When did your interest in financial markets start?
During high school, seeing television programs and movies about Wall Street and watching the financial indicators being read on the news I developed a curiosity around what all this meant and how it worked. This piqued my interest to learn about it and I realised that people make a living investing, which was different to normal jobs, like lawyers, doctors etc one is told about at school. What further interested me later, was learning about human behaviours that drive the markets and world around us.
What did you study and why?
I started with a B.Com degree in Economics, as I felt Economics would provide the broadest understanding of financial markets and it is also a study of human patterns on a holistic scale. To further deepen my knowledge in the financial markets I enrolled for a postgraduate degree in investment management. After gaining work experience for a couple of years, the logical next step in my personal development was to complete an MBA.
What do you think equips you to do this job properly?
Having technical knowledge is a requirement to not only fulfil job responsibilities but also drive the business to the next level. On a personal level, having a good dose of curiosity and being a lifelong learner have been invaluable as markets, systems, and the regulatory environment are all very dynamic, complex and rapidly evolving, driven by technology.
What do you love about investing?
Investing has indirectly exposed me to multiple industries rather than being in a single job and industry: for example, you get a look into the world of resource companies, hospitals, retailers, luxury goods, car manufactures and very few jobs provide that breadth and depth of knowledge gathering. To add to this, markets are constantly changing, removing monotony. Investing successfully can lead to financial independence for ordinary people.
What do you find the most challenging part of your role to be?
Many factors in the world influence markets so there is constant change, the industry itself is highly competitive with both local and global players competing for the same clients across the globe.
Why do you think clients will do well at Northstar and First Avenue?
I believe the integrity and honesty with which the team engages amongst themselves, is the same ethos adopted when it comes to managing our clients’ lifesavings – everything we do aims to deliver best results for our clients.