Wanyi Yao

Three years into the job, I think I have made the right decision and I feel incredibly fortunate to be doing what I am passionate about in a firm such as Baillie Gifford.

 

One thing that impressed me from the start was the willingness of professionals to spend time providing me with support and to help me grow my career. Thanks to the rotation program, I have been able to rotate between different teams to learn about different markets. I spent my first year in the UK equity team and that has equipped me with good understanding of business fundamentals and analytic skills. Then I moved to the Global Equity desk sitting next to the CIO! If the first year was more of a solid but steep learning process, time in the global team has given me more opportunity to start making more of a contribution while continuing my learning. I enjoy the intellectual conversations among team members - everyone’s input is valued and no one person dominates the thinking process. I repeatedly see how teamwork, collaboration and the constant exchange of ideas deliver successful investment decisions. 

 
If you are considering a career in finance, you should identify your strengths and realise that your unique background can add great value to the team. I think it’s essential for anyone to read broadly, to travel widely and expose themselves to different cultures and experiences, and to learn to question conventional wisdom. I don’t think there’s been a more exciting time to be joining this industry– globalisation and rising power of the East are changing the world order. Being a part of this change and identifying opportunities in the process is truly challenging and exciting.