Chanelle is a role model for women without a technical background wishing to break into the male-dominated technology industry.
Despite graduating with a First Class Honours in Modern Languages from King’s College London, Chanelle was eager for a new challenge. Having acquired self-taught Excel skills and taken an introductory software testing course, she was able to combine this with her excellent interpersonal skills in order to secure a position in the Credit IT division at Credit Suisse.
Here, she opted to participate in additional VBA training courses in order to expand her technical knowledge, and presented to a global audience on the specifications of multiple IT applications. Her strong communication skills and attention to detail were soon recognised by her manager who, after only six months, chose Chanelle to join him in interviewing new candidates and to represent him in meetings with key stakeholders.
After over three years at Credit Suisse, Chanelle remains the youngest and only female member of her team. During this time, she has onboarded two applications, introduced a queue monitoring chart reducing overdue incidents by 80% globally, and managed a credit default swap sale of over 60,000 trades to an external vendor. Last year, she was awarded two “Recognising and Valuing Excellence” gold bars in Client Focus and Stakeholder Management.
Chanelle is also committed to helping others; she has hosted work experience students, conducted mock interviews with undergraduates in conjunction with the East London Business Alliance, and presented at a Higher Education Symposium. She also volunteers on the Credit Suisse Language Committee, and serves as General Secretary of Help A Poor Child, a charity providing education to disadvantaged children.