What did you study at Yale? What is your current profession/job?

I completed a MA in International and Development Economics. I am currently working on Wall Street on the trading floor of a British bank. I head up the sales desk for public sector and bank clients, helping our clients manage their global foreign exchange and emerging markets exposure.

What do you like most about your current role? What do you find most challenging and/or rewarding?

I like that everyday is different, we are dealing with changes in economies and asset markets around the world. My job requires me to stay on top of the news and it’s so great that I get to spend time understanding what’s happening to the world and explain it to others who might benefit from that expertise. I also love the global nature of my job as it speaks to my international background and interests. It’s a place with many interesting characters and a conflict driven place given the nature of the job but I have learnt to resolve conflict and not be afraid of it. I have been tasked again and again to grow a book of business. The work means having to work with legal, compliance, risk, structuring, trading and relationship management teams. It is most rewarding to see my business grow and clients appreciative of our help.

How did your time at Yale shape your career trajectory?

Being at Yale was critical in helping me grow in unexpected ways outside the professional realm. I met and became close friends with people outside my field and that encouraged me to consider careers outside of finance, gave me the opportunity to visit New York (and know that I wanted to work there one day), and take classes in topics I never knew I was interested. I have fond memories of times with fellow students at GYPSY and HGS, studying in the beautiful Yale libraries and intellectual exchange with classmates and professors. Although I ultimately did choose a path in finance, I know I chose it consciously and with as much information as possible and my time at Yale made that possible.

What are the main skills that you acquired as a GSAS student which help make you successful in your current career?

A strong grounding in international economics and macro economics which helped in understanding the economy and how it affects financial markets.

Did you acquire any professional experience related to your line of work while in graduate school?

I was only at Yale for a year and unfortunately didn’t get a chance to acquire any profesional experience.

What advice would you offer GSAS students who are interested in your line of work?

To think and research carefully about your area of interests, then network and speak to friends, alumni, family who are in the field and try to get relevant skills in school and then an internship to find out if you really want to be in this line of work. It’s a competitive field and it takes a single mindedness to get your foot in the door.

Work Experience
  • Head of Central Bank, Public Sector & Bank Sales, Americas
  • Standard Chartered Bank
Communities
Finance, Humanities and Social Sciences PhD Pathways, International Students