Xavier is an Vice President at GIC’s Integrated Strategies Group (ISG) and has been with the firm for over five years. His role is to find and evaluate investment opportunities globally across sectors and asset classes, formulate a thoughtful view on risks and returns, and present these findings to the investment committee.
Having just recently relocated to GIC’s New York office, he spends most of his free time exploring the city, meeting new people, and immersing in the local culture. We caught up with him after his move to find out how it’s been so far.
Why did you decide to join GIC?
By chance, I came across the GIC campus marketing emailer for the 2015 internship programme. At the time, I was considering a career in either management consulting, investment banking, or asset management. I decided to join GIC, and specifically ISG, as the team was young and entrepreneurial, and it was an exciting opportunity to be a part of something built from the ground up.
The ability to make an outsized contribution or impact, autonomy at work, and an entrepreneurial environment are my ideal attributes in a career.
What does your typical workday look like?
I start my morning by going through emails and news updates that came in overnight. After that, depending on the deals that I am staffed on, I will spend the rest of my day either preparing for investment due diligence, building financial models, or preparing presentation decks.
What do you like most about working here?
Prior to joining GIC, I had a misinformed impression that it is a sleepy, bureaucratic, government-affiliated organisation that manages Singaporeans’ Central Provident funds. However, having been with GIC for over five years now, I have witnessed GIC’s transformation towards becoming a leading global long-term investor through many strategic initiatives. I get to work with smart and hardworking folks, and everyone here understands the impact and the meaning of their roles; this place is anything but sleepy.
I’m always learning something new. In my role, I have looked at a variety of industries and asset classes, such as music royalties, shipping, insurance, consumer data and analytics, and travel retail, amongst many others.
How would you describe the learning & development culture at GIC?
GIC offers both structured and unstructured learning and development opportunities. GIC School prepared many classes to bring us up to speed on both hard and soft skills during my time as an Intern and Graduate Professionals’ Programme trainee.
Even after joining my team as a full-time employee, the learning continues through semi-annual reviews and informal mentorships from seniors.
What you should know before joining GIC
GIC is a great place to start a career as an investment professional. Our long-term investment horizon sets us apart from other investment firms.