Maroun Younes
Investment Analyst, Investment Consulting
Bachelor of Business Administration/Bachelor of Economics – Macquarie
University
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"Throughout my time at university, I knew I wanted a career in the investment industry. As a university student, sometimes it felt as though the plethora of alternative paths was more daunting and confusing than it was helpful. The more I looked into it, however, the more I realised that a consulting role would be the ideal starting point for an investment career. As a consultant, you find yourself actively involved in every step of the way, assisting clients in formulating suitable investment objectives, developing appropriate investment strategies, implementing the investment strategies and ideas, through to continually monitoring the ongoing performance of the portfolio and taking corrective action. You also gain knowledge in all aspects of investing and obtain exposure to all asset classes, and in the process, develop a deeper understanding of the broader, global financial markets.
Within the investment consulting space, one name stood tall above the rest, Watson Wyatt; because of its rich history and heritage, reputation as one of the world’s leading consultancy firms, vast global network, unbiased independence and because of its highly talented team. The culture at Watson Wyatt is one aspect which also strikingly stands out. The associates are all incredibly friendly and always willing to contribute to your personal development and growth. The environment is an eclectic mixture of high quality work and genuine enjoyment. Watson Wyatt is one of the very few leading global organisations which actually encourage its associates to have a work-life balance, as opposed to just talking about it.
As an analyst, my role and responsibilities have been diverse and varied. As a member of the consulting team, I am assigned specific clients for whom I, along with the lead consultant, am responsible for. We use financial models to create tailored investment portfolios, as well as preparing research reports on recommended money managers within each asset class. I am responsible for performance monitoring and reporting for my assigned clients, and I also write up quarterly economic reports. As a member of the research team, I research alternative assets, those which do not fit into mainstream categories such as equities or bonds. This involves researching the characteristics of the asset class itself and whether it is appropriate for our clients, as well as the best managers who we’d expect to produce superior performance results.
Watson Wyatt is firmly committed to assisting each associate’s career progression. I’m currently completing the CFA Program, for which Watson Wyatt has provided financial support as well as generous study leave. In all honesty, I can proudly say that waking up every morning and coming into work at Watson Wyatt is truly enjoyable and fulfilling, and that perhaps is the best aspect of all."
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