MY CAREER IN SIX SPOTLIGHT
Esmiralda-Victoria Porath
Head of Client Connectivity, GPS Germany
HSBC
Sharing her career journey by answering the six questions below.
Who or what has been your biggest source of inspiration throughout your career?
My biggest source of inspiration has been my mother. She immigrated to Germany in the early 1980s from the Soviet Union; her diplomas were not recognized. Instead of seeing that as a limitation, she reinvented herself and built her own business. Over the years she pursued several different endeavours – some successful, some not – but what always stood out for me was her resilience and optimism in the face of setbacks. She consistently encouraged me to aim high: the best education, the best opportunities, the best version of myself. Most importantly, she showed me the value of independence and self-sufficiency, and that women can create their own paths. That mindset has deeply shaped how I approach my career.
Would you say your success is primarily due to luck or hard work?
I believe success is a combination of both, but hard work is what creates the foundation for opportunity. When I was starting out after school, I knew I didn’t have an established network to rely on, so it was important for me to build the strongest possible basis. I earned admission to a top-tier university in Switzerland, which opened the door to the world of financial services and global players in the industry. From there, it was a lot of hard work – showing up consistently, delivering results and continuing to learn. At the same time, I’ve been fortunate to have some luck along the way, especially in the form of people who believed in me, supported me, and genuinely wanted to see me succeed. For me, hard work creates the conditions for luck to appear.
What is the driving force behind your career aspirations?
The driving force behind my career aspirations is growth – both personal and professional – and the desire to create meaningful impact. I’m motivated by solving complex problems, building things that matter, and continuously learning in fast-evolving environments. I’m also driven by the idea of representation: showing that women belong at decision-making tables and can lead with confidence, competence, and empathy.
If given the chance to do one thing differently in your career, what would it be and why?
If I could do one thing differently, I would have been more willing to step into leadership opportunities earlier in my career, even when the environment felt challenging. At one point, I had the chance to take on a leadership role but chose not to pursue it because one of the key stakeholders was not fully supportive. With hindsight, I’ve learned that leadership isn’t about universal approval, and navigating different perspectives is often part of the role itself. While I don’t regret the decision, it’s an experience that shaped how I now approach opportunities – with more confidence in my ability to handle complexity.
What was your most favourite job/role and why?
I was fortunate to have several exciting roles early in my career, but two stand out in particular. One was working on a large-scale platform transformation program, which gave me strong foundations in program and project management. Just as impactful was having a manager who encouraged ownership and decisiveness, and who made me very aware of how unconscious bias can shape perceptions – lessons that significantly influenced how I approach leadership and decision-making today. The second role was with UBS in London, where I was exposed to a different working culture and truly global environment. From a professional standpoint, it accelerated my learning both from a product perspective and through implementing my first large-scale regulatory program. That role pushed me out of my comfort zone and reinforced my motivation to grow, take on complex challenges, and build impact at scale.
Do you have a favourite motto or quote that guides your professional life?
My grandmother used to say a Yiddish proverb: “Ale mayles in eynem, iz mitto bay keynem”, which roughly translates to “no one has all virtues” or “no one is perfect”. I grew up hearing this saying, and it has stayed with me throughout my personal and professional life. As a leader, it reminds me that perfection isn’t the goal. Instead, it’s about progress, learning, and creating an environment where people feel empowered to grow. It helps me extend grace – to myself and to others – and focus on impact rather than flawlessness.