Episode 7 - Financial Advisor/Citibank President

Today we interview Benjamin Oliva, a financial advisor and former president of Citibank.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hello! Welcome to the Careers for Kids podcast for kids learn careers. This is Maxwell Valencia.

(00:09):
And this is Henry Morrison. And today we have Benjamin Oliva, a president of City Bank Savings
and a financial advisor. Hello Mr. Oliva. Thank you for spending your time to be on Careers for
Kids. Yep, you have a great interview. Now let's get started! Tell us what you currently do right now.

(00:34):
Well good morning and good evening to you. And thanks for having me. I'm actually a financial
advisor to several companies right now. Getting them access to funding and raising equities for
them to expand their business. That's really cool. So tell us more about your career and

(01:01):
how do you get to this position? Well ever since I started my career, maybe more than 50 years ago,
I was involved in financing, consumer mortgages, corporate business, business lending,
personal finance. So in the process I met a lot of people and these people when I retired approached

(01:27):
me for help. That's how I got into this business. That's really cool. And I know you've heard a lot
about your job. What part of your job do you enjoy the most and dislike the most? The part of my job
that I enjoy the most is like it's helping people. Helping people build up their business,

(01:50):
make them more profitable and in the process when they expand their business,
it provides a lot more employment opportunities for other people. So it helps
a jump start or it helps the economy. That's really cool. In general. I like that. But what part of your

(02:12):
job do you dislike the most? What part of my job do I dislike the most? Actually not much.
Except you know there are some maybe some disappointments. Oh. Because for example if
let's say 10 people approach me and I'm only able to help eight of them then I'm you know I'm kind

(02:38):
of disappointed not to help the other two. Oh I kind of get that. Yeah was this the dream job
you imagined yourself doing as a kid? Actually no because when I was studying
my dream job was to become a lawyer because my cousin was a very good lawyer. He was a top-notch

(03:02):
lawyer and I thought that I would become a lawyer someday. You did? No I became an accountant.
Oh. It was totally different. Yeah. So you know. Yeah were you happy with your choice instead of
choosing a lawyer and going to accountant? Yeah it was looking back it was really a very productive

(03:28):
career. Oh. Yeah. Isn't that lawyer also really good? What? Isn't that lawyer also a productive
career? Yeah he is. He's a corporate lawyer. A big-time lawyer. He gets paid so highly and yeah he
was involved in so many high profile cases which was you know published in the most

(03:50):
most uh in the newspapers here in the Philippines. Oh. He was a graduate of Yale University. Oh that's
crazy. Yeah you know Yale right? Yeah it's kind of hard like for a Filipino to get in such a college.
He was a scholar in Yale. That's insane. Yeah and he was a graduate of cum laude in the in University

(04:15):
of the Philippines. Incidentally Maxwell I also graduated cum laude with honors. That's really
cool. Delasalle University with a degree of BSc commerce in accounting. Oh that's actually pretty
cool like you kind of follow the footsteps of your grandpa. Yeah. Yeah like family.

(04:38):
So um Maxwell's another question for you. Yes. Who were your main idols when you were very young?
Doesn't necessarily have to be a lawyer or an accountant. It can be anyone. When I was
still young very young at age my idol was one of your presidents John F Kennedy. Oh yeah. He was

(05:03):
a great president. He managed successfully the Cuban crisis which prevented the nuclear holocaust
which are down to the benefit of all future generations including you Maxwell and Henry.
Yeah so um what what were the biggest uh sorry why did you pick this job? Like what made you do this?

(05:26):
Like what made you go like switch from like not doing your job like your dream job as a lawyer
to being an accountant? Yes I'm also kind of interested like well uh it was accidental actually
uh well because uh when I graduated from commerce in Lasalle University

(05:50):
uh I thought of you know just working for a year or two before I get into
to studying law but uh I never got to do it. I met your nana Lynn Oliva. Oh yeah she introduced her.
And he she was working in the same department as I am or company. So that's how you met?

(06:16):
So we met and we got married so I had to pursue a different career to to support my family
because we were not rich then. Yeah and what was your most biggest highlight of your career?
Like if you looked at all your career what do you think was like your biggest highlight?

(06:39):
Well uh I used to be the managing director of the credit card business of Citibank here in the Philippines
and it was the biggest credit card business in all of the Philippines beating all local banks.
That's really cool. And right after that I was promoted to become president of Citibank savings

(07:05):
and that really was the highlight of my career. I would get that. Being a president of a banking
institution. I like that. Being a president of a banking institution. That's crazy. How did you
like feel about having all that power? Yes. Well it's really not having too much power. It's actually
also aside from being you know productive for the for the business it's also helping

(07:31):
a lot of people under me to build their careers while they're building their family,
provide opportunities for others and that gave me some sort of you know good satisfaction.
A lot of satisfaction helping people. Helping people yeah. So you like you love helping people?

