Anna Tavano, Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy: skills and areas of expertise

 The professional biography of Anna Tavano, current Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy: the successes achieved during her career and the values that have always characterized her way of working.

HSBC Italy: academic background and career of Anna Tavano, Head of Global Banking

To always be herself is the goal that Anna Tavano set over twenty years ago, when she decided to pursue a career in the financial and banking sectors. Despite the difficulties, with courage and dedication she managed to make her way in a "professional field that is predominantly male-oriented", as she stated last January in an interview for TgCom24. And now the manager, who currently holds the role of Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy, is among the fifty most influential personalities in the financial world, according to Financecommunity. It was 1996 when, after obtaining her degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Rome "La Sapienza" and a short professional experience at an accounting firm, she chose to move to London to pursue her dream: work in the banking industry. "One day I met some of my old friends from university one of them suggested me to send my resume to an investment bank that was looking to hire juior people. I didn't even know how to write a resume in English, I asked some friends to help me and I sent it out", recalls Anna Tavano. Once hired in Citigroup, within few years she managed to hold a position of great responsibility in the Fixed Income-Capital Markets division, where she was managing a team in charge to originate and structure a wide range of finance transactions in the Southern European markets. After being appointed Managing Director in the Corporate and Investment Banking Division, she held the position of Vice Chairman for the Corporate Bank in Italy and Head of Public Sector.

Anna Tavano: current professional roles and her commitment in the social field

After her experience in London, Anna Tavano decided to come back to Italy. Her choice was the right one, also because "after almost twenty years I met again the man who would have later become my husband": she then got married and, a year and a half later, it was the beginning of her motherhood. And soon after, a new professional proposal arrived: "I accepted an important assignment in the Italian Public Sector. After receiving a lot, I felt it was right to give back: it was though a challenging and difficult experience". Four years later, "the bank I had always worked for called me back", and later HSBC offered her the role she currently holds, for which she continues to pursue those values that have always characterized her career. Indeed, Anna Tavano is committed to giving value to women's talent and competences in the financial and business sectors, as well as to promoting issues such as inclusion, diversity, and sustainability. And it is no coincidence that she attended the first round of "In the Boardroom" one-year training programme for top women managers, which was sponsored by ValoreD and GE Capital. She was also invited to attend "The CEO School", an initiative where she had the chance to meet with a selected group of women with high professional experience, with the aim of sharing the necessary know-how to help them holding CEO positions in the future.

Storie di Donne: an interview with Anna Tavano, Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy

Challenges, sacrifices and dreams of Anna Tavano, Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy: guest of the TgCom24 section "Storie di Donne" (Stories of women), the manager reveals how she managed to achieve professional success in a predominantly male field, yet succeeding in combining marriage and motherhood.

Storie di Donne: personal and professional life of Anna Tavano, Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy

"An outstanding career with a clear goal, to always be yourself": with these words, TgCom24 opens the interview with Anna Tavano, Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy. Among the fifty most influential personalities in the financial world according to Financecommunity, she managed to make her way in a "professional field that is predominantly male", pursuing her dreams with courage and dedication. After graduating in Economics in Rome, she wanted work in the financial sector but - she said - "I had a problem: I knew French well because I had studied it at school, but I hardly knew English at all". So she moved to London, where she attended an English language course: "One day I met some of my old friends from university, who worked there; one of them suggested me to send my resume to an investment bank that was looking for young people to join the staff. I didn't even know how to write a resume in English, I asked some friends to help me out and I sent it. I was called for an interview and, to my surprise, they hired me". It was the beginning of a remarkable professional growth, which led her to face (and win) many challenges: "There was so much prejudice, that a client went so far and pointed out that I was not only young but also a female coming from southern Italy! Do you want to know how it ended? Over time, that person became one of my best clients. Great results for a very young woman from southern Italy". Many were also the sacrifices, as Anna Tavano recalls: "I have worked very hard for years, with schedules that did not allow me to have any social life nor time for myself. However, I was lucky because the system is meritocratic in London, and, from this point of view, neither age nor sex matters: my results have been recognized, and in eight years I have built up the career that in Italy I would probably have built in twenty years".

Combining marriage, motherhood and career: Anna Tavano's perspective

In her interview for TgCom24, Anna Tavano also talked about her loved ones: her husband and her daughter "are my absolute priority, they have helped me to grow professionally as well as emotionally". However, she never thought about giving up her job, because it is "a passion, I feel like it burns inside me". So, a few months after her maternity leave, she decided to accept an important assignment in the field of the Italian Public Administration, in order to give something in return to her country. It was a challenging and difficult experience. At the beginning, her purpose was to dedicate a maximum of three years of her professional life to this assignment and "in fact, at the beginning of the fourth year, the bank I had always worked for called me back. It was a bit like coming back home, until HSBC made me a job offer. I really liked the project, as well as the underlying culture and values, so I accepted this new challenge with great enthusiasm". To find a balance between family and work life was "quite an achievement", but it also served to learn "to take my time, to take care of myself without feeling guilty". Finally, Anna Tavano pointed out the importance of networking and supporting each other among female colleagues: "You always have to be yourself and never give up on your dreams". Achievements are always based on some sacrifices, as evidenced by her professional career, but "you never have to abandon the idea of achieving your goals: one day you could regret this".

