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18 Mar 2022 – Article – min. reading time

The love of a good challenge

Taking on difficult tasks and helping people fulfil their dreams. Stine’s work has changed a lot, but her main motivation remains the same...

While her last name means priest, some might say Stine Krohn Præst was simply born to be a banker – even as a child, it was close to her heart: 
“My father was a bank adviser – and he was always so happy when he came home from work. I have grown up with the notion that if you work in a bank, you are really happy!” she says.  

University, with its vast amount of self-study, didn’t appeal to her at all. So, as soon as she could, young Stine followed her father’s – and older brother’s – footsteps and got a traineeship at Danske Bank. 
“Our mother might just be a tad tired of us discussing banking at family dinners!” she says with a smile. 

Construction financing is a really complex area, which actually used to make me nervous in the past – so that was a reason to take on the task: I wanted to do something difficult.


Need for a challenge
Throughout her years as a bank adviser, Stine’s responsibilities and job descriptions have become increasingly complex, but her confidence has grown at the same pace.

“I like to get things right, and when I was younger I was afraid of making mistakes. But now I have reached a point where I trust myself and my skills, and I am not afraid to say ‘Let me look into that’ if I don’t have the answer straight away.” 
Thus, Stine was keen to take on the challenge of becoming a specialist in construction financing when she got the chance in 2021. 

“Construction financing is a really complex area, which actually used to make me nervous in the past – so that was a reason to take on the task: I wanted to do something difficult. I need to challenge myself or else I would be bored. I am also very structured and thorough, which is needed in this field.”

She helps customers who want to build a home or an extension, or to carry out a major renovation. She studies offers from contractors and points out potential pitfalls to the customers she advises so that their costs don’t skyrocket: ‘Are you sure you can buy a new kitchen for DKK 200,000? What about the costs of transporting soil and construction waste, have you taken them into account?’
The best thing about her job? 

“I get to help everyday people. Sometimes I can see financial opportunities they aren’t aware of, which enables them to get an even better house than they thought was possible. Pretty awesome!”

Fulfilling people’s dreams
“What makes me happy on a daily basis at work, is when I get to make a difference in people’s lives. When I help them fulfil their dreams or solve their problems,” she says, and thinks back to a customer from when she was a personal advisor: 
“She was retired and had a relatively high retirement income – yet she still didn’t have enough money, because she spent too much money on her credit card. We sat down together and got everything sorted out. We made a plan, closed the credit card, she started paying off her debts and saving up too. Six months later she had saved enough to buy presents for her grandchildren's confirmation!” 

Career goals
“I want to be happy and feel inspired and be able to learn new things. That’s another reason why I like the bank – the range of possibilities. If I one day feel I don’t want to be an advisor anymore, there are so many other opportunities here!”

Interested in joining us? See our open positions right now

Stine and the rainbow network

For years, Stine has been involved in Danske Bank’s rainbow network for LGBTQ+ and allies across the Danske Bank Group. “It all started with me helping to organise Danske Bank’s participation in the pride parade in Copenhagen, and ever since then I’ve been involved in the network! It’s something I really enjoy, I love organising, and I now have a network of colleagues from all over the bank. Diversity and inclusion are really important to me – everyone should be accepted for who they are! And on a personal level it has developed me: I’m not afraid to speak English in front of a crowd, or be recorded for a video,” she says.

Blue Book, Stine Krohn Præst

  • Personal advisor and specialist in construction financing: 2021 onwards
  • Personal adviser with pensions responsibility and investment competencies: 2020 - 2021
  • Personal adviser with pensions responsibility: 2019 - 2020
  • Personal adviser 2016 - 2019
  • Personal advisory trainee 2013 - 2015 
  • Financial trainee: 2011 - 2013