Gunjan Saxena
Senior UAT (User Acceptance Testing) Manager
Joined in 2022
Hong Kong
My relationship with HSBC goes back many years. The most recent chapter began in 2022 – after a seven-year career break.
When I became a parent, I made the conscious decision to stop work for a few years and focus fully on motherhood. But the Covid pandemic hit and my break lasted much longer than planned.
Unique path
Returning to the workforce was daunting. I worried that the long gap on my CV would put off employers, but I was able to secure some interviews and was offered a role at HSBC Life, our insurance business. The bank gave me a chance and I’m grateful.
It took a few months to get back up to speed. Technology had evolved massively. I had to quickly learn new project-management tools and new concepts like agile working. Even the language of the workplace had changed. But my colleagues rallied round whenever I got stuck.
Before long, I was given the opportunity to support some key, high-profile initiatives, which was exciting. In my current role, I manage the quality-assurance activity for our employee health benefits programme. This basically involves testing any upcoming changes to our systems and software, and making sure everything works as it should.
When I was looking to restart my career, flexible working was a priority for me. After so much time out, I wanted to be sure I could still be a present parent to my daughter, who is now 11. At HSBC, I work from home a couple of days a week and have the flexibility I need for school runs and appointments.
I’ve found invaluable support through Balance, an employee resource group that advocates for an inclusive workplace championing gender equity. Through this network, I have met a lot of women with similar stories to mine, which has kept me grounded. By reaching out to senior female executives, I’ve also found mentorship and guidance.
International career
I grew up in India, studied engineering, and began my working life as a software developer before moving into quality assurance. I later worked in both the US and the UK. In 2007, when my husband’s career took us to Hong Kong, I landed my first job at HSBC.
A great benefit of working for such an international organisation is the opportunity to experience other parts of the world. For me, this included a secondment to Paris, which was a real career highlight.
The culture was very different from what I was used to, but it broadened my perspective and I fell in love with France. That experience ignited a passion in me to travel and explore other cultures, as well as share my own.
During my career break, my daughter and I went on a lot of trips together, just the two of us – including back to India a few times a year to see family. We were living in London at the time and made the most of having so many theatres and museums on our doorstep.
Looking back, it was so special to have that dedicated time with my daughter. We’ve built such a strong bond.