Vantaggi
I spent a few years at Santander, and progressed well. There are some fantastic people across the organisation, and for such a lean operating model it gets the big stuff right - focus is very much on the strategic initiatives, across the bank. Relatively new CEO has brought in some new faces at a senior level, some of whom seem very sharp, although some I suspect are less so. Quite innovative approach to products over the last few years, and weathered the banking storm very well due to risk averse approach and limited exposure to toxic assets.
Svantaggi
When I joined it felt like a meritocracy, however now the organisation is getting flatter which supposedly means less hierarchy, but in reality means fewer people, less costs and less opportunity for progression. Some of the new senior hires are from failed organisations (RBS, Lehman Bros) which has caused some concern around the bank. Focus is very much on costs, given low interest rates and margins being squeezed, which potentially means a painful 18 months for the organisation.