I always told myself "Little girl, you can do it"
Krisztina grew up in modest circumstances and had to be responsible for herself at an early age. Today she is a relationship manager for private banking customers at Erste Bank Hungary.
When did you start believing in yourself?
I come from a very poor family, where my mom raised me and my younger sister. At the age of 10 I already had to learn to be responsible for things. Growing up under these conditions, I always dreamed of a better life. I always told myself, little girl, you can do it.
When my parents divorced, my grandparents became very important to me. They both came from different countries, my grandma from Austria and my grandpa from Poland. They had a great impact on me. My grandma Angela was a bookkeeper in Hungary, and she was my financial advisor. My grandpa Antal was the greatest idol for me. He always pushed me to learn and grow – first to finish school and later to study economy and marketing at university. And I am not done yet: I would love to study again.
What dreams did you follow back then?
When I was a child, I took jazz ballet courses. Later I opened my own dance school for women because I liked seeing women becoming more self-confident and teaching them to dance and move. That was my passion. It’s part of my soul. The way I taught my ladies, I could share part of my soul with them.
You have been part of the Erste-family since 2018. What gives you a good feeling at work?
Supporting my customers with solving problems or taking care of their investments really makes me happy. When it comes to investments, I create a plan for my customers where we diversify investments for the next 10 to 20 years. I advise my customers on what I believe in, and I invest as well, of course. Some of my customers actually share positive feedback with me and appreciate the work I do for them. This always makes me smile.
How do you connect with your colleagues?
My colleagues often experience me as a rather silent person, but they don’t know that there is also another side where I love to experience different adventures. I have founded the Active Experience Club at Erste Bank Hungary. We have many clubs for many different interests. This one is about making lasting memories together. One time, we went to Transylvania in Romania, hid in the woods and waited for bears to watch them. This was an exciting and connecting experience. I organize regularly trips to Austria, like we visited Zotter chocolate manufactory in Riegersburg where we feel a little bit like children again on the chocolate playground.
Who are you today when you look into the mirror?
I believe the experience that had the greatest impact on me was learning to love myself. This means to believe in myself and to really be myself. But also, to show empathy with colleagues and offer help proactively.