Teo Li Ming is the Vice President at GIC’s Investment Risk & Performance team in the Risk and Performance Management Department. His team is responsible for the independent risk oversight for all alpha activities in GIC, while facilitating efficient risk-taking and optimal capital allocation across active strategies. Li Ming specializes in the coverage for both public and private credit strategies.
Outside of work, he spends his time on exercise, including running, playing tennis, snowboarding, or catching up with friends over board games, wine, and good food.
Why did you decide to join GIC?
I attended a recruitment event held in the GIC office and met an alumnus who used to be part of the team I’m currently in. The way he passionately shared his experience in GIC left a deep impression on me that evening and I went ahead and applied for the GIC Professionals Programme the following day. Back then, I was also looking to join a graduate programme that offered the opportunity to rotate through various functions within the organisation.
GIC is an ideal employer who offers ample opportunities for personal growth and development, empowerment, and autonomy to facilitate independent thinking, as well as a culture of effective mentorship.
What does your typical workday look like?
My typical day at work in the office starts with morning coffee with my team at our very own L38 café, followed by catching up on financial news, emails, and updates. Our activities vary across different periods of the year so I could be working on presentations to management to communicate our assessment on key risk issues, or developing new risk analytics and dashboards to understand the strategies’ performance and risk drivers.
What do you like most about working here?
It would definitely be the broad exposure that I’ve gained from the daily activities, given the sheer scale of our portfolio, our investments across multiple asset classes, and our involvement in many deals and transactions, some of which you may have read about in the news headlines. The breadth and depth of such exposure is extremely valuable for a young graduate beginning a career in finance.
How would you describe the learning & development culture at GIC?
I benefited immensely from the GIC Professionals Programme as I had the opportunity to gain an understanding of the various business areas and their collective role towards GIC’s objectives. I had access to a network of mentors, seniors, and friends, many of whom I’m still in close contact with.
The programme involved a series of training bootcamps that brought me up to speed, and I was heavily involved in the various tasks across each rotation right from day 1 – with the appropriate guidance of course.
What you should know before joining GIC
Keep an open mind and cherish every opportunity that comes your way. Most students tend to focus on a certain career path while still in university, not being fully aware of other potentially more rewarding paths elsewhere. Being an accounting student myself, I certainly did not foresee myself working in a risk function back then!