Jassim Executive Director/Vice President, Market Solutions Group Investment Management division, London

The most stimulating part of my job is making sure we keep up to speed with new products and trends across all asset classes.

My Work

I work in the Market Solutions Group (MSG). MSG is a capital markets group that works with Goldman Sachs sales teams and the firm’s clients to deliver trading opportunities and customized capital market solutions. In essence, MSG has two main functions, a “tactical trading” function and a “customized solutions” function.

The “tactical” function involves delivering trading opportunities across all asset classes to the firm’s clients. The team is fully integrated with Goldman Sachs trading desks and franchise businesses in addition to internal and external research. And given we are a team of people who lives and breathes capital markets and truly enjoys identifying trading opportunities, MSG recommends “High Conviction” trades that are managed using a portfolio approach. MSG works to provide optimal implementation vehicles for the trades it recommends. For example, while our ideas are directional first, we may use derivatives to take advantage of factors other than the directional view. For example, we constantly try to identify opportunities in volatility markets with the aim of providing attractive asymmetric returns.

The “customized” function involves working with clients to provide a range of tailored asset and liability-based solutions depending on their respective risk profiles. The customized solutions range from hedging clients’ interest rate exposures to building strategic stakes in listed companies.

Working with sales teams and clients in delivering innovative capital market solutions is hugely rewarding. But it is the firm’s culture of promoting teamwork and the free flow of information that creates an amazing working environment - an environment in which we are empowered to take the initiative to grow into roles that are mentally stimulating and ultimately create value.

My Day

There is no such thing as a typical day at Goldman Sachs. Right now, we are working on implementing a macro “crash risk” hedge. The optimal hedge that we are working on is a short credit portfolio. Constructing the optimal portfolio and stress testing the payouts to match clients’ views is critical to the performance of the hedge. In doing so, we work closely with our credit strategists and research analysts.

The most stimulating part of my job is making sure we keep up to speed with new products and trends across all asset classes. The need to keep on top of new trends gives us a great opportunity to create and constantly learn about new products while interacting with different parts of the firm. Delivering an innovative solution or taking advantage of a market dislocation and ultimately creating value is the tangible reward. But the real reward is being part of a team that is built on the principle that two heads are better than one.

My Path

I participated in campus recruiting when I was studying at Babson College. I wanted to work in London and as such was given the opportunity to fly over for a full day of interviews before I was hired into the internship program.

I immediately loved it at Goldman Sachs! The diverse culture that the firm fosters brings together interesting people from different academic and cultural backgrounds.

Myself

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to work in finance. At college, I heard about the culture at Goldman Sachs and wanted to learn more about it. I used to think it was all just hype… clearly I was wrong.

The firm does a great job at finding talent who will succeed in any environment. As such, many of my colleagues did not study any subject related to finance but love their life at the firm and are extremely successful.

If I were to offer advice to someone who is considering a career in finance, I would say that the world of finance is large and diverse; as long as you are hungry and passionate, you will succeed.