1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,360
Hello, welcome to the careers for kids podcast where kids learn careers.

2
00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:12,720
This is Maxwell Valencia.

3
00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:14,480
This is Henry Morrison.

4
00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:21,360
And today we have Lynn Oliva, a senior banker and one of the oldest banks in the Philippines.

5
00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:25,840
Hello Mrs. Oliva, thank you for spending your time to be on careers4kids.

6
00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:27,400
We hope you have a great interview.

7
00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:28,400
Now let's get started.

8
00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:32,080
Tell us what you currently do right now.

9
00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:34,000
Today I am already retired.

10
00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,560
I retired in 2011.

11
00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:43,680
But before that, I used to be with the bank, firstly with Citibank, an affiliate of Citibank

12
00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:45,960
called FNCB Finance.

13
00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:49,240
That was way back in 1972.

14
00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:51,880
Then Cititrust, then BPI.

15
00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:57,400
I ended my career at the Bank of the Philippine Islands, the oldest bank in the Philippines.

16
00:00:57,400 --> 00:00:59,720
That seems a really cool career.

17
00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:01,080
I like it.

18
00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:02,080
So do I.

19
00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:12,480
Okay, so tell me more about your career and how did you get to this position in the first

20
00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:13,480
place?

21
00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:18,760
Well, of course, you know, during our time, that was in the 1970s, after college, all

22
00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:23,800
of us graduates were striving to enter the workplace.

23
00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:30,920
And fortunately, I happened to be hired by one of the largest American banks, which is

24
00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:31,920
Citibank.

25
00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,920
I think you know Citibank, right?

26
00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:41,800
So I started from the bottom and worked my way up through several mergers also.

27
00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:43,680
So how did I prepare for it?

28
00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:50,080
Well, of course, I tried to do, I did well in school at the time.

29
00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:57,720
You know, there were really not much destruction, so I was really focused just on studying.

30
00:01:57,720 --> 00:01:58,720
And that's it.

31
00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:04,120
And I had my brothers as my role models because they were all economists and bankers as well.

32
00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:07,000
So that's how I ended up being in the bank.

33
00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,840
On your economist, I'm more interested about your career.

34
00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:14,840
Like what part of your job do you enjoy the most and dislike the most?

35
00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:21,920
Oh, I actually enjoyed all the aspects of my career because I started in the lowest rank.

36
00:02:21,920 --> 00:02:27,960
I was, you know, what they call a five day collector, meaning to say I used to call people

37
00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:34,240
who were delinquent for five days before it graduated to being more delinquent, you know,

38
00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:36,000
over the 30, 60 days.

39
00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:44,280
I like that because I had very good, you know, very good friends in the same department.

40
00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,920
And since we were young, we were just enjoying ourselves.

41
00:02:46,920 --> 00:02:48,560
We would go out.

42
00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:53,560
And then after that, they promoted me to different positions in the bank.

43
00:02:53,560 --> 00:03:00,200
I would say that I went around the different departments in the bank from collections to

44
00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:05,520
credit to money market to investment bank.

45
00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,400
And then what did I then finally do?

46
00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:13,640
Quality service quality before I ended up as the chief compliance officer.

47
00:03:13,640 --> 00:03:18,640
CCO of the BPI and its subsidiaries.

48
00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:19,640
It's really amazing.

49
00:03:19,640 --> 00:03:20,640
Like I'm really shocked.

50
00:03:20,640 --> 00:03:21,640
I have a question.

51
00:03:21,640 --> 00:03:22,640
Yes, what's your question?

52
00:03:22,640 --> 00:03:36,400
Was this the dream job you imagined yourself doing when you were a kid?

53
00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:43,160
You know, when I was a kid, I was just like, I just wanted to play, to do, you know, to

54
00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:44,160
go on vacations.

55
00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:53,520
But when I was not really as a kid, but when I graduated, I was I just loved dancing.

56
00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:54,520
I just wanted to be a dancer.

57
00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:55,520
I just want to be a secretary.

58
00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:58,600
I wanted to be a flight attendant.

59
00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,640
But unfortunately, my height is short.

60
00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:08,440
I can't be a flight attendant because I can't reach the, you know, the cab, the luggage,

61
00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:11,200
the cabin, the doors of the cabin.

62
00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:17,800
So my mom said, if you're into dancing, because I dance pretty well, I'm graceful, you won't

63
00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:19,420
be able to earn much.

64
00:04:19,420 --> 00:04:24,200
So that got me got me thinking, okay, I'll join the workforce and be in the bank and

65
00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:25,620
that will earn me my salary.

66
00:04:25,620 --> 00:04:30,200
And I did not make a mistake because I moved up the ladder, so to speak.

67
00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:31,200
The corporate ladder.

