I am from Xi’an, China, home to 11 million people and the famous Terra Cotta Army. Ever since I was young I wanted to study abroad for college. I’m not sure exactly where the inspiration came from—but I followed my dream! I went to Canada and studied at the University of Toronto, where I graduated with a degree in Commerce and Finance.
After graduation, I started my career with a bank in Toronto where I worked for a year before returning to China for a new job in Beijing. All of my seven years of experience in finance were in operations prior to joining Goldman Sachs, which I always considered a desirable place to work. With China being an increasingly important place for the finance industry, joining Goldman Sachs represented an opportunity to develop professionally as it seemed to me the firm was well-positioned to grow its business in the country.
I joined Goldman at the end of 2017 after learning about the opportunity from a friend who works here. I have enjoyed the open communication and collaborative culture of the firm and being able to dialogue with my managers and colleagues regularly. My friend had explained how the Goldman Sachs culture of collaboration and partnership is unique, and I have found it to be true.
I work in Securities Operations, supporting principal trading for China onshore entities that trade China onshore listed products, OTC and futures products. This means I help with client onboarding, trade support, settlements and regulatory reporting. For a new project, our team is normally one of the most active since our role touches on so many facets of providing Operations support for the business.
To be successful in Operations, one must enjoy problem-solving and be extremely detail-oriented. There is a satisfaction that comes with creating a new solution to a problem. The job also requires excellent communication and coordination skills since the Operations Division will interact with many different teams on projects and the day-to-day things that come up. Working in Operations requires intellectual curiosity to ask the questions that help solve problems effectively.
Traveling is one of my hobbies which helps me to recharge. I recently returned from Japan and before that Greece. I choose my destinations somewhat randomly—but the last two were to relax, and enjoy the shops and spas! I recently hiked with my colleagues on the Great Wall for charity. This year, which was my first, I chose the easier route, but my plan is to do the entire and more challenging full hike next year.