Anna Bowles - Lloyds Banking Group

Winner of the Lloyds Banking Group Apprentice of the Month. While a successful apprentice needs to be a great learner, they also need to be supported by their employer, line manager and apprenticeship tutor. So as well as speaking to Anna, we also heard from her line manager and apprenticeship tutor on why Anna had been such an apprentice star.

The work she is driving now will considerably impact future ways of working across the Bank

“Since starting the apprenticeship, Anna has had three new roles using her personal and professional development to tackle challenges of increasing strategic importance. She has been working across the organisation with teams from different business units, developing and strengthening her stakeholder management skills. Anna proactively drives conversations across the breadth and varying levels of the organisation and the work she is driving now will considerably impact future ways of working across the Group. She willingly shares her newfound knowledge and skills as evidenced by Thinking Differently and micro-aggression training – directly linked to promoting the Group’s values. I know that Anna has and continues to offer skills externally through mentoring charities supported by the Group’s Foundation and a black entrepreneur-run business.” Duncan Reynell

Anna has developed behaviours that have led to a greater appreciation of the value of diversity

“Anna has demonstrated that as her learning has grown, she has been able to tackle bigger strategic challenges of increasing importance. She believes that her knowledge has allowed her to gain value in assessing broader external factors rather than the immediate task at hand. She has gathered external insight to allow her to make informed business recommendations. Anna believes she has developed behaviours that have led to a greater appreciation of the value of diversity and how moving towards a purpose-driven organisation improves business performance.” Sarah Rush Apprenticeship Tutor

My personal development has been significantly impacted by the apprenticeship

“When I began my apprenticeship in July 2021, my confidence was declining. I couldn’t see an obvious career route for myself, having worked for Lloyds for most of my career. The apprenticeship has given me the intellectual confidence and discipline to manage study alongside working full-time and with a young family.

My personal development has been significantly impacted by the apprenticeship. There were a number of personal development opportunities offered throughout the apprenticeship, such as an external mentor from Henley Business School’s alumni, and coaching sessions which are offered to all apprentices at Henley. The ‘LinkedIn Visibility Challenge’ run by my Henley Coach enabled me to practise my newfound skills in storytelling. Many of my network have approached me and commented on the changes they have observed in me.

The apprenticeship, including the personal development, helped me to network and through a connection, led to an exciting job opportunity within Lloyds that I would not have been considered for without the confidence gained from the apprenticeship. Re-designing of the OD of a business unit was a significant step up for me."