Thomson Yip does not underestimate the importance of
knowledge. As a senior relationship manager with a large
international bank, Mr Yip believes that the ability to have
in-depth and knowledgeable discussions regarding complicated
financial issues with a client reflects not only on his own
credibility, but also on the credibility of his employer.
"The financial market is always volatile, your clients are
always demanding¡K but as long as you are qualified, you will
be in a position to manage them in a more effective and
comfortable way," he explains.
Professional Affiliation
Mr Yip is no stranger to academia. Having gained an Economics
degree and a Masters degree in Finance with distinction, he
has spent the past five years studying for over a dozen
additional professional qualifications. The twelve-year
banking veteran has professional designations from many of the
top names among the finance industry's professional bodies in
addition to his HKSI Ordinary Membership (MHKSI). These
include professional accountant (AHKSA), certified financial
risk manager (FRM) and associate membership of Hong Kong
Institute of Bankers (AHKIB).
"The current financial environment is
quite challenging and full of different arguments and
contradicting conclusions," he says. "And if you have
broadened your knowledge, you will probably be able to form a
better view when judging the various available options."
Mr Yip believes that studying a wide
variety of subjects from different professional bodies enables
him to solve problems efficiently and effectively. This, in
turn, ensures he is able to deliver the best possible solution
and service to his clients.
"It is very interesting to take a
specific issue and assess it from various perspectives," says
Mr Yip. "A financial report, for instance, can be read and
understood quite differently by a banker, an accountant or an
equity analyst. In addition, the viewpoint depends also on
where she or he was trained, say, in Europe or the United
States. Financial figures may appear quite straightforward but
the underlying messages could be completely different."
The Changing Role of a Banker
According to Mr Yip, the role of bankers has been changing
over the past decade where comprehensive skills and
qualifications are becoming more and more important. With the
increasing number of sophisticated financial products coupled
with an increasing number of keen competitors, today's bankers
need to demonstrate a unique competitive edge.
"Every day we are facing different
kinds of innovative structured products, where we have to
upgrade ourselves promptly to deal with those products in
order to meet the needs of demanding customers," he says.
One of the jewels in Mr Yip's
academic crown is the Certified International Investment
Analyst (CIIA® ) award, which he completed in November last
year. He revealed that the CIIA® offers a unique and global
perspective on many of the issues facing today's financial
professionals, despite the fact that the award partially
overlaps with the curriculum of the Chartered Financial
Analyst (CFA) award that he obtained.
Despite being only in his late
thirties, Mr Yip says the decision on when to add value to
your curriculum vitae through additional professional
qualifications should reflect where you feel you are in your
current career.
"For some professional knowledge,
start as early as possible," advised Mr Yip. ¡§But that is not
the end story. It depends on what your focus is at the time.
As a financial professional, some of the basic qualifications
we need to obtain at an early stage, but life long learning
will continue."
The insight provided by professional
qualifications is not necessarily confined to the workspace.
According to Mr Yip, the methodologies behind many of his
qualifications can be applied to everyday activities, such as
time management.
"Even in our daily life when we are
reading newspaper over the breakfast, we may find that our
knowledge can help us in capturing the main theme or logic or
rationale of a particular article. That has to be worth
something, hasn't it?"
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