Discerning the Finance Industry – Global Learning Session with Thomas Streater
Written by Subir Desai; Global MBA (GMBA – Global Finance) student. SP Jain School of Global Management – Class of 2018.
SP Jain Dubai’s department of Global Learning organises and invites several industry experts from various specialisations to give students an opportunity to acquire a detailed & rounded understanding of varied functions & industries. It encourages students to get a preview of other aspects of business they haven’t explored and are especially relevant to the Middle Eastern region. If you choose not to attend these events, it could be a huge waste of opportunity. I must admit that I have been guilty of the above. But a recent experience made me realise that they can provide interesting perspectives.
On the 15th of July, 2017, I was motivated to attend a talk on the Finance Industry, being my field of specialisation. The university aptly selected and invited an investment professional who would qualify as a typical role model for budding finance professionals. Mr. Thomas Streater, Head of MB Commodities Capital, a multi-asset investment strategy focusing on the Energy and Resources sectors, is a success story who would serve as a mentor in the true sense – unlike the flashy high flying investment banker that media usually tends to depict. The lack of showboating doesn’t discredit his success story. Instead, it provided an insight into his maturity and knowledge which served as a reminder that there is bigger success beyond the one-dimensional ideas of career prospects you would imagine to have when you check into your MBA for Finance. The agenda of the seminar was to give us an introduction on global financial markets, explain how they are interrelated, and how the global stage affects every participant from every corner of the world.
The talk started and he managed to calmly persuade even the non-finance students to understand how macro-economic factors affect different industries. This already engaged the crowd as it was compatible across all specialisations. He shed light to help understand the role of finance with practical applications and segued into depths & details which was the most interesting aspect as they were relatable to previous real-world situations we have faced and helped to understand the driving forces behind those world events.Discussing with peers post the talk, we all concluded that it was precise, neutral & informative and especially insightful and relevant for finance professionals. His piquant temperament and friendly approach was inspiring. He not only shared personal influences, forecasts, and views but also gave tips to develop work ethics and gave guidance on how to take our career forward post the MBA.
The take-away for me was to understand that it’s not the ones who try to hog the lime light but the people working behind the scenes who are important. The people who love talking about making all the money are still to find a sense of belonging whereas the guys making real money go about their lives like it’s just another day at the office.
About the Author:
Subir Desai (GMBA ’18) is a Global MBA student with SP Jain. He is a part of the May 2017 intake and is specialising in Global Finance. A finance guy known to be a fervent traveler, Subir is an ageing musician. He is also known to be a South East Asian cuisine aficionado. Subir describes himself as someone who loves being cynical but will still sometimes go ‘aww’.
