Vincent Li

Global Business in Finance, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2008
Currently: Associate, Equity Derivatives, Hong Kong

What's always made investment banking an appealing career choice for me is the dynamic nature of the industry, and the interaction you get with all kinds of people and clients. When I was selecting the starting point of my career, I wanted a place that offered me the opportunity to grow and learn quickly. Nomura is a company that is rapidly expanding its footprint across the financial world and it matched well with my career objectives.

When I first started at Nomura, I had the chance to spend six months in London on the Convertibles desk in Sales, Trading and Research, which was a great experience. When I came back to Hong Kong I moved over to the Equity Derivatives desk. Working with a team from the rest of the world, my role is about generating cross-regional trade ideas for our clients. Being able to produce profitable and unique ideas that no other investment bank offers in the market is a very satisfying feeling. This is also the driving force behind waking up every morning to anticipate another unpredictable, yet exciting day.

During the beginning, what really surprised me were the opportunities I was given at a junior level. Very early on in my role the firm was happy to publish my ideas and let me deal with clients. They were very trusting in my abilities, which I really appreciated, and this experience helped me to learn a lot quickly.

Nomura is a great place for new graduates because of the team culture, knowledge sharing and training programmes. The firm is growing very quickly- I don't think we can be matched on our current growth across the world. If you have ambition and are keen on learning, no other company will be able to give you the opportunities and exposure you're going to get here.