Employee Spotlight: Pamela Salazar on making an impact and gaining perspective through travel
Next up in our Employee Spotlights series is Pamela Salazar, Risk and Compliance Manager at Grasshopper Bank. A year ago, Pamela joined us from Metropolitan Commercial Bank. We chatted with her about her career journey, a day in her life, and what makes her proud.
How do you explain to your family what you do?
I’m like Chandler from Friends — you never know what he really does! {laughs} They know that I work for a bank. I explain to them that I work for a bank but risk is a broad concept that can be difficult to explain to people who have no banking experience. So, I tell them that I oversee policies and procedures of the bank to make sure that we are compliant with government and banking laws and regulations
Why did you decide to pursue a career in banking? And what did your journey look like?
I was going to school and was a teller part time and I took a liking to it. There were two career paths I could have followed working in the branch with customers — the sales route or the compliance and operations side, which is where I’m at. I like it so much better. I feel like you get to have a bigger impact on things by making sure that the bank is doing the right thing by its customers, particularly consumers and small businesses.
A stranger just asked you to describe Grasshopper Bank in one sentence…you say:
I would say, “We are banking of the future”. I think we’ve seen now more than ever with this pandemic that being digital has been a huge advantage for us. I think everybody- not only banks but all sorts of businesses — are heading into the digital age, and we’ve already shown that we’re ahead of the curve. So, I would definitely say we are banking of the future.
Walk us through a typical day in your life.
My days are not really the same every single day. I wake up, shower and have breakfast. Sometimes I’ll do yoga. I’m trying to get into it because it does actually make me feel better to take a breath and stretch and set the tone for my day. Then, I’ll work and throughout the day I’ll try to cook if work isn’t too busy. After that, I’ll spend time with my family and friends, which has been harder during the pandemic. Now that we are in a pandemic, I’ll do stuff around the house because I’ve taken up a project to remodel my apartment. That’s what a day of my life consists of right now. If we weren’t in a pandemic, I’d be doing happy hour after work or some community work during my free time.
Why did you decide to join Grasshopper?
I used to work with Sangeeta [Kishore], Grasshopper’s CFO, at a previous bank. I was consulting for a little bit when we got in contact. I learned about Grasshopper through her, then the opportunity presented itself and here I am. I like the collaborative effort it takes to run a community bank. When you work for a big company it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle. Working for a smaller company I feel like we can all be heard and are able to have a bigger impact by listening to each other and working off of each other’s ideas.
What do you consider to be the most important thing you’ve learnt since joining?
I like the fact that we’re doing something that’s not only innovative but we genuinely care about helping and educating these startups. It’s a part of our business model and I think it’s powerful that we can make a difference that way. I’ve learned that it is possible to do both!
What are your passions outside of work?
I love traveling. I’ve always loved it. Talking to people of different cultures gives me a new perspective on life in its own way (whether the impact is big or small). When I get back I try my best to apply what I’ve taken from each trip into my everyday life.
What accomplishment (personal or professional) are you most proud of?
A lot of people don’t know this, but I was born in Peru and came to the States when I was ten years old. Being an immigrant and coming from where I came from to where I am now is a big personal and professional achievement. I had opportunities here I could have only dreamt of back in my country. I’m very proud of the fact that I can actually make a difference and be in the position that I am right now.
And finally, some quick fire questions…
What’s your most used emoji?
😂
Most used app on your phone?
Any shopping app. I’m a bit of a shopaholic and spend a lot of time on Amazon and Overstock for my housing project. I’m trying to remodel my apartment now that I spend much time in it. I want it to really be the perfect place for me to relax and do everything. I’m a perfectionist!
What is the last show you binge-watched?
Mindhunter on Netflix. I just love anything that has to do with solving murders and understanding what is behind people’s reasoning for their actions. I like shows like that. I watch lots of documentaries and things of that sort that explain human behavior.
What are you reading right now?
Born Survivors by Wendy Holden. It’s about these letters from children of survivors of the Holocaust . They’ve gathered these letters from their grandparents & great grandparents and gone on an investigative journey to figure out where they came from and what their mothers went through.
What’s your next vacation destination when things are back to normal?
Switzerland. I’m dying to go to Switzerland. It looks like such a beautiful and peaceful place.
If you could have lunch with anyone, what would it be?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I think she is such an innovative and strong, powerful woman. I’ve always admired her. Her passing is very sad and a huge loss to this country. She was such a strong woman and she just defied every obstacle against her. I find that very admirable.