Anna Tavano: HSBC’s commitment to the issue of inclusion and gender equality in the workplace

Anna Tavano’s career: in her current role as Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy, she commits herself concretely to promote the value of women’s work and the issues of diversity and inclusion.

The experience of Anna Tavano, Head of Global Banking in Italy, during the HSBC "Female Networking Breakfast": the manager advised 50 female students who took part in the event never to give up on their dreams, and to be brave "even in the most difficult moments of your working life".

Anna Tavano: education and career path of the Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy

With over 22 years of experience in top positions in the financial and banking sector, the professional career of Anna Tavano, currently Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy, developed in London and Milan within leading global financial institutions. After graduating in Economics and Finance at the University of Rome "La Sapienza", she joined Citigroup in London in 1997. After a few years, she was assigned a position of primary responsibility in the Fixed Income-Capital Markets division, heading a team that, on behalf of the group, dealt with a wide range of finance structured transactions on the markets of Southern Europe. Her results led her to be appointed Managing Director at the Corporate and Investment Banking division of Citigroup. She also held the positions of Vice Chairman for the Corporate Bank in Italy and Head of Public Sector. Currently in HSBC, she still continues to be driven by the values she shares and promotes since the very beginning of her career. Through projects and initiatives, in addition to being involved in helping women in the process of professional advancement, and in recognizing their value in the world of work, Anna Tavano also dedicates herself to the broader issues of diversity and inclusion in the financial and business sectors. She participated in the first "in the Boardroom", a one-year training program for women top managers, sponsored by ValoreD and GE Capital. She was also invited to attend "The CEO School", where she had the opportunity to meet with a selected panel of women with high professional experience, sharing the necessary know-how to help them holding managerial positions in the future.

The value of women in the workplace: Anna Tavano's message to the professionals of the future

"Never give up, be brave even in the most difficult moments of your working life": this is the message from Anna Tavano to 50 female students from Bocconi University during the "Female Networking Breakfast". The words of the Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy show the attention and importance that this issue has for her. Held in Milan, the event was run by the manager and by other colleagues from the world of finance employed at the London headquarters. While discussing with the 50 promising Bocconi female students, who were given the possibility to take part in the event, Anna Tavano told them about her professional experience and gave them useful advice for their professional future. Today, in fact, although in terms of employment the current situation seems to be in women's favor (52% vs. 48%), in reality only 28% of top positions are covered by women. Trying to overcome this trend is what HSBC tries to do: "The bank cares about inclusion and gender equality, and developed a program aimed at reaching a rate of 30% of women in managing positions within 2020". As the Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy explained, the fundamental actions to reach the target are "The adoption of inclusion and equality criteria starting from the selection of personnel, internal promotion, the organization of events about these issues, and a strong commitment by the top management of the bank towards this direction".

Financecommunity Week: Anna Tavano’s speech on diversity, inclusion, and sustainability

Anna Tavano’s point of view on the value of diversity, inclusion and sustainability: the Head of Global Banking has been appointed by Financecommunity.it among the 50 most influential professionals in the financial sector.

Appointed by Financecommunity.it among the 50 most influential professionals in the financial sector, Anna Tavano, currently Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy, commented on the transformations occurred in this field, highlighting the value of diversity, inclusion, work ethic, and the respect of codes of conduct.

Financecommunity Week: Anna Tavano participated in the round table discussion "Finance and human resources"

What do banks look for? Which professional figures? Today "people with a strong work ethic, who pay attention to compliance with the rules and corporate culture" make the difference, according to Anna Tavano, Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy: they are professionals who are "sensitive to the issues of diversity, inclusion, and sustainability". Invited to intervene on November 13th at the meeting on "Finance and human resources", organized as part of the Financecommunity Week, the manager underlined that today, also in the banking and financial sector, it has become quite common to hear about diversity, inclusion, and sustainability, but it hasn't always been this way. Analyzing the transformations that occurred in the sector, Anna Tavano, who has been recently listed by Financecommunity.it among the 50 most influential professionals in the financial field, highlighted that the banking industry has changed drastically during the last 30 years. The turning point came after the 2008 crisis and the collapse of Lehman. "The 1990s and the early 2000s were characterized by very ambitious, highly motivated bankers, who were able to work under pressure for long hours, giving up their personal lives" said the Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy. In this perspective, diversity, inclusion, work ethic, and the respect of codes of conduct were values "not very considered".

