Born in Belgium, he has worked as a UN intern, been an olive farmer and set up a mineral water export business in Norway with his brother.
“I was exposed to different cultures from the very beginning of my life. My parents moved from Morocco to Belgium in the 1960s, where I was born and raised. I was living one culture at home and another outside. It was not always easy but the more I grew, the more I realised that this is one of my strengths,” says Sambou.
Sambou spent several months in New York City at his first job working for the UN: “With over 190 countries represented and six official languages, you realise how diverse the world is.”
He came to Luxembourg in 1999 and says he has witnessed two decades of constant change. Not only has the country changed, but, he notes, the financial industry has continued to experience phenomenal growth.
Sambou believes his business experiences, particularly the mineral water business that he still runs with his brother, have been extremely valuable.
“It’s a little village with 2,000 inhabitants and 2,000 lakes, so selling water was an obvious thing to try. We have a good export strategy, a good understanding of different business cultures and a good network which is a must for any export business.”
Olive farming is also important to him: “It allows me to step back and think. The financial industry is changing so much and so quickly that you can easily be swallowed into the rhythm. It’s vital to step back, think, and come back stronger.”
Ownership is a value he wants all State Street managers to embrace. “Running your own business is like taking ownership without a safety net. You are in charge, which means that your behaviour and decisions impact the fate of the business,” he says.
“In a larger company such as State Street, you are not alone. While you might feel a bit more supported, the ownership behaviour of each individual remains very important.”
Constant change
An MBA graduate, Sambou says that working in financial services, he has “never been bored a single day. Change, speed, intellectual challenge and competition make this industry very exciting.”
In the next ten years, he expects end investors will be more demanding in terms of social responsibility, environmental consciousness, competitive prices and real-time access to information. “The industry will need to invest more in technology, become more efficient and create products that invest in social and environmental projects.”
State Street Luxembourg is part of the wider group which is responsible for some 10% of the world’s assets. Perhaps a bit like the UN, which Sambou says he would like to have continued working for, the financial company covers a number of geographies and languages. T
hat’s possibly why the Luxembourg operation has 43-year-old Sambou, fluent in French, English, Spanish, Dutch and Berber, heading its client service operations.
It’s a choice he does not regret: “I have been energised working in Luxembourg and I still am.”