Adaptability and high standards give you a strong start in life

The finance industry remains one of the most competitive in today’s global economy. To make a name for themselves, finance professionals need to leverage every advantage they can get. And a well-ranked degree programme is one such trump card that can help graduates stand out from the pack. By excelling in a prestigious programme, finance professionals can signal to potential employers that they are not just dedicated to their practice, but also have the relevant skillsets to back it up.

Indeed, ranked within the world’s top 40 pre-experience degrees in the Financial Times Masters in Finance Rankings 2022, and Top 5 in Asia, the SMU Master of Science in Applied Finance (MAF) caught the eye of Swiss national Kirin Goeldi, Account Manager at private banking group LGT.

Making the best choices

Kirin started his professional career with LGT bank in Liechtenstein (originally the Liechtenstein Global Trust) where he obtained a work-study certificate for the banking industry before pursuing his Bachelor’s in International Management from Zurich University of Applied Sciences or ZHAW, one of Zurich’s premier business schools. He then joined the finance side of Steiner AG, the Swiss construction and real-estate giant.

Having spent the first 10 years of his life in Asia, being born in Hong Kong and living in Japan — thanks to his father’s job as a banker — he found the faster pace of banking and finance calling to him.

While working at LGT in 2012, he had the chance to spend a year on the trading side in Singapore. It was quite natural for him to think of Asian universities when looking for a programme meeting his requirements: a good name/ranking of the university coupled with practical teaching that could keep him informed of global market movements.

He says, “SMU is a partner of the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, which is very reputable for business, especially in finance. I felt the name ‘SMU’ was something that gave me an edge in being recognised by employers.”

The connection with St. Gallen opened up doors for him, should he choose to work in Europe. And last, but far from least, the fact that SMU MAF is designed to meet the requirements for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) examinations for international credibility helped seal his decision; the package offered him the flexibility and standards that he wanted.

“The university really has a combination of academic sciences but still being connected in practice – you're not too far away from the [real] market,” said Kirin.

Keeping active ties to the “real world”

As a youngster, world events impacting financial markets was a constant theme in Kirin’s life: from hearing about the dotcom bubble [late ’90s to 2002] from his father, to his own experience of the 2008 crash, when he had just started working in LGT.

“I’ve been torn between studying diplomacy/international relations, and the focus onto finance. I see it as a connection, that both are connected to the same thing but maybe on different ends of a spectrum.”

Now, post-COVID and with his MAF under his belt, he is working again for LGT Bank (Singapore) in the wealth management department. In his four-person team, he supports the relationship manager with research and trading for clients. This means he has to keep one eye firmly on world events, such as the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and the conflict between China and the US.

“Today we have the challenge of inflation; it's pretty high [in 2022]. [It’s partially] a result of the COVID environment, but it's very clear in the real economy. The question will be whether the central bank in the US, the Federal Reserve, can manage to cool the US economy enough, without cooling it too much that it becomes a hard landing, a recession. Or even stagflation, where prices increase and growth decreases.”

Add geopolitical turmoil to the mix of rising challenges, which has shaken financial institutions and economies the world over. “In the recent past, it has been about globalism and being connected, but we’re sort of in a counter-trend to that now. However, business and growth need interconnectivity. We need to try to strike a balance.”

Habits of thinking to sort through the chaos

Kirin credits habits that he developed while taking the MAF course with helping him now in his complex career. Particularly when it comes to time management and planning at least a week ahead.

“It gives you more oversight of what's to come, the things that you already know, and making sure that nothing's forgotten. I learned to prioritise and set goals, and have efficient time management. I think those are skills that I was definitely able to hone a lot or develop a lot more in SMU.”

He is especially thankful to Atina Fong, at Postgraduate Career Services. “She was helping us to prepare our CVs and engaging in the job market. She was always available and very enthusiastic and was great in taking care of us”

Pushing the limits of what you know

The hands-on application of financial concepts is essential for students to execute astute business decisions. That's why case studies are dissected in classrooms to provide insights into how stakeholders responded to financial challenges and opportunities in the past, offering students a chance to learn from real-world examples. Such real-life lessons are invaluable, as they prepare students for the complexities of the global marketplace.

Ultimately, Kirin credits the SMU way of practical learning with helping him understand finance on a much deeper level.