Simone Lopes has truly found a career in banking during her three years at BankFive. Starting out as a Teller, Simone has explored a variety of roles within the bank. She served as a Branch Assistant at our Flint location and recently moved to her current position of Banking Development Trainee. The goal of the BankFive Banking Development program is to expose trainees to multiple aspects of the bank’s business operations and help them find the best fit for a long-term position. “As a Banking Development Trainee, I will be rotating through the majority of our business areas to help develop the skills sets necessary for my long-term placement here at BankFive. Within each different business area, I will be learning and performing key jobs and tasks, allowing me to strengthen my analytical and business skills. This will prepare me for my goal within the bank to one day be a leader and a great role model,” Simone says about her new role.
Simone has always been striving for more. She began working at age 17 as a grocery store cashier, then advanced to a role where she helped with the ordering and receiving of grocery store items. Prior to BankFive, Simone was a Teller at Pawtucket Credit Union and also spent some time in their Retail Lending Department. “I have been in the banking industry for nearly six years. It has been such an informative journey and allowed for so much personal growth. It not only has made a huge impact on my work ethic, but also, the knowledge I have gained from being in this field has helped me build a better life and future for my son and I.”
Outside of work, Simone is just as driven. She holds an Associate of Arts in Legal and Social Studies and has begun working towards a Bachelor’s Degree in Business. She credits this to being introduced to the banking industry – although she did consider a career in Real Estate at one time. “Banking has such a wide variety of business areas that I am extremely grateful to be doing this instead.”
Simone moved to the United States from Cape Verde when she was 13 years old, and her Cape Verdean heritage is a big part of her identity. She is a certified Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole interpreter and speaks four languages. One of Simone’s favorite hobbies is soccer, which is particularly special to her because she played it with her brothers while growing up. She also enjoys cooking, exercising, and playing Batucada - an African-influenced Brazilian percussive style of music.
When asked what she likes about working at BankFive, Simone says, “One of the major factors that I believe sets BankFive so far apart from other companies is how closely they work with their employees, and how much they want to see us grow within the company. I have never worked for another company where I felt that I could reach out to anyone, regardless of their position, for guidance. I love the fact that most of our current executives and leaders started like me, as a Teller. It is always motivating knowing that you work for a company where you know you will succeed and grow.”
We are so lucky to have Simone as part of the BankFive family, and we can’t wait to see where her Banking Development Trainee role will take her.
To learn more about our Banking Development Trainee program and employment at BankFive, including our benefits and current available positions, visit our Careers page.