CFA Institute APAC CareerCast

CareerCast returns to India this week where we enjoy an uplifting conversation with Harsha Upadhyaya, CFA, who is CIO at Kotak Asset Management. Rather than focus on the gloom of short-term news flow, Kotak points out that, despite its already vast size, India’s financial sector still has enormous growth potential. Of course, the career landscape is becoming more competitive, so he offers some smart tips on how to get a foot in the door. Kotak also explains how aspiring professionals can impress during an interview and cautions about the dangers of shoddy timekeeping.

Even if the ‘new normal’ is starting to feel almost routine, we can’t escape the fact that the job market is going to be somewhat different from the one we knew only a few months ago. To find out what companies will be paying close attention to when assessing candidates, CareerCast caught up with Fran Thompson, managing director of Pathfinder Talent, a Hong Kong-based search firm that specialises in the fintech sector. In this episode, Fran identifies the different types of fintech roles, pointing out that some are more disruptive than others. You will also learn about the vital skills needed to impress today’s hiring managers. What’s more, Fran offers some guidance on personality testing and how it can help you stand out in a field of equally qualified applicants.  

These are certainly strange times, with the job market frozen and career progression on hold until firms gain more clarity on the future direction of the global economy. Amit Joshi, CFA, who is CIO at Bajaj Allianz General Insurance in India, looks past the current outlook and speaks on how aspiring industry professionals can take advantage of the current difficulties and prepare for better days ahead. Specifically, you will discover the best way to capture the attention of employers and learn why lockdowns can be useful from a learning-and-skills perspective.

With a growing number of industry professionals pursuing the CFA® Charter, the jobs market of the future will be increasingly competitive, as employers pick and choose from a deeper pool of highly qualified applicants. With this in mind, APAC CareerCast spoke with Rob Ramos, CFA who is Senior VP, Trust Officer, and CIO at East West Bank in Manilla to find out what makes a candidate stand out from the crowd in the Philippines, one of Asia’s fastest-expanding financial markets. Rob discusses how he identifies the strongest aspirants by focusing on a person’s willingness to learn, grow, and improve but also the interview mistakes that can derail any candidate.

We may still be in the eye of the Covid-19 storm, but the financial sector is quickly adapting to remodelled working practices. What does this new normal mean for graduates who may be considering a role in the industry. CareerCast speaks with Jason Ho, who is the global head of human resources at OCBC in Singapore. In particular, Jason tells us about the type of graduate his company is looking for, with a specific focus on the skills required to thrive in a post-Covid world. He also reveals how to be a star interviewee and explains why, despite having pitch-perfect qualifications, so many applicants fail to hurdle the first fence.   If you have a candidate or member account with CFA Institute you can find additional career resources at https://www.careercentre.me/u/lrf13x5r

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to dominate both our domestic and working lives, CareerCast takes a closer look at how the outbreak is affecting attitudes towards recruitment. To this end, we caught up with Kanol Pal, CFA, who is a senior investment adviser at a major European bank in Singapore. He also runs a successful mentorship programme in conjunction with CFA Society Singapore. From our chat with Kanol, you will discover the vital importance of adaptability in a rapidly changing world. He also tells us what an ideal post-COVID job candidate should look like, with a particular focus on the skills he expects to see among applicants. The hiring landscape is undoubtedly going to be tough, but Kanol believes that with the right attitude and a willingness to learn there is still scope for young industry professionals to develop and succeed.

Our various working environments may be unusual at present but operating in isolation does not mean we should stop thinking about how to advance our careers. For this edition of CareerCast, we jumped on a call with Franki Chung, CFA, who is President of HKSFA and CIO of a global asset management firm. Franki originally trained to be an industrial engineer before switching to financial services, where has progressed from investment analysis to portfolio management before becoming a CIO. In this podcast, you will find out more about the different attributes these roles demand. It is also an opportunity to discover what he thinks the impact of Covid-19 will be on our industry and how vital it is to gather new skills and remain as flexible as possible to see through these challenging times.

