Meet Alaoishe Luskin, Head of Recovery & Resolution Planning, Dublin

I’ve been empowered to make things happen.

With her background in central banking, Alaoishe has brought a wealth of experience to her role as leader of the Recovery and Resolution Planning process for Barclays Europe. She has the ability to thrive on initiative and get things done, as well as the talent, the stamina and the resilience we look for as we build the team that is shaping Barclays Europe.

Alaoishe graduated in 2010, in the midst of the financial crisis. She spent six years working with the Central Bank of Ireland, before being seconded to the European Central Bank in Frankfurt. She thought she’d be returning to Central Bank of Ireland after her secondment, but Barclays’ expansion into Europe created an exciting opportunity for her.

I was very interested in gaining hands-on experience in a bank, especially a global one. So I joined the Barclays Europe Recovery and Resolution Planning team in 2020.

Alaoishe felt this was an opportunity she must seize: a completely new challenge for her, and one where her experience working in a regulatory environment would be invaluable. She was attracted by the idea being part of something big that was still very much in its early stages – “almost a start-up” – and now enjoys the feeling of the whole team pulling together to achieve the same goals. And, in an increasingly regulated European banking environment, this is an arena in which she can make a major impact.

Alaoishe’s focus is to ensure Barclays Europe is as financially robust as possible. Following the financial crisis, global regulatory authorities introduced  more stringent resolution and recovery measures that all banks must adhere to. This means if Barclays Europe were ever to face a financial crisis, the tax payer would not be liable for any losses. Alaoishe’s role is to make sure we do not get to that stage, and that we can recover from a range of severe financial crises; she also needs to make robust plans for resolution, in the unlikely event that recovery cannot be achieved. These are huge responsibilities, and her experience with the regulators has prepared her well:

I still feel I work for the regulator in many ways. There are so many requirements to meet, and I understand exactly what they are looking for. I know the standards we need to achieve, and I know how regulators think.

The expansion of Barclays Europe has meant we must work within a regulatory environment that’s much more complex than we have been used to in the UK, and the European regulator can be more demanding. Alaoishe understands this, and has seized the initiative in many ways to make sure Barclays Europe meets, and will continue to meet, the exacting standards of the European regulators. Because her work touches on every aspect of the bank’s operations, she needs to engage stakeholders, both internally and externally, which calls for great tenacity. She’s used all of her communication and influencing skills to change mindsets across the bank, and to bring people together on the journey. Her team is making a real difference, which is hugely important to Alaoishe.

When I worked for the Central Bank of Ireland and European Central Bank, I enjoyed the feeling of working for the common good. And I feel we are doing that here at Barclays. We are not only a lifeboat for the taxpayer, we are a lifeboat for the bank – we are preparing for a future that we hope will never happen!

With her first child on the way, Alaoishe is now thinking about her own future. She says she has the full support of the business and is already having conversations with her leaders about what the future holds: “I know that when I come back after maternity leave I’ll be able to pick up my career and keep growing.” Alaoishe sees herself exploring ways to take on more responsibilities, developing more skills and continuing to progress within Barclays Europe, which she sees as a business with huge potential.

Alaoishe has made a hugely successful transition from the public sector to Barclays Europe, and she confidently recommends the bank as a place where people who want to learn and progress can build a rewarding career. The team, she believes, is hugely talented and supportive, and she has felt empowered to make the role her own.

There has been so much trust put in me. I have been allowed to take the initiative, to lead the team my own way, and do things the way I feel best – but with plenty of support when I need it. I’m so grateful for that.