Niv Polani
CHIEF RISK OFFICER
BANK HAPOALIM B.M.
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
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6:45
The alarm on my iPhone goes off and signals it’s time to leave my bed and start the day. Right away, I check the latest news alerts and emails.
7:00
I make a fresh pot of coffee and fix myself toast with honey.
7:30
I hand my dog, Pablo, one of his favorite treats, grab my water bottle, and get into my car to head to the office, taking the highway during rush hour.
8:30
Once in the office, I have a preliminary meeting with my team to assess today’s challenges and to delegate tasks.
9:30
I have back-to-back meetings with the senior management and the board of directors. The topics of discussion are always subject to change, but today the main issue is a major IPO of our credit card company and risk management.
13:30
Lunch. Today, I have time to walk across the street and grab a nutritious lunch — freshly grilled chicken breast, Mediterranean salad, and rice.
14:30
My team is devoted to handling Bank Hapoalim B.M.’s global projects and joint ventures. This requires me to spend quite a lot of time on the phone with foreign law firms and other service providers to make sure I have the right professionals on my team when I try to advance one of our projects or joint ventures, such as E Wallet or fintech.
17:00
I try to devote some time to jot down some of my thoughts/ideas/to-dos after a busy work day to make sure I don’t miss anything that was on my mind during the day.
18:00
I have a few conference calls and meetings with the management team of the ACC Israel Chapter, discussing the relevant points that are on the agenda. Currently, we are in the process of organizing the chapter’s annual summit, something which naturally takes a lot of time and attention from all of us.
21:00
I arrive home and am greeted by Pablo. I snack on something light for dinner before taking him for a long (and deserved) walk to the park.
22:00
I catch up with the latest news on TV and try to watch a bit of the football match. I’m rooting for Arsenal, UK — my favorite team.
23:00
I go to bed and prepare for whatever challenges tomorrow may bring.
