Gulf Finance House hosts record number of Bahraini summer interns for on-job training

A total of 23 young adults, studying at universities in and outside Bahrain, are concluding the two-month programme, which is designed to offer undergraduates valuable, practical work experience.

The intake for this year was more than double that of 2007.

"As a prominent financial institution and industry leader, GFH takes very seriously its commitment to preparing young Bahrainis for the 21st century workplace," said Mr. Glenn van Kessel, Head of Training and Talent Management.

GFH looks forward to the possibility of recruiting full-time staff from this year's intern pool.

The bank is also investigating follow-up training programmes for its fresh graduate recruits.

The summer interns represent 16 universities from Bahrain and overseas, from countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, the United States and France.

They were assigned to a number of departments within GFH, such as the Investment Placement Team, Financial Control, Asset Management, Economic Research, IT, Training & Development and Corporate Communications.

"Overall, the interns have been exceptional, and we are very impressed with their calibre and output," said Mr. van Kessel.

In addition to their department-specific training, the interns also took part in a 'Mission Impossible' team-building exercise, held at the Bahrain Yacht Club, and a cooking competition at the Bahrain International Circuit.

They also attended seminars on Shari'a compliance and Islamic finance, delivered by GFH executives.

At an end-of-programme ceremony, held at the Banyan Tree Resort and Spa, Mr. van Kessel presented certificates and gifts of appreciation to the interns and thanked them for their hard work and diligence.

"You have displayed strong leadership skills and the Bank has, indeed, benefitted from your contributions," he said.

The ceremony also featured presentations from Mr. Hany Genena, Senior Economist, and Ms Fatima Al-Nuwaiwi, Deputy Money Laundering Reporting Officer, at GFH.

Mr. Genena highlighted the current macro economic environment globally and regionally and gave the interns tips on a top-down investment approach, based on a 'Buy Low, Sell High' strategy.

Ms Al-Nuwaiwi's presentation focused on money-laundering and how to recognise and combat it.