Member profile
George Thomson, CFA, CAIA, CIPM
Senior Investment Analyst, Bank of New Zealand
What are some of your career highlights so far?
I came into the financial industry in 2008. As you might recall, it was not the best time, so a big highlight for me was just getting that first job! I think over time I appreciate more and more the great variety of talented people I’ve been able to work with and learn from. I won’t embarrass anyone by naming them but I’ve been very fortunate in the teams I’ve been part of, and in the senior managers I’ve worked for. That’s a highlight for sure.
What do you like most about your job/industry?
Investing is an activity that, over the long term, rewards all the best qualities you want from team mates in general: hard work, drive, smarts, resilience, patience, and (crucially) the ability to decompress when things get rough. Any industry that attracts those sorts of people and sees them rise is always going to be a great place to work.
What are your interests outside work?
I have two kids, 6 months and 2 ½ yrs. No surprise that this keeps me pretty busy. But I always find time to deadlift and eat donuts.
Make a prediction for 2024
When it comes to market predictions I’m with Lao Tzu: “Those who have knowledge, don’t predict. Those who predict, don’t have knowledge.” But bigger picture I like to think that by 2024 those big positive trends of our lifetimes have continued: we’ll see fewer people in extreme poverty, longer average life spans, lower child mortality and a higher quality of life on average around the world. Hopefully New Zealand can keep up!