about Jensen Yeoh and they will tell you that he is a highly motivated challenge seeker. Thriving on healthy competition and playing to his strengths, he is a repeated top performer in his role with Global Consumer Financial Services. Today, Jensen leads a team of forty in providing superior financial advisory services to clients. Read on to find out how you could progress quickly like Jensen has!

It's time for a fresh start

While Jensen enjoyed his time in a customer-facing role in his first job, he was keen on a rewarding effort-based career in which he could "write" his own pay check. He knew that he wanted to be in the thick of action. Referred through a friend, he joined OCBC in 2014 as a Personal Financial Consultant (PFC). When asked why OCBC, Jensen had an interesting answer: "OCBC was the only Bank which offered Sunday Banking back then. Knowing how difficult it was to run bank errands during lunch hours (tried and tested), having such a unique offering gave the Bank and the role an added advantage. "That business potential propelled him to make the career switch.

To prepare for his new role, Jensen attended OCBC's six-weeks structured training for PFCs. In addition to classroom trainings which provided comprehensive coverage on product knowledge and processes, he was fully immersed in role-playing activities, in which he familiarised himself with customer interactions and honed his abilities in building superior relationships. Passing simulation tests and attaining his CMFAS qualifications, Jensen was ready to be at the forefront of the Bank.

Progression in OCBC

In OCBC, there is an abundance of opportunities for employees to develop themselves professionally. Soon after bagging the Top 10 Rookies award in 2014 and the Top PFC Award in 2015, he was promoted from PFC to Branch Relationship Manager (BRM) within the Marine Parade Branch. His secret for success? Being disciplined and having a strong mindset. "No doubt it is tough work, but the satisfaction and rewards you gain more than make up for it," said Jensen.

To further push his boundaries, Jensen took up the Premier Relationship Manager (PRM) qualification test. The Premier clientele, being more affluent, some of whom are Ultra-High- Net-Worth (UHNW) individuals, required professional consultative financial analysis, a different range of wealth management products and top-notch relationship management. It was an entirely new ball game, and he underwent two weeks' worth of relevant training. This eased the otherwise steep learning curve for Jensen and contributed to him excelling in his role. In 2017 and 2018, he placed in the Top 10 PRM and Premier Team Manager respectively.

Today, Jensen leads a team as Branch Manager at OCBC Bedok Branch. Yes, Jensen was constantly on the ball and spends some of his weekends working. With that said, his efforts never went to nought. These awards and accolades reflect the bank's recognition of his outstanding performance. "The recognition I've gained and the confidence the Bank has in me is what keeps me motivated," he commented.

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way

In Jensen's earlier days, his manager and mentor taught him to have a team-player mindset and to learn to be a giver than a taker. Inspired by his mentors, he went on to find avenues to motivate and empower others around him to achieve their versions of success. Undertaking his most recent leadership role as a Branch Manager, he had to strike a fine balance between meeting higher targets while managing the stress-levels of day-to-day work experienced by all. Motivating a team to excel is extremely different from success alone, and Jensen needed to work his leadership muscles. As a Branch Manager, he underwent trainings included but not limited to managerial skills, identifying personality traits using psychometric skills and team building skills with the larger community.

Jensen (centre) with members of his team, Feb 2019

Morning huddles with knowledge sharing embedded is now an everyday morning ritual as Jensen advocates open communication. Leading by example, he seeks to understand his staff and work hand-in-hand with them to address whatever problems there may be, instead of coming down hard on them when things go south. "Ultimately, my job is to groom and empower my team, to keep them motivated and enable them to unleash their potential."

His advice?

To succeed in this career, Jensen's advice for aspiring financial consultants and relationship managers is to be disciplined, to be resilient and have a positive mindset no matter how tough it gets. It is the perfect power pairing of both his personal attributes and professional training provided that has propelled his career forward.