Soft chimes of grandfather clocks, light columns and luxurious armchairs, warm wood and vases with blooming orchids. I look forward to the start of our interview in a spacious office lobby in the style of a new classic, filled with comfort and reliability. These are also the tastes of the head-founder of Absolut Chastny Bank - a subdivision of Absolut Bank for servicing private clients. For Natalia Kapinos, this is already the fourth project to launch and develop the Private Banking business. And, as usual, she started it from scratch. More precisely, from Moscow and St. Petersburg: “At the very beginning we had only two premium offices, and today we have eleven. In three years, the total pool of our clients has grown to two and a half thousand people. Although their number is not so important for us, it is much more important how many years the client stays with us."
MC: Natalia, what qualities are the most important for a person who starts a project from scratch?
Natalya Kapinos: In my professional life, there were four large startups, and each time it was a drive for me, a challenge to myself, a chance to realize myself and show results to others. When you have to start something, there are always risks. Fears and fears are inherent in any person. But, in my opinion, one of the positive traits of my character is the absence of fear. I go forward and very rarely look back. Unless just to see the mistakes you learn from.
Where does such fearlessness come from? Did you practice martial arts as a child?
As a child, I did everything I could, but there is hardly a connection here. There is a part of my life that the principle of fearlessness does not apply - this is my family, home, relatives. And in everything that concerns business, strategy, financial model, business plan are important. Courage in my work should be based on numbers and facts, on strategic data - miracles do not happen. You also need to be able to take risks - and sometimes they are higher than the pros that may be in the future.
“Before starting a family, I could afford spontaneous steps. But now everything is different. You are looking a few steps ahead"
You communicate a lot with people and say that you "first of all need to understand what the client's psychology is" - how conservative he is or is ready to try something new. How do you define this?
The first contact with a person is important. For example, you, Yuna, walked in, spoke - and I immediately understand which manager you will be more comfortable with.
And more specifically, Natalya?
It can be seen that you are an open person, quite emotional. A manager who speaks so slowly that you want to rush him is unlikely to suit you. Fast and clear will be comfortable. And there is another type of people who need time to make a decision, and this time they need to be given.
So you catch the rhythm of communication?
Yes, and also the human condition - people rarely come to the bank completely liberated. Any financial institution is a little scary. We have to overcome stereotypes: in the past of our country there were defaults, people were often deceived - all this is erased from memory for a very long time.
You sound like a person who has taken a course in psychology - have you never been fond of it?
No, it's just intuition. Practice and experience develop it. I would love to do some training, but everything I would like to visit happens on weekends, and this is my time for my family. Perhaps it will sound pretentious, but there are priceless things in life: communication with a child, with a husband - those simple joys that outweigh everything else.
Man or woman - do you see any difference in terms of their relationship with money?
Probably, a woman approaches monetary issues more thoughtfully. She lives in three guises at once - a businesswoman, a mother, and a wife - and feels a little more responsibility for everything. But it is also true that a woman often rules over a man. If he comes for a loan, it is often a woman who sends him to the bank. She chooses an apartment and brings up the topic.
Are you also trying not to take too much risk?
Before starting a family, I could allow myself spontaneous steps - it's great that it was so, but now everything is different. You look a few steps ahead, think about the education of your children - where to study, how much money will be needed. Many of my clients think about the same and come to me with a "family case" - a request to solve their issues in a comprehensive manner.
And which one would you call ideal?
You know, the "ideal client" is the same illusion as, for example, the "ideal husband" or "ideal wife". To be honest, the "ideal" does not need to go to the bank, he is able to do everything himself. For me, the concept of ideality does not exist in relation to anyone else. To relatives, to a husband - well, a child is perhaps an exception. There must be exceptions! I can’t imagine how I would live with my husband if he was “perfect”. It would definitely be maddening!
Does your husband think so too?
I got married at a conscious age, at 33 years old - by this moment you have already learned to get along with yourself and are ready to put up with some things in another person. The same can be said about her husband. We entered family relationships absolutely consciously. This does not exclude feelings and emotions - everything just becomes more weighty and high quality for everyone.
The “ideal client” is as much an illusion as the “ideal husband” or “ideal wife”. To be honest, the "ideal" does not need to go to the bank, he is able to do everything himself"
What does it take to become a VIP client?
If we talk about "Absolut Private Bank", then the threshold of entry for us is 15 million rubles. Another option is to purchase a premium card.
And how to determine that the manager will honestly give recommendations, and not seek to sell you another financial product?
First of all, ask yourself a question - is it pleasant for you to communicate with him? There are clients who test the manager: they ask questions about new investment products, the price of oil and the exchange rate - how does he navigate the situation? And there is another important point - time. In Private Banking, the longest and most difficult part is gaining trust and then maintaining a relationship. The main thing for us is that the client is calm. If he doubts, I say: it is better to transfer the money to another bank, and when you are sure of the situation, you will return. And there was not a single case that the client did not return.
What questions do VIP clients ask you most often?
On alternative ways of investing, on how to diversify your portfolio. Previously, funds were mainly held in deposits - there was a high rate, but now the key rate is declining and, I think, will continue to decline - therefore, other financial solutions must be offered. Our client, unlike the western one, has always had and will have a desire to make money. We show you how money can work by offering investment products.
Your son went to school not so long ago - how do you teach him to relate to money?
I don't teach specifically - in my opinion, children read everything from their parents themselves. It is not what we say that matters, but what we do. It seems to me that our son is careful about money. Since the first grade, we give him a small amount once a week so that he can distribute it himself: buy something or put in a piggy bank. It's nice that he is ready to share his money, if necessary. There was a good example recently: a courier brought something home, but I didn't have enough change. And my son helped me.
"It is important that my desires are much higher than my capabilities. The higher the goal, the more interesting."
You are in daily contact with rich people. What do you think it means to be rich?
Money is the energy of freedom that we receive in order to realize ourselves, to travel, to buy something. Many do not feel rich even with substantial capital. Speaking about me personally, I need just enough so that I can live with pleasure here and now. It's nice when you can go and buy whatever you want. But practice shows how quickly the feeling of "wow!" from buying the next thing. I began to limit myself. I want to prolong the feeling of anticipation. And it is also important that my desires are much higher than my current capabilities. And in the material plane, and intangible. The higher the goal, the more interesting it is.
And it's all about her
Natalya Kapinos
Deputy Chairman of the Board of Absolut Bank, Head of Absolut Private Bank
Family: husband and son (8 years)
Education: graduated from the Omsk Institute of Foreign Languages (“translator-linguist of English, German”) and the Financial Academy under the Government of the Russian Federation ("Financial management")
First managerial position: head of the individual banking department at Swedbank OJSC
Clothing style: classic; favorite brands - Dior, Chanel
Hobby: a collection of rare fragrances
Favorite perfume: Japanese vintage fragrances that can be found at auction
Chocolate: only bitter "Babaevsky"
Sports:fitness 2-3 times a week
Travel: favorite country - Italy ("and there are many other wonderful places in the world")
Photo: Julia Mayorova
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