Dominic is a Senior Vice President in the Private Equity department where he reviews and underwrites technology investments across globe alongside deal teams on the ground.
Outside of work, Dominic co-founded a non-profit organisation that drives tech for good in Singapore. As a live music enthusiast, he plays a wide range of musical instruments and enjoys listening to different genres of music, with a particular interest in jazz and fusion music. He is also a participant in an executive MBA programme from a top university in China.
Why did you decide to join GIC?
My path to GIC was somewhat unconventional. My childhood interest was not in investing per se but in economics; in fact, my childhood ambition was to write for the celebrated The Economist magazine! In line with that, I pursued my Bachelor and Master of Arts in Economics overseas. Post-graduation, I worked for various Singapore government ministries as Senior Economist and Head of Strategic Planning.
I started my career as a macroeconomist but as I grew older, my views on the subject evolved. I became more ‘micro’ in orientation, and developed a passion for diving deep into the ground realities of an industry and getting to know key decision-makers who shaped the path of a company. This eventually built into an interest in private equity. I explored a few personal private investments initially before reaching the conclusion that pursuing my interest as an institutional investor rather than an individual would be more impactful.
What does your typical workday look like?
Given that my work is global in nature, my days (and nights!) revolve around calls with our local teams and external counterparties across the world. Intensity throughout the year varies depending on how active the broader market is, but never disappears completely – there’s always something going on somewhere in the world.
The pace at which technology evolves means it’s also important to constantly keep updated. I find that one can only go so far with traditional news and media. I also try and read technical commentary and visit sites typically frequented by developers and industry professionals. I used to lead my high school computer club; this background helps somewhat but given that was a very long time ago, it still takes me a lot of effort to keep up with the industry!
What do you like most about working here?
I enjoy how working at GIC gives me perspectives that I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else. I find myself constantly enriched by conversations and on-the-ground engagements with our international and diverse team.
The diversity embodied at all levels is a key part of the GIC experience and is our source of strength as an organisation. Many investment challenges require a multi-disciplinary approach. For instance, understanding the emerging digital asset space requires not just financial experience, but also a technical perspective coupled with ground truths. Having access to insights across industries is also important since technology does not exist in a vacuum and understanding the industries that a technology company serves is as important as understanding the company itself.
How would you describe the learning & development culture at GIC?
My learning and development has largely been on-the-job, with the biggest opportunities coming from my on-the-ground experiences with our teams. I spent some time working in our San Francisco office immersed in the heart of Silicon Valley, which I personally found to be a transformative experience.
What you should know before joining GIC
People in GIC who thrive are consistently curious and self-driven, and prepared to adapt to changing situations. The biggest hindrance to being able to adapt is being caught in echo chambers. I personally try to deal with this by finding perspectives from people whose ideas and experiences are very different from my own. Unrelated ideas can sometimes be surprising sources of inspiration and insight.