CareerCast was delighted to receive a visit from Giles Boeree, who is the Regional Sales Director for Sanlam Global Investment Solutions. Giles came in to talk about business development manager in the financial industry. In this podcast, you will discover the personal characteristics and technical skills that are best suited to the role and how to make use of these in client approaches. It’s also an excellent chance to find out why he smiles during phone calls! Giles then touches on the attributes he looks for in a candidate seeking to pursue a career in business development – importantly, he explains why it pays not to oversell yourself during the interview process.

We remain in Hong Kong for this week’s edition of CareerCast, where we spend time with Ramiz Chelat, who is a portfolio manager at Vontobel Asset Management. During his career, Ramiz has transitioned from a broker-based role to one in the asset-management sector. If you are keen to find out more about buy-side and sell-side positions, Ramiz tells us what a typical day in the life is like for professionals in both of these streams. He also highlights the demands placed on employees. More specifically, Ramiz underlines the importance of clear and concise communication, regardless of where your working life takes you.  

CareerCast returns to Hong Kong SAR this week, where we had an insightful chat with Nick Pollard, Managing Director of Asia Pacific at CFA Institute. Our conversation revolves around learning and personal development, why ascending the career ladder demands more than straightforward climbing skills, and whether there are alternative routes. With this in mind, Nick shares his thoughts on career ‘mistakes’, and how the brave among us can draw a line and pursue a more suitable path. After all, our customers are true to themselves and their values. We should learn to take the same approach.

CareerCast visits Auckland this week, where we catch up with Alister Van de Maas, MD of Russell Investments New Zealand. Our conversation focuses on the employment market in the country’s financial sector, both at an entry-level and for seasoned professionals who are either in New Zealand or returning from overseas postings. Find out more about the competition for places in what is a relatively small job pool and learn how Alister assesses candidates both at the application and interview stages. As a bonus, Alister reveals the trait most endearing in a prospective employee.

The CareerCast team headed down to Sydney to meet with Cassie Crowe, CFA who is VP and Head of Consultants, Australia and New Zealand, T. Rowe Price Australia. Our conversation with Cassie focused on the skills that are crucial not only for people entering the financial industry but also the seasoned professionals seeking to take their career to the next level and the importance of communication and how listening is often more important than talking. Cassie also discusses the exciting opportunities in Australia’s investment sector and offers tips on how to prepare for that vital job interview and be an ideal candidate. 

The CareerCast team sits down with Kees Stoute, CEO of EFG Bank Hong Kong, to get an insider’s view of the Asian wealth-management industry. Learn how it is evolving and why technological disruption means that private bankers cannot afford to ignore the importance of positioning. Also, find out what Kees thinks are the top three characteristics of successful wealth-management professionals and how an entry path into the industry might look for a young aspirant. Finally, he gives his thoughts on the technical versus soft skills debate – what balance should private bankers strike?

Our CareerCast team was delighted to spend some time with Cristina Arceo, CFA, President of CFA Society Philippines. Cristina is one of the country’s leading fixed income managers and a strong supporter of our Women in Investment Management programme. In this podcast, you will learn why being a woman in the Philippine financial sector isn’t necessarily a constraint. It also offers sound advice on how to stand out from other job applicants – always remember that life skills matter too, so it’s vital to express who you truly are. And for those who are still unsure about entering the industry, you can discover more about the wide variety of roles available to young professionals in the fast-growing Philippine market. 

A career in investment management is not just about research and portfolio management   This week, APAC CareerCast comes to you from Melbourne. During our visit, we caught up with Leila Lee, CFA who is Head of Distribution at Square Peg Capital and an active member of the Melbourne Society. Find out why Leila is particularly upbeat about the opportunities for women in Australia’s burgeoning financial industry and her views on the importance of role models and how they can motivate us throughout our career journeys. From a tech perspective, listen to the positive effect disruption is having on employment in the venture capital sector, with developments such as AI spawning a host of exciting new job openings.

