Jason Lui, Head of East Asia Strategy within the Global Markets division at BNP Paribas, shares with WiFA how he unlocked D&I on his team, his views on mentorship, his 2021 mantra, and much more.
Tell us about yourself
At BNP Paribas, my focus is looking after our macro research efforts on equities and G10 interest rates in Asia. Prior to joining the firm in 2017, I spent 11 years at Goldman Sachs as an equity derivatives strategist in New York and Hong Kong. My wife Amy and I have two wonderful children and I enjoy collecting vintage vinyl records.
What is one characteristic you would say that all women in finance share?
I don’t think you can generalize the characteristics of women in finance in a few words. As with any profession there is a broad spectrum of personality types and traits which apply equally across both genders. If I really had to drill down on one characteristic, I would say that on balance, the women I have worked with tend to excel in active listening, as they summarize the best course of action and make sure these action items are being followed up by the relevant colleagues.
Please provide an example of how being an ally helped to unlock the power of diversity within your team or your organization?
As a male ally in research, one of my goals is to promote the visibility of our female economists and strategists based on their area of expertise. If a female colleague is responsible for a particular analysis, I make a concerted effort to ensure she is provided maximum visibility when answering internal or external inquiries.
Mentors play an important role in the development of the careers of women. Have you or are you mentoring a woman in finance? Please tell us about your experience.
I had the honour of mentoring two female colleagues within our BNP Paribas APAC Talent Programme. While they are in different business units to me, I tried to provide feedback on career development and manager interactions based on my own experience at the firm. I also learned more about the personal and professional challenges facing up-and-coming female staff and how we can try to address their concerns.
What will be your 2021 mantra to keep you motivated, either professional or personally?
One of the most rewarding aspects of being a male ally is to connect with a wide range of folks both within the firm and externally. Despite the challenge of various health measures, I hope to keep meeting more colleagues from different divisions and learn about the best practices on gender challenges from both financial and non-financial firms.