Zi Yang is a Public Equities Vice President at GIC where he helps to analyse publicly traded stocks. His role involves lots of research, interacting with bankers, companies, industry insiders, and keeping up with macro cycles.
Outside of work, he fusses over his recently adopted dog and plays computer games.
Why did you decide to join GIC?
I was a GIC scholar. An ideal career for me is one that provides the opportunity to grow, surrounded by good teammates, and is agile enough to keep up with industry trends and practices.
What does your typical workday look like?
Before work, I usually walk my dog and catch up on overnight news. My schedule varies depending on the day, but it usually involves a mixture of calls, reading and preparing reports, monitoring stock prices, making trades, tweaking financial models and of course, checking and replying emails.
I usually have lunch by myself although I sometimes meet colleagues or counterparties. After work, I walk my dog, rest my brain, and monitor what’s happening in the US market.
What do you like most about working here?
Because the companies that I cover operate across a broad range of industries, I get to learn about many potentially obscure processes and interactions that are crucial to the global supply chain.
For example, I once researched on a waste management company and it was an eye-opening experience learning about the many complex but necessary processes behind disposing waste, while recycling as much as possible. The dynamics of recycling are surprisingly complicated and interwoven with global trade.
How would you describe the learning & development culture at GIC?
Given that I started my career at GIC, I’d say that my learning has been extremely broad since I got to rotate through the Fixed Income and Private Equity departments, which are quite different from public equities. Financial markets are linked, and each of these asset classes affect one another. This is one advantage of working in a big firm with many different strategies. The financial modelling and analysis skills that I have developed are transferable within the industry.
What you should know before joining GIC
As with anything, you should just be humble and hungry. Also, read your emails, financial journals, and other industry-specific news sources and alternative data too.