Our Private Inspiration series recognizes and celebrates the triumphs of women in the world of private banking.

In this edition, we speak to Grace Tam, Chief Investment Advisor Hong Kong and Managing Director with the Chief Investment Office (CIO) Asia at BNP Paribas Wealth Management.

Current role

I am the chief investment advisor for Hong Kong and managing director with the Chief Investment Office (CIO) Asia at BNP Paribas Wealth Management. As a member of BNP Paribas Wealth Management’s Global Investment Strategy Committee, I am responsible for formulating, formalizing and communicating global asset allocation and investment strategies in Asia.

Central to my role is ensuring that our macro views and investment strategy integrate seamlessly with our product teams. Our collaborative efforts are strategically geared towards providing our clients with investment solutions that help them navigate the ever-changing markets amid growing geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty.

Career highlights

Throughout my career, whether in my roles as a trader or a strategist, I have often been the only woman within an all-male team in Asia, and at times even globally. I am proud to have set a precedent for female representation in this field from an early stage.

I am always on the lookout for ways to help our junior colleagues progress in their career. This can include increasing their opportunities to be more visible by showcasing their great work, or having regular chats to coach them on how best to achieve their career goals.

Career lowlight

The key challenge I face — which I believe resonates for many women as well — is that opportunities often go to individuals who appear more senior and who project a strong voice in the workplace, which are traits that most people equate with experience and professionalism. Women, by virtue of our generally younger appearance and softer voices, may have to expend more time and effort to convince others of their capabilities and professionalism.

I have developed a strong work ethic of always being proactive and going above and beyond. I believe these qualities defy gender definitions. With time, people start to take note and recognize your hard work and good results.

Out of office

I enjoy traveling and love planning travel itineraries for the whole family. Despite my busy hours at work, I relish the planning process as it allows me to glean fun and fascinating insights about different places in the course of my research.

Stress management and self-care

We often risk getting caught up totally consumed by work and family, so it’s crucial to take care of our own wellbeing and find “Me Time” to commit to some form of workout or exercise to stay healthy.

As a mother of two, I have even more to juggle and need to manage my time properly to better achieve work-life balance. It is imperative to build trust with your teammates and stakeholders so that you can enjoy some level of flexibility at work, thereby alleviating the stress of having to fulfill multiple work and family priorities.

Book recommendations

I have reread this book many times over: Nurture By Nature: Understand Your Child’s Personality Type – And Become a Better Parent by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger. Even though this is not a conventional business read, I go back to it time and again for inspiration in my daily work. Interestingly, the core principles of parenting and personalities have strong parallels in the professional world.

This book helps us understand how you deal with — and nurture — individuals based on their nature, personality and strengths. Whether it’s with my children, or with colleagues or clients, recognizing that they have diverse personalities allows me to better understand their motivations and has helped me adapt my communication and leadership styles, fostering a more collaborative and productive environment. Ultimately, it’s about treating people as individuals, leveraging their unique strengths and guiding them towards shared success.

Personal philosophy

Always be well prepared and maximize every opportunity that can help you move closer to your goals.

Career advice

Empowering future leaders is key to any thriving organization. As a mentor, I encourage junior colleagues to build a powerful professional “CV”: Courage and Visibility.

Courage starts with speaking up and getting your ideas heard. This includes proactively articulating your aspirations and development needs which will help progress your career.

Visibility means you have to be unabashedly showcasing your accomplishments to as many in your network as possible.

Key investment trends in 2024

BNP Paribas has outlined six investment themes and recommendations that offer a diversified perspective on potential investment opportunities in 2024, considering the dynamic landscape impacted by various global trends and economic factors.

The role of technology

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated several key trends that are reshaping the private wealth landscape. One significant factor is the increased adoption of technology, which is enabling work-from-home efficiencies and productivity that are on par with in-office arrangements.

Such adoption of technology across all locations helps BNP Paribas deliver our views very quickly to clients who require up-to-date information on the markets as well as investment opportunities. For example, clients who invest in our advisory portfolio platform have access to the daily alerts via apps that help in their day-to-day portfolio monitoring.

The information and opinions expressed herein reflect the opinion and views of the interviewee at the time of writing; they are not necessarily representative of the views of BNP Paribas.

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