Episode 4: Establishing a global centre of expertise and excellence in Luxembourg

In this new episode of our Faces behind Service Excellence series, we talked to Marta Parada, Account Assistant within our Partner & Client Services (PCS) team responsible for serving our Portuguese, Spanish and Latin American partners and clients. Marta is an excellent example of Luxembourg’s dynamic and multi-cultural talent. She first left her native Portugal to follow her partner to Germany, and then finally settled in Luxembourg, to be closer to her family and enjoy the high standard of living which Luxembourg is famous for…“it is just a great place to live and to build a future,” says Marta. Here’s why…

What did you think of Luxembourg when you moved here?

I must confess that it was a very good surprise! I had not really heard about Luxembourg before and I pictured myself in a small, dull and soulless country that was just a business district for financiers and technocrats in dark grey suits. However, today, it makes me smile when I think about how wrong I was! Luxembourg is actually one of the most vibrant, multi-cultural and forward thinking countries I have ever experienced. It’s an amazing place to live and to build a future and a family. Although being the second smallest country in Europe, Luxembourg has so much to offer, both professionally and personally, allowing a healthy work-life balance. For example, there are so many great restaurants, museums, theatres and parks, plus you can reach most major capital city in a couple of hours as we’re truly located in the heart of Europe. One of the other things I love about Luxembourg is that everywhere you go you hear people speaking so many different native languages. I’ve not seen this anywhere else. Such a mix of different cultures within the same country promotes openness, cultural integration and innovation.

How easy was it for you to find a job and how did you join Lombard International Assurance?

I joined Lombard International Assurance in 2017 when I moved from Germany. At first I was a bit nervous to look for a job in Luxembourg. I’d heard that with no experience in the local market and no French speaking and writing skills, it could be tough finding a role. Once again I was wrong and I also realised that Luxembourg was not all about banks and finance. There’s actually a very diverse range of industries operating in Luxembourg, from aerospace and satellites, to fast moving consumer goods, software, logistics and e-commerce. This is great because you can find friends outside of the financial services world and talk about topics beyond finance! The job market is very dynamic and provides opportunities for most people. In my case, Lombard International Assurance fit perfectly with my skills and career expectations. Serving more than 12 markets across Europe, Lombard International Assurance employs experts with deep local market knowledge as well as local linguistic and cultural skills. Finding people speaking many languages is kind of the norm. With my Portuguese origins, I was perfectly suited for the position that opened in the team serving our partners and clients across Portugal, Spain and Latin America.

What do you consider as the most important skills in your work?

Commitment is clearly instrumental. In my team, we are the key contact for our partners and clients in the markets we cover. Interacting with them on a daily basis means that we need to make sure we deliver on our promises. In simple terms, we have to deliver excellent customer service. Our role is also a lot about building relationships over the longer term, and this requires strong commitment so our partners can trust us and feel comfortable with our ability to take care of their clients. In addition, to succeed in a partner-facing role, you need to have an in-depth knowledge of our solutions and their benefits. In this regard, I feel lucky as Lombard International Assurance consistently invests in training people on a regular basis. Our PCS Summer Academy initiative is a great example of this investment. Throughout the summer, all our PCS team members attended 30 training sessions over 10 weeks. Such an approach helps us leverage our in-house knowledge, and improve our expertise, as we seek to deliver service excellence across all our markets.

And what does service excellence mean to you?

In a nutshell delivering tailor-made high quality service. To support this, automation and digitalisation are key, as they facilitate repetitive tasks and enable us to concentrate on more value added tasks that require teamwork and expertise and human interaction. I love the challenge this represents. Within Lombard International Assurance’s DNA there is a real dedication to innovate and to always stay one step ahead. And given the huge diversity of talent in Luxembourg, I think that it’s easier to establish a global centre of expertise and excellence here. That’s a tangible competitive advantage which will continue to serve us well in an increasingly uncertain and complex world.