68
00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:32,200
The corporate ladder.

69
00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:33,200
That is correct.

70
00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:34,200
But who were you made?

71
00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:38,680
I know when you were young, like who inspired you to push forward?

72
00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:45,120
Of course, my father made me my father was a well-known lawyer.

73
00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,800
He was a criminal and civil lawyer.

74
00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:52,560
And then, of course, I was the only girl out of a family of six children.

75
00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:53,560
Wow.

76
00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:54,560
Yeah, so I have five.

77
00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:55,560
Wow.

78
00:04:55,560 --> 00:05:04,560
Yes, five brothers and I'm the only girl and all my brothers were also, you know, well

79
00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,120
achievers at the time.

80
00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:10,960
So maybe they were my role models at the time.

81
00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:13,920
Yes, because we were very close family.

82
00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:19,560
And I can say that they really were my ideal persons at the time.

83
00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:23,640
They were also at that they also strive to be and they were in the senior position.

84
00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:28,080
In fact, one of my brothers became president of the Philippine Petroleum.

85
00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:30,600
Oh, yes, Tito Oscar, Lolo Oscar.

86
00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:31,600
That's crazy.

87
00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,200
And then he became president of Filipinas Shell.

88
00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:35,200
That's crazy.

89
00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:41,760
Yes, and he's also president of the biggest electrical company in the Philippines called

90
00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:42,760
Miralco.

91
00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:43,760
That's interesting.

92
00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:54,040
Yeah, and he's now even at the age of 77, he sits on a lot of boards, PLDT, BPI, PepsiCo.

93
00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,040
So they were my role models, I would say.

94
00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:58,360
So I strive to be just like them.

95
00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:01,160
You must do well with your family.

96
00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:06,960
I sometimes sharpen my brother a lot and I know same brand new sisters sometimes.

97
00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:12,280
Yeah, but like I know that like there's a lot of jobs out there.

98
00:06:12,280 --> 00:06:13,280
Yes.

99
00:06:13,280 --> 00:06:16,120
And like that's what this podcast is about, helping the show to kids, like that there's

100
00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:19,240
a bunch of possibilities and a bunch of jobs.

101
00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:21,640
But basically, why did you quit this job?

102
00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:22,640
What made you do this?

103
00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:23,640
Quit my job?

104
00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:24,640
I didn't quit my job.

105
00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:25,640
Why did you?

106
00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:26,640
No, no, no.

107
00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:27,640
Why did you pick this job?

108
00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:28,640
Oh, was it because of that?

109
00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,760
Oh, was I picking a job?

110
00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:35,640
It was the bank that hired me, the first.

111
00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:38,000
It was the most practical for me at that time.

112
00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,120
Remember, this was 1970s.

113
00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:47,560
At that time, at that time, you know, Henry and Maxwell, it was the banking, the banking

114
00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,400
corporate world was the in thing.

115
00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:54,640
Oh, in the 1970s and 80s, I would say that.

116
00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:55,640
Yes.

117
00:06:55,640 --> 00:07:02,160
So now we have a lot more challenges, a lot more, you know, a lot more variety of work.

118
00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:03,160
Yes.

119
00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:05,160
There's so much work like.

120
00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:06,160
So that was it, Henry.

121
00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:07,160
Why I picked a job?

122
00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:10,280
Because it was the in thing at that time.

123
00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:12,280
There's many other things like actors, too.

124
00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:15,120
There wasn't as many actors as there is now.

125
00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:16,120
Yes, exactly.

126
00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:23,040
Well, as I said, I wanted to be a dancer, but there is no money in dancing at that time.

127
00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:31,360
Even like now, you know, when you become part of the Broadway or a ballet.

128
00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:34,560
What was the biggest highlight of your giant, amazing career?

129
00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:35,560
What was what?

130
00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:36,560
The biggest highlight.

131
00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:41,120
Oh, when I became maybe the chief compliance officer, because I was handling not only the

132
00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:43,960
bank proper, but all its subsidiaries.

133
00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:50,680
So a lot of people would ask me for whether we can, you know, do a lot of projects or

134
00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:57,200
do a lot of operations without violating the Philippine laws as far as banking is concerned,

135
00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:02,240
like the Banco Central de Filipinas, which is just like your federal reserve in the U.S.

136
00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:08,860
or the Securities Exchange Commission, which is the same as in the U.S.

137
00:08:08,860 --> 00:08:17,200
So that may that may involve a lot of thinking on my part and thinking of ways, OK, ways

138
00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:24,080
to be able to do the part, the things that the bank would like to do and dealing with

139
00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:29,280
a regulator so that I can let the banks do what they want.

140
00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:35,960
So it dealt with a lot of exchange interactions with the regulators.

