Finance | Leadership] How I Built a Global Career in Finance: A prelude to the upcoming series: Breaking Into Finance

Lessons for Students and Young Professionals from 12 Years Across Wall Street & City of London.

Over the past several years, I have spoken at university career days, KUFA sessions with the Korean Embassy in London, and mentoring programmes with students from around the world. Many asked for something written—a resource that captures the real stories I normally share in those conversations.

This post is not a “how-to.”
It is how I did it.

As always, welcome your feedback and questions!

1) Brief Self-Introduction & Career Path

Hello, my name is EJ Elena Shin. I am a multi-asset portfolio manager and global impact investor. Over the past 12 years, I have worked in the financial markets of London and New York, integrating traditional investing, ESG, and climate strategy into investment decision-making.

I began my career at BlackRock New York as a 'class of 2013,' building analytical skills in market cycles, interest rates, foreign exchange, and risk factors while working on traditional asset-allocation strategies. Fixed income investing was my entry point.

I later moved to London to get closer to the ESG scenes and actions (Why London?: Purely for ESG. London is the birthplace of modern capitalism & democracy and with more advanced consciousness and debates around 'sustainable/responsible' investing, I hoped to learn and contribute to the development of capitalism 2.0), where I focused on integrating ESG and climate research into investment decisions—designing how capital can meaningfully contribute to climate action and long-term value creation. Based on global portfolio management and research, I developed ESG integration strategies that embed climate risk and the energy transition into asset allocation. This was done purely from an investment perspective and data/research-driven work. During this time, I worked with major institutional investors such as pension funds, asset managers, insurers, and sovereign wealth funds, leading multi-billion-dollar projects to align $2-3 trillion long-term portfolio strategies with climate-transition objectives.

Most recently, Head of Climate Solutions at Aviva Investors, where I lead net-zero and impact-investment initiatives across asset classes, including the Carbon Removal Fund and transition-finance strategies.

My early experience at BlackRock using the Aladdin system for data-driven risk analysis and investment modelling became a major asset later, especially when interpreting ESG data and advancing machine-learning-based investment research.

My expertise goes beyond sustainable investing. It lies in research-driven investment judgement and designing system-level change through capital. In other words, my role is to implement a “future-oriented investment paradigm” that generates returns, impact, and long-term resilience at the same time.

Education: Harvard, NYU Stern, LSE, University of Cape Town, and Oxford.

2) Major Changes in the Industry & Future Outlook

Today’s capital markets are shifting from a focus on short-term returns to systemic resilience.

In particular, the energy transition, supply-chain restructuring, and the merging of AI with climate data are driving fundamental changes in investment strategy.

Where ESG was once treated as a supplementary indicator, it is now a core variable in risk management and return generation. As technologies such as AI, satellite data, and climate modelling evolve rapidly, an investor’s role is expanding beyond asset allocation—toward understanding data signals and designing capital flows that accelerate social and environmental transitions.

The next 10 years will be a period in which sustainability becomes not a theme, but the primary language of the market.

Financial professionals will no longer be people who simply interpret numbers.
They will need to become architects who help design the future structure of the economy.

3) Key Skills and Preparation Needed for Newcomers

1. Systems Thinking
You must understand not just a single sector, but how energy, policy, technology, and finance are interconnected.

2. Data Literacy
The ability to interpret climate data, ESG metrics, and risk factors is now a basic language for all investment professionals.

3. Communication and Storytelling
Leadership is the ability to translate insights from numbers and models into language others can understand.

4. Intellectual Curiosity & Self-Driven Learning
Don’t wait for someone to give you the answer.
The ability to explore, connect, and ask your own questions ultimately shapes your career.

How to prepare:
> Read one page of a financial newspaper every day—not to memorise facts but to understand patterns.
> Regularly review reports from global institutions (PRI, GFANZ, IEA, etc.) and develop the perspective:
“How can capital drive systemic change?”

4) The Biggest Challenge Early in My Career & How I Overcame It

The biggest challenge was building a career in a field that didn’t fully exist yet.

When I started working in ESG and sustainable investing, many people asked:

“This is good work, but will it actually make money?”

I didn’t avoid the question. Instead, I answered with research and data.

I systematically analysed market data, corporate performance, policy developments, and technological innovations to demonstrate that sustainability is a core driver of risk-adjusted returns.

Ultimately, I learned that the power to persuade does not come from emotion, but from evidence and consistency.

Since then, whenever I pursue change, my principle has been:
“Show it through data, not words.”

5) Advice for Mentees & Approaches to Self-Development

Whatever path you choose, define your own North Star.

Mine is:

“Capitalism can be a force for good.”

That belief has guided me across NGOs, government partnerships, and global finance.

Career directions may change, but your core values should not.
Whether you work in technology, investment, or ESG—every field ultimately comes down to one question:

“What do you want capital to achieve?”

The heart of self-development is not rapid growth, but deep reflection.

Read at least one or two books each year that fundamentally challenge your worldview.
Those who consistently ask deeper questions are the ones who eventually open new industries.

Closing — What Comes Next

This essay is the opening note to Breaking Into Finance, a series designed to support the next generation of analysts, portfolio managers, and impact-driven leaders.

Upcoming posts will include:

• Day-in-the-life breakdowns
• Recruitment & interview strategies
• Regional finance cultures (NYC vs London vs Seoul vs Continental Europe vs Middle East vs Asia)
• ESG, climate, and alternatives entry paths
• How to navigate the first 5 years of your career
• How to build resilience, credibility, and long-term vision