"An Indian with a British passport who works for a German bank"-- this is how Deutsche Bank's co-Chief Executive Officer Anshu Jain described himself.
Speaking at the Jewish Museum’s 28th Annual Purim Ball here, where he was honoured, Jain said a defining year for him was 1982 when he arrived in America as a 19-year-old student.
"For a young Indian, it felt like a new world. What I experienced was something many of your parents and grand parents may have told you about: that unforgettable moment of arriving, as an immigrant, in this great, multi-cultural country," he told the audience, which included New York city mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Describing himself as "an Indian with a British passport who works for a German bank", Jain said he learnt a lot from New York's Jewish community during his early years in the city.
"Here in New York, in this Jewish community, many things felt instantly familiar to a young Indian. Family is important in both our communities. In India, it's central to the fabric of life. Education was another point in common. My parents made it possible for me to travel seven thousand miles to study here in the US," he said.
He said the cultural bonds he experienced as a young immigrant student have been a "huge help and support" throughout a large part of his life. "I was an immigrant; your community made me feel at home. I'm deeply grateful for that. These bonds are more than cultural; they're also personal."
Jain recalled that during his early years on Wall Street, many of his first role models were Jewish, who had started as immigrants like him.
"From them I learned, as a newcomer, how to navigate Wall Street's traditions. Among New York's Jewish community, I have friendships and close client relationships which I forged and treasured in my early days," he added.
Jain said tolerance and respect for diversity are crucial to the culture of Deutsche Bank. "Around the world, we have employees from more than 150 nationalities. We believe a diverse team is a strong team," he added.
Jain became the Co-CEO of Deutsche Bank in 2012. He first joined in 1995 to build the bank's nascent markets business.