Insights
Boyden Interviews Standard Chartered Bank’s Global Head of Sustainability
Boyden sat down with Mark Devadason, Global Head of Sustainability for Standard Chartered Bank. In the interview he discusses the bank’s approach to sustainability, policies on child and human rights, the loneliness of CEOs, hiring in Asia, and globetrotting careers.
You’ve spent your entire career at Standard Chartered. Is this because you’ve had so many different roles to experience?
Devadason: This is my thirtieth year at Standard Chartered. It surprises me how the time has flown. When I think about my friends and colleagues in other companies that have changed jobs a lot, I wonder if I’ve been too careful with my career. But then I remember the fact that I’ve changed countries nine times. I’ve experienced so many different cultures and jobs.
One of the things I love about being in the same company is that I’ve been able to experience corporate banking, debt recovery, private banking, training, eight years as a CEO, corporate affairs, and now sustainability. Most other companies wouldn’t have that trust to allow you to try something you’ve never done, especially when they’re also interviewing external candidates. But people know my core strengths to be creativity, adaptability and leadership, so they’ve been able to take that risk and allow me to experience very different things.