141
00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:39,720
And I love that because I love to talk and I love to socialize.

142
00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:40,720
Like me.

143
00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:41,720
Yes, just like Maxwell.

144
00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:42,720
Yes, that's correct.

145
00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:50,320
So what are the biggest challenges that you think can be solved by our generation that

146
00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:52,520
you want to solve for you?

147
00:08:52,520 --> 00:09:00,400
Oh, for me, at this point in time, maybe from my point of view, it is climate change.

148
00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:05,560
You know, climate change has been there, but we did not take it so seriously.

149
00:09:05,560 --> 00:09:06,560
Yes.

150
00:09:06,560 --> 00:09:11,320
During my time, there was not such thing as well, maybe there we were not conscious of

151
00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,120
the climate change.

152
00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:15,760
So we were still doing all the forces.

153
00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:17,480
But look at where we are now.

154
00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:21,080
All the happening all over the world.

155
00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:24,720
Your record hit in the United States, Europe, even here in Asia.

156
00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:26,960
There are a lot of fires.

157
00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:27,960
We never had that before.

158
00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:29,560
We need to fix that.

159
00:09:29,560 --> 00:09:30,560
We need to fix that.

160
00:09:30,560 --> 00:09:31,560
So that's one of the challenges.

161
00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:33,760
So climate change can end the earth.

162
00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:39,800
And if someone wants to follow in your footsteps in your careers as a finance person or a banker,

163
00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:41,520
what would you tell him or her?

164
00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:42,520
Okay.

165
00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:50,040
I would tell him, of course, you study, but not studying is not the end thing.

166
00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:51,040
Okay.

167
00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:53,720
You have to have initiative, resourcefulness.

168
00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:56,400
You have to be street smart.

169
00:09:56,400 --> 00:10:01,880
But sometimes when you are in a organization, I don't know about in the U.S., what they

170
00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,280
look for is your resume.

171
00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:07,040
So what do they have in your resume?

172
00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:10,280
How you did in your studies.

173
00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:11,280
Right.

174
00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:18,680
But I would also add, you have to be very resourceful and street smart and, you know,

175
00:10:18,680 --> 00:10:19,680
do the right thing.

176
00:10:19,680 --> 00:10:21,560
You have the will.

177
00:10:21,560 --> 00:10:24,400
You know what is right and what is wrong.

178
00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:28,000
So I think that is what you should do.

179
00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:29,000
Follow your dream.

180
00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:30,440
Dream big and follow your dream.

181
00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:31,440
Yes.

182
00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:34,160
And doing what is right.

183
00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:40,680
And if you cannot know what is right, ask your seniors, ask your parents, ask your teachers

184
00:10:40,680 --> 00:10:43,200
so that they can guide you in the right direction.

185
00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:48,400
Let's say you want to be a basketball player and you are not really practicing basketball

186
00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:49,400
every day.

187
00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:50,400
Exactly.

188
00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:51,400
That's not very good.

189
00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:54,520
That's why you need to take initiative and practice your basketball every day.

190
00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:55,520
Exactly.

191
00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:58,160
I always say and this is true today, practice makes perfect.

192
00:10:58,160 --> 00:10:59,160
Yes.

193
00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:02,160
I get your point.

194
00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:07,960
And I think Henry is a question.

195
00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:10,040
Yes, Henry.

196
00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:14,160
What is your main life advice for kids listening to this podcast?

197
00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:15,160
Okay.

198
00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:25,720
What I would like your generation to follow is be creative, be resourceful, be innovative,

199
00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:26,720
take the initiative.

200
00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:27,720
Okay.

201
00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:33,480
And I think that you are doing this podcast for careers for kids is a very brilliant idea.

202
00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:37,480
And I commend you and I bow to you both for doing this.

203
00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:38,480
Thank you so much.

204
00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:39,480
Yes.

205
00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:43,640
Because if you can inspire your generation or even your peers to do something like this,

206
00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,880
wow, it's a start of something beautiful.

207
00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:55,360
And I hope the two of you will continue to think of ways to further your, you know, what

208
00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:56,360
you have in mind.

209
00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:59,400
This is a start and I do love it.

210
00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:03,440
Thank you so much, Mrs. Alira for allowing us to interview you.

211
00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:09,560
I'm sure so many kids will be inspired to take a path of banking and go to finance school

212
00:12:09,560 --> 00:12:14,920
and not just that and many other of your life lessons because of this interview and what

213
00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:15,920
was listening.

214
00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:20,200
Well, everyone, thank you so much for listening to the careers for kids podcast.

215
00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:23,720
Hope you enjoyed that episode and we'll see you in the next episode.

216
00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:24,720
Bye.

217
00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:26,720
Bye.