October 2020
1. Brief job description
As a risk analyst you must be able to continually adapt to the changing (internal and external) environment and its associated risks. This can be achieved through the evaluation of risks and their potential impact on our company and its stakeholders.
2. What were your main responsibilities?
I was responsible for managing a number of risks from investment to operational. I actively tried to avoid, mitigate or transfer these risks. To enhance our oversight, I created live and interactive data dashboards. These results were then used for our global risk reports.
Another main responsibility was the collation, creation and development of our global Key Risk Indicators (KRIs). Each month I would produce three KRI reports detailing the results from USA, HK and UK. This required regular contact with our directors as they were responsible for signing off on the results.
3. Did you have any projects to work on?
There were many major projects, the most recent was the enhancement of our Risk and Controls Self Assessments (RCSAs). I had to update all of the RCSAs by making sure they were accurate and accessible.
A second independent project was the creation of an Incident Management System (IMS) training course. I received intense training on how to use the software necessary to develop online training.
I used all of my IMS knowledge to create the training. This course was split into several detailed and interactive sections. The virtual IMS training is now mandatory for all new joiners to complete. They are required to achieve a minimum of 80% on the Knowledge Check (quiz) section.
4. Day in the life – what does your day look like?
A large cup of coffee would be my first port of call, followed by emails to ensure that I have not missed anything significant overnight.
On average I would attend two meetings a day, these meetings always varied in context. One day we would focus on improving our own processes, the other day we would be providing support to Finance, Investments, IT, HR etc.
Major projects would consume a large part of the day. The remaining time was used to collate data and complete business as usual tasks.
5. What skills have you learnt, or improved on (department specific, personal, technical etc)?
Strong numerical and analytical skills with the ability to perform report writing are essential for my role. Working cohesively with my domestic and international team is also just as important. I independently managed a large workload with strict deadlines.
When I joined the Risk team we were using Excel for the majority of our reporting. The team had numerous discussions around how we could transition to a modern, interactive reporting system. After some research we decided to use Power BI.
Having never used the programme before, I decided to enrol myself onto two of Udemy’s online training courses. The first is called ‘Microsoft Power BI – A complete Introduction’ and the second is ‘Analyzing and Visualizing Data with Power BI’. I continue to learn from these courses and implement their teachings where possible.
The new incident dashboards that I have created through Power BI allow our risk team to monitor outstanding incidents. I produce meaningful and interactive statistics for the business to use, which supports a drill down feature for greater granularity.
6. Did you take any qualifications?
I started studying for my Investment Management Certificate (IMC). I have successfully passed Unit 1: The Investment Environment, I will shortly sit the Unit 2: Investment Practice exam.
7. Do you have any further learning’s or reflections, including adapting to the “remote working” environment?
A suitable environment is essential for the production of quality work. Initially remote working was challenging; it highlighted a number of home office inadequacies. Fortunately, GAM had a capable remote access system in place. Once my home office was set up, the quality work continued.
8. What are you moving onto next? Has this year inspired your future outlook or decisions?
I recently completed an internal transfer from Risk to Front Office Controls. I will now focus on investment risks, which I am extremely excited about. I am responsible for the creation of global investment reports through the use of live and interactive data dashboards.
Moving from the second to first line of defence is a great opportunity to further develop my knowledge. I have aspirations of becoming a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) as this will vastly improve my abilities.
9. Can you summarise your experience?
My experience at GAM Investments has been fantastic. The wealth of knowledge and expertise combined with friendliness provides a truly unique culture. Being exposed to high level work from the beginning allowed a steep learning experience, which I continue to build on.