James Zhu - 2021 Graduate

I studied Economics and Finance were definitely two areas of interest for me, that I developed after I studied economics high school and found it really enjoyable.

I then went on to study a Bachelor of Economics and Finance at ANU, did my Honours year at USYD, and then studied a MSc Finance at the London School of Economics (LSE).

After living in Canberra for three years when doing my undergraduate degree I was excited to return – it’s a great city to live in.

I chose the AOFM because I felt that it was a great opportunity for me put the skills and knowledge that I learned at University into practice. I took a few fixed income courses during my studies, I really enjoyed them and thought that it would be a good idea to use them in my role. 

I have learnt so much about the debt issuance process, how the AOFM manages its cash portfolio, what different investors care about when making investments decisions into ACGBs and emerging issues.

The people at AOFM are very kind, caring and understanding. In my case, my team has been incredibly patient with me, has taught me a lot and given me great opportunities to improve myself.  

Liaising with the different investors has been really interesting.  It was useful to understand the different factors that investors look for or consider when making their portfolio allocation towards Australian bonds.

What does your typical workday look like?

Checking emails in the morning for updates on the global bond and stock markets or policy changes or announcements. Reading research and communicating with team members is also part of the job. Updating reports on a bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis when they are due. Setting up investor meetings or other events when required.

What was unexpected about working at the AOFM?

Didn’t really expect AOFM to have a library. I thought it was a pretty good space that encourages people to broaden their knowledge.

What did you learn the most about in your graduate year?

The debt issuance process, how the AOFM manages its cash portfolio, what different investors care about when making investments decisions into ACGBs and emerging issues such as ESG.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve worked on?

I have really enjoyed being able to create a climate change/ESG dashboard for the AOFM because it was something new and something where I could put my own initiatives and thought process to generate value. Policies and regulations are still changing, and it doesn’t have a well-defined industry standard yet so that was something I found interesting while doing research and collating data. Most of the meetings I’ve been to in regard to this development have had thoughtful discussions with active engagement from investors.