Innovation is key to success

Where do I see myself in 5 years time?

I was asked that in Round 2 of the interview with DBS Bank, by the Vice President of the Derivatives Unit.

Around that time, I was working on the Citibank Case Challenge...I have learnt that the ability to identify problems, make recommendations, and justify them with solid reasoning and arguments are hallmarks of an effective leader.

Indeed, the world is moving rapidly, and the key to being a leader or being in management is the ability to innovate as well.

Increasingly, I see myself being a banker (perhaps my aspiration to become a diplomat will come later in life), and by age 32 I hope to be at least a Vice President within a bank.

Why 32? Well...
Many others have gone before me such as my cousins; already VP in their early 30s. These are the corporate high flyers whom I look up to and aspire to be. I believe with my skill set and abilities coupled with industry, reaching that position should not be a problem.

I hope to get overseas postings as well.

A little excerpt:

"The evolution of the global economy makes today an ideal era for students of the Chicago School of Business approach, he said. “It is becoming a more global world and in many respects a somewhat more rational world,” Dougan said. “Thoughtful analysis, quantitative approaches to things, and what I call a more collegial approach are becoming more and more effective. They are the future of global business. I think students from Chicago are going to play a very, very important role in these markets as they change." -Brady Dougan, CEO of Credit Suisse Group