Alumni Story| Tao KONG: Resetting to Zero Takes Me Even Further

Ranked No.1 during his bachelor’s study at Nanjing University and awarded as the Excellent Graduate of Shanghai, Tao KONG (MF Class of 2010) had already gathered numerous glamor in titles while he was still a student. 5 years after graduation, he has now grown from a rookie into an elite in his industry. When asked about his success secret, he was very humble, “Resetting to zero takes me even further.” Time flies and it has already been 5 years since the graduation of the class of 2010 and all past students have been fighting for their own success in various industries. Let us walk into the life of Tao KONG, Senior Analyst of China Universal Asset Management, and listen to his story.

南京大学本科四年专业第一，SAIF当届上海市优秀毕业生，学生时代的孔涛（2010级MF）在各类光环加身下熠熠生辉；毕业五年，他从职场新人迅速成长为岗位精英。他谦逊地说，“归零心态，帮助我走得更远“。转眼MF2010级学生也已毕业五年，他们在各自的战场上收获属于自己的精彩。让我们走近汇添富基金高级行业分析师孔涛，一起聆听他的奋斗故事。

In the morning of the scheduled interview, it rained lightly. Tao, however, showed up early at SAIF looking sharp and full of energy. Despite the formal dressing, he was cordial and gentle, giving people a first impression of being low-key and humble.

采访那天上午，细雨绵绵，孔涛却早已精神抖擞地出现在高金校园。虽着正装，却难掩其亲切儒雅的气质。低调谦逊，这是孔涛留给人们的第一印象。

Tao KONG obtained his bachelor’s degree in Automation from Nanjing University. He has always been interested in finance and got offers from both SAIF and Guanghua School of Management (Peking University). He finally chose to come to SAIF without a hesitation, because he was deeply attracted by the excellent peers, strong faculty here at SAIF as well as the advanced coursework that are similar to that of overseas business schools. During the Summer Camp, Tao met top students from various universities in China. “Although we all had different backgrounds, everyone was the top of his/her field and we could learn a lot from one another. Even after graduation, we still now meet from time to time and I can learn something from them every time.”

孔涛本科毕业于南京大学自动化专业，对金融感兴趣的他当时一举斩获交大高金和北大光华两所名校的offer，但最终他毫不犹豫地选择来到高金。究其原因，是高金所吸引的诸多拔尖学子、顶配师资及与海外一致、与时俱进的课程设置打动了他。夏令营期间孔涛遇到了许多来自全国顶尖高校的学生，“虽然大家背景不同，但都十分优秀，可以互相取长补短。即便现在毕业后，还是会经常聚会，受益良多。”

Looking back at the time spent at SAIF, Tao said, “The courses were very intensive and we indeed felt very pressured. However, now after we have started our career, I see those experiences as very helpful.” When it comes to the course that gave him the strongest impression, the first course that came to his mind was SAIF LIVE taught by Prof. Charles Chang, Director of MF Program. “This is a course where we were able to combine in-class knowledge with practical experience. They invited many experts from the financial industry as mentors and instructors to lead the students through real-life cases. This course helped me apply the knowledge learned into reality.” After working in the industry for several years, Tao feels that majority of the knowledge used in work is actually those learned at school. The only difference is that one needs to think more in addition to mastering the financial knowledge and tools. Only after understanding the fundamental assumptions will one be able to apply it into real work.

回顾校园生活，孔涛坦言，“当时课程充实，学习压力大。不过工作后，回头来看还是很有用的。”提起印象最深的课，他第一时间想到的就是张纯信教授开设的SAIF LIVE课程，“这是一门课堂知识与实际金融案例结合的很好的课程，邀请到很多金融业内资深专家作为外部导师带领小组讨论现实生活中的案例或商业模式。这门课帮助我们把理论知识和实际操作融会贯通。” 工作几年后，孔涛觉得工作中运用的很多知识就是在学校中学到的。不过在现实工作中除了娴熟运用金融知识和工具之外，还需要作更多思考。理解理论背后的基本假设才能更好地运用于实战研究之中。

“Colleagues in the workplace all came from excellent backgrounds. Therefore, not only my professional knowledge but also comprehensive abilities were tested during work.” As a senior analyst of China Universal Asset Management, Tao currently focuses on investment research and analysis. He reads research reports, analyzes strategies and competitive advantages of industries and companies, forecasts future developments in order to conclude meaningful investment advices.

 “职场中同事背景都十分优秀，工作中不仅考验专业知识，更是对综合素养的考验。”作为汇添富基金的高级分析师，孔涛目前侧重在投资研究分析方面工作。平时经常要阅读研究报告，思考行业、公司竞争战略及优势、预估未来发展情况并最终得出有意义的投资建议和结论。

“All capital market participants have experienced ups and downs, and uncertainty is something that everyone has to face.” Tao has also encountered difficult situations during work. A company he has given a “buy” rating to experienced significant price volatility since it was in the early stage of development. “When the temporary loss has attracted all attention to myself, it was definitely a critical test for my mentality.” In the end, through close tracking and research, Tao has confirmed his faith in the business model and the management team, and through effective communication, he has strengthened the confidence of the fund managers as well. Finally, the stock price rose back to its normal level. He said, “Most of my professional knowledge required at work was already obtained at SAIF. On the other hand, communication skills need to be improved during work in the real world. Sometimes a research analyst’s job in similar to that of a psychological therapist to fund managers. Communication is particularly important. At the same time, trust among the team members also needs time to develop.” 

 “在资本市场中的每个人都经历过大风大浪，阶段的不确定性是每个人都需要面对的。” 工作以来他也曾碰到棘手的时候。之前他重点推荐买入的股票，因该公司处于早期发展阶段，出现股价大幅波动的情况。“当阶段性亏损导致所有人的目光聚集到自己身上时，还是十分考验自己的心理素质。”最终，通过紧密跟踪调研，孔涛进一步坚定自己对商业模式及其管理团队的信心，并通过及时沟通，坚定了基金经理的信心，最终股价也回到了正常水平。 他感慨道，“在高金MF项目已经学了大部分工作所需的知识，在工作中反而要加强沟通等技巧的锻炼，研究员的工作有时候很像基金经理的心理按摩师，沟通特别重要。同时，团队之间的信任度是需要时间磨合的。”

In the next five years, Tao hopes that he can transition from a research role to an investment role and become a top fund manager and generate more wealth for their customers. At the same time, he gave some advices to current MF students based on his own experience. In addition to fulfilling all responsibilities as students, they should improve their communication with their peers to broaden their horizon and learn from one another. In terms of career selection, interest is the best teacher. He sincerely hopes that students can correctly position themselves, fully make use of their own advantages and find a job they love. He also advised them to closely follow the market development in their daily life and utilize their spare time to personally experience the work conditions and natures of different industries. 

未来五年，孔涛希望自己能更顺利地从研究向投资角色进行转变，成为一名出色的基金经理，为客户获得更大收益。同时，对于学弟学妹们，他也毫无保留地给出了自己的经验及建议：除了做好学生的本职工作外，应当多和周围同学沟通，取长补短，开阔眼界。在求职方面，兴趣是最好的老师，希望大家能够找准定位，充分发挥优势，做自己热爱的工作。平时更多关注行业发展动向， 在课余时间亲身体验不同行业的工作性质及状态。