An interview with the best boss in banking

Stephen Paine, global head of infrastructure at UBS, has been won the accolade of 'Britain's Best Boss' from Working Families, a charity that promotes the interests of parents in the workplace.

According to the press release accompanying the announcement, Stephen's supreme family friendliness is down to the fact that he empowers the people in his 20 person team, trusts them deliver, and spends time with his own family, despite having to be on call 24/7.

We have, however, delved deeper to find out what really makes the best boss in banking so good. This is what he said...

So, why do you think you've won this award?

I think I'm fortunate in that I have a team made up of a very good group of people. They've worked together for a while, and are keen to collaborate. The client always comes first and we absolutely have to respond in real time and operate at the weekend if required. But the team always rallies round and if someone's busy they will cover it. If you operate as a team, you can pass the work around when necessary.

How does that work - doesn't it imply a lot of cc-ing emails?

There's always someone who has to take the lead and to know what's going on, and yes - we'll keep everyone else up to speed by email and text message. There are always periods when you have 48 hours of straight negotiation and you need to be able to knuckle down and get on with it.

However, I always say to members of the team that they shouldn't put their life on hold for 3-6 months a year while we're doing a deal - live life to the full while you're able to. I genuinely think they've taken that to heart. We had one guy who spent his holiday driving a one litre car from London to Mongolia and donated the car to charity when he arrived. Clearly, he had no Blackberry connection for much of the route.

Do people on your team work from home?

No, but it's a priority for several people in the team to get home and put the children to bed several nights a week. That's important to me too. Members of the team say that they find it encouraging to see senior people able to do that. It is possible to match up a respectable family

life with a job in investment banking.

But I take it you work after the children are in bed?

Yes. That goes with the territory. After you've put the children to bed,

you're always going to have to check in.

Is there something about working in infrastructure which makes it

easier to have a good work/life balance?

Possibly. Infrastructure transactions typically take a long time and you therefore get to know your clients extremely well. If you have a good relationship with your clients, they are more likely to understand how you work and what's important to you, and to trust you to deliver.