Stories

Lina

Senior Researcher, Manager Selection
‘With 20 years’ experience in top tier banks, an MBA from INSEAD and degrees in economics and international relations, Lina’s CV immediately stood out.’ Philip Edwards, USS.

Philip Edwards, Head of Manager Selection and Oversight was looking to hire a Senior Associate. Having had a couple of offers previously fall through, he reviewed his hiring strategy and approached The Return Hub.

Philip said “In order to broaden the candidate pool for our search, we sought to include a number of more experienced candidates that were looking to return or transition. With 20 years’ experience in top tier banks, an MBA from INSEAD and degrees in economics and international relations, Lina’s CV immediately stood out. Following three rounds of interviews, it was clear that she was the strongest candidate.”

With an impressive 20-year career in banking, Lina took a break in 2019 and worked with the family business. Keen to relaunch her career in London and utilise her skills and experience, she joined The Return Hub who introduced her to Philip as one of the shortlisted candidates for the USS Manager Selection Role.

Lina had previously worked at Goldman Sachs and Schroders, and her last role was at Barclays as a Portfolio Manager in the Alternative Investment Group. With her breadth of experience, she was confident that she could master the role at USS and it was the firm’s commitment to flexible and hybrid working patterns, that impressed her. As a working mother and based outside of London, she welcomed the offer of a hybrid working arrangement  with the ability to work from home some of the time, which clinched the deal for her.

Four months into her role at USS, Lina is doing well in her new position and has regular catch ups with Philip which helps ensure she is on track and reaching her full potential.

“I’d strongly recommend that others look at The Return Hub candidates. Having a broader and more diverse pool of candidates meant that we had a much stronger line-up and were able to find someone with the right mix of skills and experience to complement the existing team. Lina has proved to be a fantastic hire.”