Welcome to CareerCast and hello from Shanghai, where we were pleased to meet Mr Zhong, the CEO of North Asia at Amundi Asset Management. Find out why time spent working overseas is incredibly useful for those seeking roles in China’s asset management industry. In particular, it provides candidates with the bigger picture – a series of reference points that helps them see things from a global perspective. Also, learn about the importance of tenacity in today’s employment market: focus on your strengths and, most of all, persevere. These are attributes that will underpin any career in China’s game-changing financial sector. 

Discover why CFA charterholders are so prevalent in fund management as we sit down with Patrick Nugent, of Debbie Graham & Associates, a specialist banking and finance recruitment agency in New Zealand. Patrick shares some insider tips (including what not to do) on how to break into this increasingly competitive market. For those of you who are unsure about which financial career path to follow, Patrick also provides valuable advice on how to ‘reality test’ the most suitable roles.

This week’s episode of CareerCast comes from Melbourne, where we chat with independent board member and investment consultant Phil Graham, CFA. Find out why Phil believes that changing demographics are driving employment growth in Australia’s world-leading financial sector. He also highlights that job opportunities in this essential industry are more varied than you might think. And for those looking to advance their careers, Phil provides sound advice on growing and strengthening your network.

Welcome to CareerCast, where we are delighted to catch up with Paul Smith, CFA, immediate past President and CEO of CFA Institute from 2015–2019 and now an adviser to our organisation. In this podcast, Paul provides an overview of the investment industry and looks at how the career landscape is changing. He notes that the big players are getting bigger, while the smaller firms will have to carve out a niche in the market – all while the nature of the people's roles are constantly developing. Underlining a recurring theme, he observes that new entrants cannot rely on their technical skills alone: they must also be human facing with the ability to communicate.   Turning to Asia Pacific and Paul elaborates on the incredible opportunities in the region. Paul touches on how financial technology will change jobs. It’s certainly not a threat, but a tool that enables people to work far more effectively. Indeed, he believes that it’s the single-best thing to happen in the past 50 years.

In this week’s episode Sam Stubbs, Founder and Managing Director of Simplicity, a not for profit fund manager in New Zealand directly challenges the status quo of the investment industry and talks about his vision of low-cost access to funds and how career success can be found in stocking supermarket shelves

In this episode, we are joined by Nick Pollard, Managing Director of Asia-Pacific at CFA Institute, who examines the differences between two regional financial powerhouses – Singapore and Hong Kong SAR. In particular, he looks at what their respective experiences tell us about the changing career environment in the wealth-management industry as companies are increasingly looking for people with a broad skill set who demonstrate technical, relationship-building and client-facing abilities.   Later on in the interview, Nick weighs up the key challenges facing companies and financial professionals who want to establish themselves in China, and whether the growth of fintech there is seen as a threat or an opportunity.

In this week’s edition of CareerCast by CFA Institute, Karyn McLean talks to Woong Park, CFA, CEO of Eastspring Asset Management in Korea, who explains why possessing the core skills required by a job is only half the battle – having the right mindset equally important, especially in a rapidly changing industry. Woong’s career began as an analyst, and despite climbing to the top of his profession, he has never lost touch with this early training. Over the years he has retained his analytical expertise and applied it to the different roles he has undertaken. This lifetime of learning is something he urges young candidates to bear in mind when starting their working lives – knowledge never goes to waste. He also notes how impressed he is with up-and-coming industry professionals, admiring how competent they are during interviews. Indeed, he expands on this by observing that in such a competitive job market, the need to be flexible, genuine, and cohesive is vitally important. Employers can always see through cut-and-paste candidates, so his advice is: prepare, be consistent and, most of all, truthful.