(07:55):
Sure because I come from a very poor family Maxwell. You did? Wasn't your dad rich?
My dad wasn't rich he was just a government employee so you know as much as possible if I
can help people in their careers find good jobs find good career opportunities. That's the way I

(08:16):
give back to people. That's a really good like message like give back to the people. Yes yes.
Yeah so what are some of the biggest challenges that you think can be solved by our generation
Gen Z that you would want us to solve for you? You know that's a very good question. You know

(08:41):
I never thought and experienced the effect of climate change in my generation. You know
right now tornadoes and hurricanes are quite strong floods are you know everywhere not just
in the U.S. but Asia or Europe. The Colorado River has lost 10 trillion cubic meters so your water

(09:09):
is fast running out. The tremendous heat is triggering wildfires. Yeah so I think people
of your generation has to be more serious and more passionate about you know addressing the
climate change. Yeah adding on to that. What's this podcast? Like not just with climate change but

(09:32):
with like careers and like problems around the world currently this is what our podcast is trying
to like highlight so kids will be more serious and passionate like you said. Yeah and about you
adding on to your thing I it's not very fair for the poor countries because the big countries
are like the USA they're like contributing the most to climate change but the poor countries

(09:57):
are suffering the most that they contribute the least that's very unfair. Well they don't have the
money yeah and big countries like China are not I don't know if they're that serious of climate
in addressing the climate change issue. Yeah and the poor countries like in Africa. You know
when you know Maxwell when I went to Beijing yeah it was so hazy you know it's I thought it was just

(10:24):
cloudy but I it was it was the you know it was the bad air that was causing the haziness in the
in the weather. It's crazy like I don't think it's very did you get my point that's not fair
for the other countries. Yes yeah I mean it like it's not just it's not just like the fact that

(10:47):
the fact that it affects the poor countries it affects everybody around the globe. Yes. Like um
I mean yeah I can't speak right now but basically it like I know as you said like USA and like the
larger more populated countries are contributing more to it but it's affecting everybody too.

(11:11):
Yes and yeah and if someone wants to follow in your footsteps in your careers what would you tell
him or her like as an accountant or a financier. Well uh there's only two words that can uh
that would describe it. It's it's work hard you know work hard if you want to do good

(11:33):
good get a good education. When I say working hard it's not just working hard on your studies
it's starting you know simple things in your daily life like doing errands for your mom
doing household chores start something that would give you money you know even selling

(11:57):
even selling lemonades that's good that's good that's a good start you know Warren Buffet.
Warren Buffet? Buffet or Buffet? Buffet. Buffet sorry. He started he's I think he started selling
newspapers when he was young. Yeah and that and that's that he's supposed to do that because it
helps he helps you with having a business mind. Because when you start doing that you also

(12:20):
realize the value of money you know. Yes. And when you try when you realize the value of money you
don't spend it so you spend it smart you don't just spend for things that you don't need. Yeah
I agree um I feel like money like just like to you is like worth a lot more when you actually make it

(12:42):
and I know me and Max will have made like a couple like like a dollar or so at most off of this podcast
but like it's it means a lot to us. Yeah. You know I had a client I do have time I had a client who
didn't have uh who just graduated from high school but he was so persistent in you know in

(13:06):
in getting successful he used to be a vendor in the market then he became a messenger then he became
an fx dealer you know trading currencies. Yep. He's a very big he's worth more than uh 20 million
dollars. That's crazy. Yeah it's it's it's how you how persistent you are how passionate you are

(13:34):
and how disciplined you are you know in trying to get where you want to go. Yeah I get that.
Yeah me and Max will like we have a vision of like we just have a vision for this podcast
and like we share that same vision and this is why ever this is why you're talking to us right now.

(13:56):
We want to push our goals to inspire so many kids. Well I like I really like what you're doing.
Thank you. We're never gonna quit probably we're just gonna keep on. We're gonna okay
until we are not going to stop until we inspire as many children as we feel is needed.

(14:19):
Yes. Wow wow that's nice. You're on the right track both of you. Thank you.
I think Henry has a question. Yeah I do. What is your main life advice for kids listening to this podcast?
What is what? Your main life advice. Main life advice?

(14:45):
Well just be true to yourself. Be kind to people try to pay it forward you know both of you have
are getting good education and if you want if you have the time get exposed in helping you know
people in need. I like that that's very good advice. Yeah. And thank you so much Mr. Levo for

(15:15):
allowing us to interview you. I'm sure more kids will be inspired to take a path of finance and go
to business school because of this interview. To whoever is listening. Thanks for listening to the
Three Years for Kids podcast. Hope you enjoyed the episode and we will see you in the next one. Bye.