GET TO KNOW BHAVREET GILL, PRODUCTION CHAPTER MANAGER FOR SG CANADA

I’m Bhavreet Gill, a Production Chapter Manager for Application Support teams in Societe Generale Canada, where I have worked for nearly four years. I’m also a member of the ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) at Societe Generale, including AWN (American Women Network for Canada Chapter) and APN (Asian Professional Network).

I am from the state of Punjab in India. After receiving my undergraduate degree in Electronics & Communication Engineering, I moved to Canada in 2014, where I then got my master’s degree in Systems Engineering from Concordia University.

Walk us through your career path at SG.
I started my career in Societe Generale Canada in 2017 as an Application Support Analyst contractor. My scope was to provide technical and functional support on applications used for client onboarding, client review, KYC (Know Your Customer) and referential golden data sources for the bank. 

In my role, I addressed all the issues and requests from the back office and found effective ways to set up proper processes to manage incidents with different stakeholders. I also set up technical monitoring to prevent such issues. During this time, I developed some crucial soft and hard skills such as adaptability to a fast-paced environment with frequent context switching. I also learned how to coordinate communications across different teams. 

After 18 months, I became a Societe Generale permanent staff member. My next role was leading a production team on the Client Lifecycle perimeter for almost two years, along with maintaining activity on production,
In this role, I also focused on tackling pain points and reviewing existing processes with the aim of developing and maintaining our systems. 

In May 2021, I was appointed Production Chapter Manager for Client Lifecycle & Banking Lifecycle perimeters. My focus is my team’s development and performance cycle and mentoring the chapter for the prowess of the production practices.

Tell us about some of the skills you have developed?
During my time at Societe Generale, I have developed a diverse set of skills. Working in application support, I learned how to deal with difficult and challenging situations while keeping the client at the center of everything. I also developed analytical skills while managing several crises. 

I have also taken ITIL  (IT Infrastructure Library) certification, which focuses on the best service management practices. It helps improve your competency, productivity and capability to build and improve relationships with customers and within SG. The foundational level knowledge helps you to move on to more advanced certifications. 

What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Every day is a new challenge, especially when you wear different hats. Working on production brings new challenges and learning something new every day. Also, I enjoy that Societe Generale is an environment that I can learn through networking with talented professionals and by building products to enhance our platforms. 

Any career advice for your peers?
Know your passions and follow them. Make mistakes and learn from them. Nothing good comes from staying in your comfort zone, so don’t be afraid of change. Seek feedback and mentorship from your peers and managers; it is essential as you progress in your career.