Karyn is an Assistant Vice President at Total Portfolio Management Services where she drives the total portfolio rebalance operations and activities from strategy funding and capital movement to currency and asset mix rebalancing. Her team also collaborates and provides implementation expertise across trade operations, asset departments, and enterprise data for client-driven or asset department-driven requirements.
Outside of work, she’s recently picked up pilates and spin with her friends with a shared goal to get stronger in 2022. This includes a return to after-work yoga sessions to calm the mind and reconnect with her inner self. She also enjoys reading daily, with a goal to read 40 books this year.
Why did you decide to join GIC?
A fulfilling career for me is one that makes a great impact on the world, and provides challenging opportunities to grow and collaborate with experts in the asset management industry.
I joined GIC through the Graduate Professionals’ Programme (GPP) in August 2016. The GPP programme is renowned in my university for the rigor and in-depth exposure provided to its participants. I had the privilege of rotating through a variety of teams in corporate services and meeting colleagues from different backgrounds. This experience has greatly enriched my collaboration across the enterprise when I commenced my work in ISPM. GIC has built me to become a collaborative and rigorous thinker and I continue enjoying challenges to this day.
What does your typical workday look like?
My day starts with clearing emails from the night before, doing a stock take and final preparation for the key meetings, or key rebalancing activities for the day.
Any breaks I may have in the morning will be dedicated to thinking of our next lunch spot with my colleagues before we head out. Afternoons are usually the most demanding part of my day, where my team will run the rebalancing jobs, troubleshoot any roadblocks, and tackle our stakeholder meetings where we implement our large-scale initiatives.
What do you like most about working here?
I like the empowerment in GIC where colleagues at all levels get a seat at the table. I’ve had opportunities to lead cross-functional initiatives and collaborate with colleagues from different backgrounds. It allows me to think and see beyond my immediate work scope and appreciate GIC’s business and complexities on a far deeper level.
Interacting with colleagues of different nationalities and backgrounds over the years has been enriching for me as I get to work with different thought patterns, cultures, and skill sets. This has helped me build my own cultural awareness and sensitivity and creates a global facet to working in GIC’s headquarters.
How would you describe the learning & development culture at GIC?
The GPP was an incredible start to my learning journey in GIC. From soft skills in presentation and communication to the hard skills of market research and financial modelling, the programme was rigorous and gave a wide breadth of experience across the firm through our rotations. Since then, I’ve participated in external courses to expand my skill set – from CFA examinations to data analysis workshops. GIC has always been a strong advocate for employee upskilling and development.
What you should know before joining GIC
Authenticity and drive! I think what truly sets GIC apart from other employers is its people and our genuine desire to deliver our best work to uphold our noble mandate. Authenticity is imperative in our highly collaborative organisation – to be able to engage well with others and get work done with, and through others. Everyone in GIC has something invaluable to offer, so the confidence and drive to do so has been fulfilling for me with the work I do here.