Career banker Daniel Latter has come a long way from opening his first account at the age of 14 in the local regional NSW branch where he grew up.
He joined the bank at that same branch as a teller six months out of high school and it’s a remarkable success story to be one of the youngest Australians with the highest industry qualification.
CommBank stalwart and FINSIA Fellow Daniel, who was just 32 when he gained his Chartered Banker by Experience designation, said: “I am very proud to become a Chartered Banker.
“It’s really the first thing I have studied for and received a certificate with a seal at the bottom that’s signed off by senior leaders from my industry.
“As an individual I've always leveraged my experience in banking, which is quite broad, rather than the qualifications I have.
“For a lot of the time during my career that has been enough. But I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting and I recognise that those next steps are more significant and higher profile. Professional accreditation is something that will help my individual brand and prospects.
“And the Chartered Banker course seemed like an interesting opportunity to explore this.
“I was at FINSIA’s Wayne Byres event last year when I first heard of the program. As I did more digging, it seemed just like the kind of thought-provoking content and study that I could get involved with.
“It was something that I knew I could feel immensely proud of. But it’s not just that. Having Chartered alongside my name does show to my clients how dedicated I am to my career and helping people.”
Reflecting on the course itself and the deep dive into ethics, Private Banker Daniel added: “It is very ethics driven, which is something that I find fascinating.
“It’s no surprise that the learning developed both as a part of our internal CPD and external providers now have a greater focus on ethics.
“I am proud of the way I conduct myself as a banker. We place great focus on acting ethically right across the Commonwealth Bank Group.
“As a part of the work I do at Commonwealth Private, we are nurturing the relationships of Australians who have significant wealth and complex relationships with the bank. They trust us to guide and support them with some of the biggest decisions they will make in their lives.
“We talk about ethics and risk in the meetings with our clients and the decisions we make every day.
“Chartered Banker was a great opportunity to go into ethical conduct in even greater detail – learning about industry wide best practice, not just in Australia but globally.
“Being involved in this specialised education is different from the kind of professional development you participate in at your employer and ongoing CPD.
“For me it was an opportunity to really explore my career, reflecting on where I had come from, and what I had achieved.”
It is the way the course is set up that helps this, according to Daniel who says the interaction with tutors is akin to having a mentor.
He explains: “The relationship with the assessors during the qualification is quite like being mentored.
“When I was interviewed by Ian from the Chartered Banker Institute after the assignments I had submitted, he dedicated a lot of time to analysing and reflecting on my career. I feel that was an appropriate way to finalise the qualification. Getting an external perspective on what you have achieved is important. I also think it was so valuable to have someone with such experience in banking validate my contribution to the industry."
