Timothy is an Investment Analyst in the Total Portfolio Solutions department and is part of the team that oversees alternative investment strategies and quantitative solutions to maximise the impact of the total portfolio. These includes our alternative investment model, portfolio of innovations and extensions, and alternative diversifies and hedges.
He mainly focuses on researching systematic cross-asset macro models and rates specific models, managing relationships with external funds, and working with banks to enhance our implementation capabilities.
Outside of work, he keeps fit at Barrys and spends time with his cat.
Why did you decide to join GIC?
I came across the GIC Internship Program (GIP) after talking to some of my friends. During the internship interview process, I was informed about an opening in a systematic-based team, where I would be tasked with conducting research on portfolio construction and new investment ideas, with the goal of introducing new investment models and capabilities to GIC. This was exactly the type of job I was looking for – one that required creativity and research. I joined GIC’s Professionals Programme (GPP) once I graduated.
What does your typical workday look like?
I get up early in the mornings to go to the gym before work. When I get to the office, I’ll review our portfolio’s overnight performance and look out for any large macro movements that resulted in a large profit or loss. On Mondays, I’ll follow this up by preparing several slides for the team meeting to describe the week’s major macro news and the performance of our portfolio. Sometimes, I’d grab a late morning quick coffee with a colleague or a GPP friend before returning to work.
I would typically have a meeting or two in the morning and afternoon with external funds discussing new research ideas or catching up on the monthly performance. I also meet with banks to discuss new research or implementation offerings or have internal discussions with my team to share my current research and review the week’s performance. When I am not in meetings, I am coding statistical tests, reading research papers by other funds and banks, or backtesting my own strategies.
What do you like most about working here?
I really enjoy how I get to be creative at work. It is incredible how I get a sandbox to test out new ideas and systematise economic rationales to create strategies. I’ve also been able to speak with senior management, including senior researchers and CIOs at some of the world’s largest funds, because of the level of respect GIC enjoys in the industry at large.
How would you describe the learning & development culture at GIC?
Throughout the GPP program, our supervisors served as mentors, assisting us in climbing up a very steep learning curve. They were extremely patient – realising how little a recent graduate knows – and took time out of their busy schedules to mentor us. When I joined my home team after the GPP program, I was also assigned a mentor who spent a significant amount of time training my investment acumen. The framework he taught me, as well as the techniques he uses to conduct research, have been extremely beneficial and are tools that I will use in the long run. GIC is impressive in that it fosters a culture of mentorship, which makes the entire learning process natural.