【Event Review】Confronting Industry Frontiers: Evolving Talent Demands in Finance

The Work Placement, Employability and Career Development (WEC) team of the International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, recently hosted a financial industry sharing session, part of the ongoing  “Explore the Corporate World” series. The event brought together senior professionals and notable alumni from banking, securities, and investment companies to discuss the expectations and demands for talents within the financial industry.

Moderated by Ms. Hailu Hou, Career Counsellor at IBSS, the roundtable featured a panel of experts: Mr. Ang Cheng, Head of the Private Wealth Department, Soochow Securities (XJTLU External Mentor); Ms. Wenping Jin, former General Manager of the Transaction Banking Department, Bank of China Suzhou Branch (XJTLU External Mentor); and Mr. Renfei Gao, Vice President, Jade Capital (IBSS alumnus, MSc Investment Management, and XJTLU External Mentor). From their respective professional perspectives, they provided in-depth analysis of the core operations and talent requirements within the financial industry, offering valuable career development advice to students.

Mr. Ang Cheng, Head of Private Wealth Dept., Soochow Securities

Mr. Cheng began by mapping out the organisational structure and career pathways in securities firms, covering front, middle, and back office functions. He highlighted how the industry has moved beyond traditional brokerage towards areas such as wealth management, family offices and cross-border finance.. As a team leader frequently involved in campus recruitment, Mr. Cheng also shared insights for graduates seeking entry into the securities industry. He emphasised that beyond a solid professional foundation, strong communication skills, a willingness for continuous learning, resilience under pressure, and an innovative mindset are key qualities for standing out.

Ms. Wenping Jin, former GM of Transaction Banking, Bank of China Suzhou Branch (Retired)

Reflecting on her career, Ms. Jin shared her extensive experience across eight key areas, including corporate finance, information technology, performance management, operational services, domestic settlement, channel risk control, trade finance, and transaction banking. She encouraged students to remain open-minded and to explore different directions, stressing that progress often comes from continuous learning and pushing beyond one’s comfort zone.

Mr. Renfei Gao, Vice President, Jade Capital

Mr. Gao explained the full equity investment cycle—"fundraising, investing, management, and exit”. He emphasised that academic achievement remains a strong entry point for graduates aspiring to work in investment. Building on this, he advised students to clarify their career direction early, leverage university resources to gain practical experience, and broaden their horizons. He recommended considering foundational roles such as industry researcher or financial analyst initially, to solidify competencies before gradually advancing towards core investment positions.

The event garnered enthusiastic feedback, with students commenting that the discussion offered valuable perspectives on the realities of working in finance and sparked fresh ideas for their career planning. Closing the event, Ms. Hou, urged students to set clear goals early, understand the skills demanded by their chosen fields and continually build their competitiveness., Allied to this, she encouraged students to take full advantage of future WEC training, counselling and events using them as a platform to broaden their perspectives and boost their employability.

News contributed by: Beilei Yao, Zihan Zhou

News translated and edited by: Hailu Hou

Photography by: Linran Sheng