Xin Zhi is the Head of Strats for GIC’s Public Equities and External Managers Departments, where the investment process gets augmented with technology and data. Her teams currently achieve this by generating insights to supplement investment research, using both traditional and alternative data sources, as well as quantitative data processing methods.
Outside of work, she volunteers as an advisor to IT committees in charity organisations, which reminds her of how technology and data can be used for doing good. She’s also an admissions interviewer for her alma mater where she finds motivation by meeting smart young people with plenty of potential.
Why did you decide to join GIC?
I found the purpose and objectives of GIC to be meaningful, and as a Singaporean, I wanted to contribute to my country.
What does your typical workday look like?
My day typically begins with our team standups, followed by a couple of meetings before lunch. We usually eat together as a team in the office as it is much more convenient than eating out.
If I’m working from home, I’ll make time to fetch my nephew home from school, which is only a five-minute walk away. I usually spend my evenings with family or friends.
What do you like most about working here?
I enjoy the breadth of work that we engage in, as well as the autonomy that is given to us. It’s great – even without explicit diversity and inclusion initiatives, I’ve always felt included and treated fairly.
How would you describe the learning & development culture at GIC?
I’ve had the privilege of wide exposure to various parts of GIC’s businesses, starting with performance measurement, then risk, and analytics for Equities, before expanding coverage to the public markets. I subsequently worked on organizational collaboration and central data science. efforts before returning to Equities to co-lead EQ Data Strategies. More recently, I took on an additional role as Head of Strats for the External Managers Department.
What you should know before joining GIC
Keep an open mind and learn as much as you can – whichever role you are in, what you learn today will probably benefit you in ways you wouldn’t expect in the medium or long term!