Head of Learning & Talent Management at Citizens Bank

Stacey Aries

Stacey leads the Talent Management and Learning function at Citizens Bank.  This group develops innovative strategies to support leaders and employees in performing, learning and growing in ways that enable Citizens to deliver for its customers, shareholders and communities.

Prior to joining Citizens, Stacey worked at JPMorgan Chase and held key leadership positions focused on Talent Development, Diversity and Human Capital strategy.  Stacey started her career as a Change Management consultant with Accenture and has a M.A. in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and a B.A. from Syracuse University. 

As a change architect, her teams have cultivatedstrategies producing measurable impact on both employee experience and business strategy. 

Following is the conversation that we had with Aries.

“Growing a career in HR isn’t about a promotion or title it’s about adding additional value and seizing opportunities to deliver strategies that have the highest impact on advancing the business.”

If you had to identify one or two key things that ultimately influenced your career path, what would they be?

People and challenges.  People- I had many people along the way that sparked my curiosity and believed in me.  They asked questions that helped me solidify my own thinking and work through what “goodness” looked like as I made decisions on next roles.  I can also say the interactions I have with people now continue to fuel my passion for the work.  Personally seeing “ah ha moments” when something different clicks for individuals or when you observe cultural shifts happening over time.  Challenge- A challenge to me is an opportunity to solve a problem that isn’t straightforward but is one that yields important impact.  Challenges spark high levels of engagement and a chance to contribute and grow in the process. 

What misconceptions do you think people have about succeeding in their career?

There arethree that I think are really important to explore: 1) Hard work will lead to success and 2) Always bethe smartest person in the room. For both of these, I can say for sure that dedication and smarts are only tickets to the arena.  Being comfortable in the grey and building strong relationships are more important than putting your head down and working hard.  And being smart as you advance in your career is less about expertise and more about asking the right questions, identifying problems/opportunities and bringing in new thinking.3) Success is about promotion. Most of the times I have advanced in my career I didn’t receive any promotion or pay increase. Instead, they were opportunities to influence more broadly, gain new skills and have greater impact.  Looking back now they prepared me for “bigger roles” but at the time they came with nothing but a chance to deliver more value.     

What’s an underrated or overlooked factor you think is critical for achieving career success?

Big picture thinking, problem solving and outcome focus.  Picking your head up and thinking beyond the current state is key. Seek ways to identify things that might be getting in the way of the work you are doing or ways that the work you are doing can be done better, more quickly and/or add additional value for your customers/ internal partners and then recommending solutions and enlisting others to tackle it. Always be clear and ensure others are clear on what the outcomes are in the first place.  I am famous for asking “What does good look like.” It pulls people out of rabbit holes and gets them focused on what’s most important and then directs energy at solving for the right things.  

What’s your very best advice for helping someone craft a career with a strong sense of meaning and purpose?

Know what’s important to you and the type of work environment you will thrive in.  Truly know what you are interested in (where you find personal energy) and not what you think you should be interested in because of what others tell you, what’s hot in the market or what you think you will attain as a result ofa career path (like a certain salary). I met someone while traveling recently who works as a rare artifact appraiser. She consultants with private wealth and estate firms to determine the value of items to insure including amazing artifacts like rhinoceros horn cups.  She described her job as living her dream.  I asked her why and she said she feels tremendous joy from seeing rare objects preserved and treasured and is fascinated with history and exploring cultures.  She was clear on what feeds her soul. 

In terms of the environment—understand if you prefer working with others, in social and high energy environments or in the types of roles where you are spending more time by yourself thinking, reflecting, formulating etc.  What type of working culture are you suited for—do you prefer lots of guidance and direction, structure or do you prefer having lots of autonomy to figure things out for yourself. What pace do you thrive in—fast and constantly changing or more planned out.