Creating products for everyday life

Katie Allen Senior Product Manager, Retail Banking

I’m helping take a new current account from early ideas and customer research through design and development. Millions of people rely on Barclays for everyday banking, so the decisions we make can shape how customers manage their money day to day and the trust they place in us. That’s what makes working in product feel so tangible. I joined as an intern in 2010 and returned through the graduate programme in 2011. After nine years in Wealth and Private Banking, I moved into Barclays UK. I spent six years in business management before taking on my current role.

Bringing a product to life
My role involves shaping the vision and detail of a new product, then working with colleagues across Finance, Technology, Legal, Risk, Compliance and delivery teams to make it happen.Some days I’m reviewing how a customer would use the account. On others, I’m working through a product decision or resolving an issue with the teams building it. The common thread is making sure we create something that works for customers, makes commercial sense and can be delivered well.

You can start with customer insight and an idea, then help turn it into something millions of people could use.

Responding when customers needed help
I moved into Barclays UK in March 2020, just before the first COVID lockdown. I had to learn a new part of the bank and build relationships with a new team entirely online. At the same time, teams were making rapid changes to support retail customers, including help with mortgage payments. In business management, I helped coordinate hundreds of changes and explain what we were doing to internal and external stakeholders. It showed me how quickly different parts of Barclays can come together when customers need support.

Building a varied career
The graduate programme also took me to our Singapore office, where I learnt about a different client base and culture. Barclays has supported my development through professional qualifications such as the CFA, alongside opportunities to work across different businesses and geographies. That variety has helped me build commercial understanding and strategic thinking, while becoming more comfortable stepping into unfamiliar areas. Flexibility has made a difference too. As a working parent, I’m trusted to manage my workload in a way that works for my family and my team.

Seeing what happens after launch
Next, I want to experience the full product lifecycle: launching a product, seeing how customers use it and understanding what needs to change afterwards. That’s what excites me about product development. You can start with customer insight and an idea, then help turn it into something millions of people could use in everyday life. For anyone starting out, I’d recommend staying curious and keeping an open mind about where your career could take you. Some of my best opportunities have come from moving into areas I didn’t originally expect.