Hui Koen Tan, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

How long have you been with the bank?

I’m going on to my 5th year and I chose Bank of America Merrill Lynch because I think it’s a very strong reputable bank and they have a good global and structured analyst program when graduated.

What do you like most about your role?

What I enjoy most about my job is the work and the team culture. Being able to work so closely with the senior bankers, they have provided me a lot of exposure and a lot of opportunities to grow and to learn. I like being part of the regional team. Not only do I get exposure across the products, I also get exposure across Asia Pacific. So that’s something that I really appreciate. In Corporate Banking, we get a holistic view of how the banking industry works because we touch almost every product offered.

What kind of training have you received?

The bank has provided me a lot of opportunities. One of which was really sending me to NY for training. Both the analyst training as well as the associate training and that’s where we get to meet peers in the different industry groups and also peers from across the countries, because it’s a global program.

In Corporate Banking, we get a holistic view of how the banking industry works because we touch almost every product offered.

What skills are important for a corporate banker analyst?

The most important skill, I think, is to be adaptable and flexible because you have to work with the different product partners internally and look at it from the client’s point of view, so that you can explain it to the client and ensure the solution is something that works for both the bank and the client.

Do you work in a global team?

Being part of the corporate banking team covering multinationals in Singapore, I get to work with people across the region and at the same time, we partner with bankers in the US and Europe. So, on a day to day basis, when our clients have needs across Asia, it could be in China, India, and Australia. We have to work with the teams to come up with solutions that helps the clients in these countries across the region and we also work together with our US and European counterparts, to ensure that the message is consistent and it is what we deliver to our clients globally.

Describe the culture.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch has a very open culture. It’s relatively flat, because we are able to speak to our managing directors, they’re open to us, for advice, whether it’s career advice or it could be advice on how to approach a certain deal. So that’s something I really appreciate working here.