This week’s edition of CareerCast by CFA Institute comes from Sydney where we catch up with Charles Wu, CFA, the Deputy Chief Investment Officer of State Super. Charles touches on two areas of interest for those seeking a career in the financial industry. First, he notes that the job outlook for Australia is indeed sunny, with various pockets of opportunity. These include the U$2.7 trillion superannuation/institutional industry, where the trend towards insourcing is underpinning job opportunities; and wealth management/financial planning, which is enjoying significant capital flows between the northern and southern hemispheres. He then elaborates on the mindset he believes is required to build a meaningful career. The knack, he thinks, it to see the big picture – have a broad idea about what you want to do but be prepared to fine tune the details as life progresses. Importantly, be flexible enough to move sideways if required. And, of course, it helps to have an open and curious mind. Lastly, Charles offers some sound advice on the interview process – always remember, it’s a two-way street.

In the latest episode of CareerCast, we focus on our ability to accept change in the investment industry’s career landscape. First up, we talk to Simon Ng, CFA CEO/MD of CCB International (Singapore), who examines how developments in the wealth management and asset management space, such as digitalisation, mean that successful candidates must possess ‘AAA’ skills: be Adaptable, Agile and Able. In other words, someone who is flexible, can communicate effectively with their customers and flourish in a dynamic business environment.    Over the past few years, CFA Institute has produced a series of reports that look into the Future of Finance. The most recent publication studies what the future may hold for the Investment Professional of the Future. We are therefore delighted to be joined by Nick Pollard, CFA Institute MD Asia Pacific, who also highlights the need for candidates to be responsive to progress in the financial world.

In this episode, we chat with Dhaval Kapadia, CFA, Director of Investment Advisory at Morningstar India, a company that provides investment management and advisory solutions to B2B clients. Dhaval explains how India’s fund management industry has expanded so quickly, and the reasons why there is still so much room for further growth. For those looking to break into the industry, Dhaval expands on the various roles and their respective skillsets. He also maps out a potential career path for people who aspire to become fund managers. Finally, don’t miss out as he addresses the career-building ‘Chicken or Egg’ dilemma – opportunity demands experience, which requires opportunity. To help solve this quandary, Dhaval tells us a few things candidates can do to gain an advantage over the playing field, even if they lack experience.

In this episode, we have a chat with Jason Lee, CFA from Libra Invest, a Malaysian fund management firm with US$2 billion in assets under management. Jason tells us about his unorthodox career journey, which has taken him from equity analyst to the CIO of Libra. Hear about Jason’s views on the essential attributes he looks for in entry-level hires and how you can stand out from the crowd – plus, what causes him to disregard a job candidate. Finally, he gives his thoughts on the changing industry landscape, including the threats active fund management faces from developments such as passive vehicles and automation.

In our latest episode of CareerCast by CFA Institute, we talk recruitment with Alix Kavanagh, Senior HR Business Partner of CFA Institute. Alix gives a nuanced perspective on millennials, dispels common myths, and talks about how companies can adapt their culture to take advantage of millennials’ traits.   Alix also shares career advice on how new entrants to the job market can improve their prospects and ensure a smooth career progression. What’s more, we hear about the unorthodox question she likes to ask candidates, the surprising mistake many of them make, and what immediately grabs her attention on a CV.   If you want to hear more from Alix, subscribe to CareerCast or click on the logo below.    

Welcome to CareerCast by CFA Institute. In this episode, we sit down with Anil Ghelani, CFA, Head of Passive Investment Management at DSP Investments for a conversation packed with insights. Drawing on his 20 years of experience, Anil breaks down India’s investment management landscape and explains why he sees enormous growth potential in its US$15 billion passive management industry.   Anil also tells you how to thrive in investment management, the skills and attributes he looks for, and what separates successful from the rest. He also walks you through a typical interview and reveals the one big thing that makes him immediately disqualify a candidate.   To hear more, subscribe to CareerCast or click on the logo below.