A Day in the Life of T. Rowe Price’s Rolf Hans Elsener
October 7, 2022In this week’s ‘A Day in the Life of…’ interview, T. Rowe Price’s Rolf Hans Elsener provides insights into his role as Head of Client Services Mid-Europe/Client Services Director.
Hi Rolf, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your career so far?
I was born in 1967 in a smallish town near Zurich located at the shore of the lake. I have spent all of my professional career in finance. The first 16 years were with Credit Suisse in different roles (e.g., trainer, managerial function, assistant to the head of Service Centre-Private Banking etc.), before embracing the fund industry in 2000. I was hired as head of Client Services for Zurich at a US asset management firm called T. Rowe Price in 2013 and have been in this role ever since.
Can you tell us about your current role?
I believe that client services is one of the most underrated functions. It is often regarded as a steppingstone to a sales role – a job one does for one or two years to get more experience and then move on. The roles are often distinguished as a ‘hunter’ (sales) and a ‘farmer’ (client services). However, I believe that there is a clear distinction between these two roles and not everyone is ‘made’ for both. I never wanted to become a salesperson. I preferred the role in the second line, so to speak.
What I like most about the role is its broadness and variety. I have a great deal of direct contact with our clients. They call or email me to ask for support on an ongoing basis. There is a mantra that we use in the client services team, which is known by the abbreviation of KYC (know your client). I also deal with legal issues around agreements and onboarding clients. Switzerland is not part of the EU, so we have different laws and regulations here. There is an educational component to my role internally in terms of partnering with my colleagues in the UK-based compliance team to navigate local laws and regulations. Helping to maintain and improve our Client Relationship Management (CRM) tool is another aspect of my role. I am a member of the internal CRM Change Council, which is a group that helps to ensure that the CRM tool constantly evolves and that the data that are inputted by colleagues is of high quality and relevant.
What excites you most about your work?
Definitely the broad range of knowledge required. It’s important to understand various different processes, including how funds are managed and how purchases and redemption are made, as well as the legal aspects.
I also like the different languages I can use. Growing up and living in Switzerland means that I’m well-versed in different languages. Switzerland alone has four mother tongues (albeit the fourth one, Romansh, is spoken by less than 1% of the Swiss population). My mother tongue is Swiss German, and I interact in German, French and English on a daily basis with our Switzerland-based and international clientele (not to mention my colleagues in Europe and around the globe).
What made you want to pursue this profession? Was it the career you always expected to take?
My initial dream jobs were either Egyptologist or Catholic priest. However, I soon realized that the banking industry is fascinating and the different job opportunities it offers were more intriguing. Thus, my journey began, and the rest is history. Also, celibacy might have been an issue! I am still an avid reader when it comes to ancient Egypt and theology and have more than 100 books on each subject on my bookshelves. Belief still plays a role in my life, although I am no longer Catholic and am now a protestant: a Zwinglian.
As someone who is LGBTQ+ have you always felt supported at work?
When I was 25, I decided to be out with my supervisors. Since 2000 I have been fully out at work. I always felt supported and never experienced direct aggression or rejection. Was I denied a position because I was out? Potentially, yes. I did interview for a position once back in 1999, where the CEO of the company asked a rather personal question and I decided to answer. The interview was terminated shortly afterwards. However, I always believed that being myself is more important than pretending to be someone else. I’d rather put the energy into my work.
I must really call out that the most amazing experience I had and have with T. Rowe Price. I am a founding member of PRIDE (the LGBTQ+ staff network at T. Rowe Price) and PRIDE-EMEA. I was the co-chair of PRIDE EMEA for the first three years and felt huge support from everyone involved, especially the senior management and the C-suite of our company. I could see them embracing the subject and stepping up to become strong allies. I could also see how they engaged the entire company and employees. I really felt supported but also empowered. It affirmed that I could be who I really am and could bring my full self to work.
What does an inclusive work environment look like to you?
It might sound a wee bit cheesy, but look no further than T. Rowe Price. It provides an inclusive work environment because, first and foremost. It has the respective internal policies and regulations in place to support and embrace diversity, equity and inclusion, including specific wording towards LGBTQ+ employees. Furthermore, the company is a visible supporter of the LGBTQ+ community both internally and externally. I am not talking about a month of support during PRIDE month (June), which I would define as ‘pink washing’, but rather proactive support throughout the year.
We have an allyship program in place, and it is simply brilliant to walk into a T. Rowe Price office, be it Frankfurt, London or Baltimore, and to see the ally rainbow flags on different desks. They signal that this spot, this desk, this person is a safe place for LGBTQ+ individuals.
What interview tips would you give someone who’s interested in applying to a similar role?
I work in the finance industry, so professional clothing is key. Wearing your all white or all black outfit from your last dance party (potentially with feather wings) might not be a good idea. However, other than that I would say be yourself. Do not try to pretend you are someone different. I applied for this position and the previous one with the martial status ‘enlisted partnership’. This outed me immediately as marriage equality in Switzerland was only made possible in 2022. So, if a company doesn’t accept you for who you are, then you’re simply not in the right place and there are better opportunities out there for you.
If you are looking for a new role with an inclusive employer, don't forget to sign up to our free careers event WorkFair 2022 on October 19, here.