Anna Tavano: the four key words for the future of financial sector professionals

"After 2008, the combined effects of three major events completely changed banks' approach to human resources," noted Anna Tavano during her speech at the Financecommunity Week. The first was a greater regulation, which allowed "the consolidation of a culture based on a greater attention to ethics and to risk awareness". Secondly, the advent of technology "transformed business models, especially in the retail banking and asset management areas, and to a lesser extent into investment banking". Finally, the entry of millennials to the world of work changed the rules again: "They are workers who pay great attention to issues such as development, transparency, and work life balance. They are attentive to ethics, conduct, sustainability in finance and investments". This is a combination of factors "which gave rise to the need for new professional skills and which transformed the approach to human resources". Anna Tavano, Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy, concluded her speech by recalling the four key words for the future of financial sector professionals. The key words are the famous four Cs: creativity, curiosity, communication, collaboration. And, according to the manager, the concept of "emotional intelligence" is equally important: "For many years we have used the intelligence quotient as the sole factor in assessing human resources. Recent statistics showed that the best teams and leaders are those with high emotional and social skills, including perseverance, self-control, empathy, and attention to others".

Anna Tavano’s perspective on “She’s the Business”, HSBC global report on female entrepreneurship

The global research “She’s the Business” highlights the need to support women in the business sector: the commitment of HSBC according to the Head of Global Banking Anna Tavano.

"We can and have to do more to support women in the business sector": this is the warning from Anna Tavano, the Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy, after the results showed by "She's the Business", a global report on gender inequality in entrepreneurship.

Anna Tavano: HSBC global report "She's the Business" shows the gender gap in entrepreneurship

"We can and have to do more to support women in the business sector": the Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy, Anna Tavano, comments on the results emerged from the report "She's the Business". The research was conducted for the first time in the world, involving more than 1,200 entrepreneurs in Europe, Asia, Mexico, the Middle East, and the United States, and showed the difficulties that female entrepreneurs face in raising funds to start and sustain their business. The report was commissioned by HSBC in order to highlight the challenges that women have to face in setting up a business. "What this global research clearly shows is the presence of gender inequality to disadvantage of women even in enterpreneurship, to such an extent that they find it more difficult than men to raise capital" said Anna Tavano, the Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy: the research showed that more than one third of businesswomen are victims of gender inequality during the capital raising stage. The same trend emerges also from the investment assessment stage, during which women are asked questions aimed at verifying their credibility as entrepreneurs.

Anna Tavano pushed for enhancing and supporting entrepreneurial initiatives for women

The "She's the Business" report - which the Head of Global Banking for HSBC Italy Anna Tavano commented on - showed the persistence of remarkable differences among markets regarding gender inequality. The highest levels of inequality are found in the Western and mature markets of the United Kingdom (54%) and the United States (46%). The lowest percentage of inequality emerged in mainland China (17%). Despite this, if on the one hand female entrepreneurs from Hong Kong (68%) and Singapore (59%) are less likely to get funded, on the other the investment pitches of women from the US (65%) and from France (62%) are more likely to succeed. This is also due to a further issue that can be faced during the pitching process for new investments: almost two-thirds (61%) of businesswomen are evaluated by teams almost exclusively composed of male investors. Moreover, the funds granted to women in the world are 5% less than those raised by men. The greatest differences can be found in the United States (8%), France (7%), and in the United Kingdom (6%). As a consequence, 58% of female entrepreneurs fear that gender differences may compromise the capital raising stage. The situation that emerges, therefore, is not really positive. Great efforts are needed to reverse the trend, as stated by Anna Tavano: "HSBC works with entrepreneurs all around the world, and our intention is to help women grow their businesses through fundraising, networking and mentorship opportunities. We are very proud of our partnership with AllBright, as it allows us to support networks of women".

“Female Networking Breakfast”: the meeting with Anna Tavano

Anna Tavano met with 50 female students to talk about her professional experience in the financial sector and provide useful advice to those with the same aspiration.

During the "Female Networking Breakfast" arranged in Milan at the HSBC headquarters, Anna Tavano (Head of Global Banking) discussed with 50 female students from Bocconi University, telling them about her professional experience and giving useful advice: "Never give up, be brave even in the most difficult moments of your working life".

