Lisa Robins, global head of transaction banking at Standard Chartered, vividly remembers the September 11 terror attacks on New York’s twin towers and what followed. At the time, Robins lived in New York and was working for JPMorgan.
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Lisa Robins, |
Thousands of lives were lost and many more were completely turned upside down. In a communal act of defiance New Yorkers continued to go about their everyday lives as best as they could. Nevertheless, it was obvious to Robins that things were never going to be the same again.
This wasn’t just about the impact on US foreign policy, surveillance and immigration, much of which continues to affect our lives today. There were also some subtle changes to how everyday business was run, changes that transaction bankers needed to overcome to support their corporate clients.
“In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, no planes flew in or out of New York,” says Robins. “One consequence of this for us was that people were unable to send cheques internationally or within the US anymore,” remembers Robins.