Sam Smillie

Vice President, Global Technology
Sam_Smillie

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy the variety of tech issues I work on - I like being able to really get involved in a coding fix. Sometimes you are trying to improve something by retracing the steps of the previous coder and investigating if there is a better way to write the code or sometimes it’s a bug where you work through systems or speak to different teams to work out where the issue comes from.

What do you enjoy doing in your personal time?

The bank has lots of sport clubs so I joined the running club and I love it. I run a few times a week, and I have represented the bank at a few races. I am proud to say that my 10k times are getting steadily better. I also go boxing once or twice a week and when I get a chance I even go skydiving!

What is your biggest accomplishment or achievement since working at Bank of America Merrill Lynch?

I was selected to go to the Bank of America headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, to present on an exciting technology we were developing. At the technology conference my colleague and I got a chance to meet other people from many different areas of the bank. We prepared for several weeks by reading, prototyping and rehearsing our presentation which was delivered to a few hundred people who were either at the conference, or watching a live stream online. This was a great moment for me. My team has been incredibly supportive, and from experiences like this, I have a new sense of opportunity and interest to investigate some extremely innovative technology with the bank.

The bank has lots of sport clubs so I joined the running club and I love it.

What advice would you give to students?

In interviews, the person speaking to you will want to know what makes you tick. Find a personal reason to share on why you are excited by the role and think you are the best person for it.

 What is something you have learned about the bank since starting?

When I first started at the bank, I was overwhelmed by the number of people who were working on so many different projects. As I met more and more people, and began to understand how the bank works, it became clear how each person’s day to day role has an impact.

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Which of these teams most appeals to you?

Banking, markets & finance

Banking, markets and finance roles across the bank work directly with our customers across the U.S. and companies and institutional clients globally.                

Corporate functions

Teams across our corporate functions are essential specialist teams that work to ensure the strategic, efficient and successful running of the bank's day-to-day business.         

Technology & operations

Global technology & operations teams help to provide the infrastructure, technology platforms and information security capabilities crucial to our ability to serve our customers and clients.

Where are you in your education?

Bachelor'sMaster'sMBAPhD Other