Anna Tavano gives advice to female students

If in terms of employment the current situation is in women's favor (52% vs. 48%), in reality only 28% of top positions are covered by female figures. This imbalance has to change: to overcome this trend and give more possibilities of career advancement, it is becoming more and more important to take preventive action and organize awareness-raising events. Because of this, the "Female Networking Breakfast" was held in Milan, directed by Anna Tavano (Head of Global Banking for Italy at HSBC) and by other colleagues from the world of finance employed at the London headquarters. The meeting was dedicated to 50 promising Bocconi female students, who were given the possibility to listen and be inspired by the useful advice from Anna Tavano and her colleagues: "Always be yourself and never give up on your dreams, be brave even in the most difficult moments of your working life". Anna Tavano explained that "the bank is committed to the issue of inclusion and gender equality and has developed a program aimed at reaching a quota of 30% of women employed in managerial positions by 2020". The fundamental actions to change the situation are "the adoption of inclusion and parity criteria right from the employee selection phase, internal promotion and organization of events dedicated to the topic and a strong commitment by the top management in this direction". The students had the opportunity to listen to the story of the professionals about their working experiences, to draw inspiration and useful information for their future career.

Anna Tavano's career and professional experience

Anna Tavano currently holds the position of Head of Global Banking for Italy in HSBC. Previously she was Managing Director at Citigroup (Corporate and Investment Banking division). With over 22 years-long experience in the financial sector, she has been employed in leading financial institutions, working in London and Milan. During her career she has always been committed to helping women in the process of professional advancement, also dedicating herself to the broader issues of diversity and inclusion in the financial and business sectors. She took part in the inaugural "in the Boardroom", one-year training programme on board membership for top women managers, sponsored by ValoreD and GE Capital. Anna also attended "The CEO School", which aims to train a select panel of women to become future CEOs. Anna Tavano is an economics and finance graduate of the University of Rome "La Sapienza". Before receiving her current role, she began her professional career in London at Citi, in 1997. Since 2000 she has been employed in the Fixed Income - Capital Markets division, heading the origination and execution team for a wide range of finance transactions for financial institutions, corporate and central governments in Southern Europe. Afterwards, Anna Tavano received the role of Managing Director at Citigroup, working in particular in the Corporate and Investment Banking division. She was also Vice Chairman for the Corporate Bank in Italy and Head of Public Sector, covering large corporate and public sector clients.

“Female Networking Breakfast” in Milan: Anna Tavano tells about her professional success

"Female Networking Breakfast" in Milan. Anna Tavano, Head of Global Banking at HSBC in Italy, gives precious advice to 50 lucky female students from Bocconi University: "Never give up and be brave even in the most difficult moments of your working life".

Anna Tavano at the "Female Networking Breakfast" in Milan

"Always be yourself and never give up on your dreams, be brave even in the most difficult moments of your working life": these are Anna Tavano's inspiring words delivered to the 50 female students from Bocconi University, who took part in the "Female Networking Breakfast" in Milan. Anna Tavano is Head of Global Banking at HSBC in Italy: together with selected colleagues from London, she took part in this meeting with promising students. The girls had the opportunity to witness the professional experiences of these successful women working in the financial sector. "HSBC is interested in inclusion and gender equality. Because of that, the bank has developed a specific program in order to reach the 30% of women employed in managerial positions by 2020", Anna Tavano said. To do so, there are three basic ways of acting, in order to change the situation in favour of female employment: "The adoption of inclusion and equality criteria starting from the employee selection phase, internal promotion and organization of dedicated events, as well as a strong commitment from the bank's top management". There is an important imbalance, which has to change: only 28% of top positions are covered by female figures and men still have the most relevant roles. To overcome this trend, meetings such as the "Female Networking Breakfast" are becoming very important in order to raise awareness and give useful advice to the future female workers of the financial sector.

Anna Tavano's career: from Citigroup to HSBC

Anna Tavano is an economics and finance graduate of the University of Rome "La Sapienza". With over 22 years-long working experience, she has been employed in leading financial institutions. She lived in London from 1997 until 2004 and then moved to Milan. Anna's professional experience is based on deal origination, advisory and execution. Anna is now working in HSBC in Italy: since December 2018, she has been Head of Global Banking, a relevant role for which CEO Gerd Pircher chose her. Her professional career began with Citi in London in 1997: prior to joining HSBC, Anna Tavano was Managing Director at Citigroup, working in particular in the Corporate and Investment Banking division. She was also Vice Chairman for the Corporate Bank in Italy and Head of Public Sector, covering large corporate and public sector clients. Starting 2000, she worked in Fixed Income - Capital Markets division heading the origination and execution team through a wide range of structured finance and principal finance transaction for financial institutions, corporate and central governments in Southern Europe. The Italian Public Sector welcomed Anna Tavano as Director General for four years: in her last role, she was in charge of the infrastructure and public transportation department for Lombardy Region. During this time, she managed a team that involved over 140 people. Since the very beginning of her career, Anna has been strongly committed to helping women to achieve relevant professional roles: in particular she devoted herself to the broader issues of diversity and inclusion in the financial and corporate sectors. In accordance to this, she participated in the inaugural "in the Boardroom" one-year training programme on board membership for top women managers, sponsored by ValoreD and GE Capital. Anna also attended "The CEO School", whose aim is to train a selected panel of women to become future CEOs.