Glen Bertram

What class or lecturer at the University of Sydney inspired you, or provided you with a new way of seeing the world?

I was most inspired by the courses studying financial markets. I wanted to work in them. But it was some of the economics courses that probably caused me to reflect more on the way I saw the world around me. Perhaps it would be fair to describe the former as more vocational, and the latter as more cerebral (a generalisation).

What was the highlight of university life for you?

Without doubt the people. I made (what I expect will be) lifelong friends. The difference I think with high school is that it's easier to lose contact. At university there tends to be more of a mutuality of interests.

Is the alumni network of the Faculty of Economics and Business important to you?

The alumni network is very important insofar as so many of my good friends came through the Faculty. But the network in business is not like it is the US; that doesn't seem to be the way it works over here just yet. I imagine this situation might change if universities continue to diversify their funding sources, and in particular seek closer contact with the business community. Sydney University, and the Economics and Business Faculty, is widely regarded as one of the best tertiary institutions in the country. In my experience, that is more important to employers than whether your boss came through the same Faculty.

What does your current job involve and how long have you been in the position?

I have been in my current role under a year now, so it's quite a new role for me. It involves managing an investment portfolio for my employer. Essentially it involves making sensible investment decisions, subject to agreed risk protocols.

Can you briefly describe the path that led you to your current job? I believe you have worked at UBS before?

That's right. I spent time at UBS previously, in another department (their Legal Department - I have a law degree). Then I went out and co-founded a business, where I worked for a few years before coming back to UBS. I came back because I wanted more direct contact with markets.

You once established your own company, Rismark. Can you describe how you came to found a successful business at such a young age?

Not easily. It began by talking to a good friend about an idea he had developed, it had some legs from a business perspective (we thought). We left our existing jobs (at different stages) to pursue it wholeheartedly, and went about raising money (private equity) to get the thing started. With a bit of luck and a lot of hard work we managed to execute a joint-venture agreement with Macquarie Bank, and over the next couple of years we built a business with institutional support and funding, 20+ employees and a real office to boot. I was fortunate enough to have the luxury of being able to pursue that opportunity and for that I am grateful. We were not earning any money for quite a while.

What do you think it is about your approach that has enabled you to achieve so much, so early?

I think I am fairly disciplined. The technical skills I acquired through both degrees (commerce and law), and through experience, also have reasonably broad appeal out there in the marketplace. This means you are presented with more opportunities, in terms of employment, than would otherwise be the case. That then allows you to take some risks; you always have a fallback. Over time, as levels of responsibility increase, you learn and grow. When you start your own business, obviously those responsibilities escalate more rapidly than would likely be the case working for someone else. It took me a while to work out that people learn by making mistakes - most people I've worked with have been pretty good like that. They just don't like to see the same mistakes made twice. You also create your own luck to some extent in this world - when opportunities present, you need to grab them. When they don't, you need to try to engineer them.

What inspired you to move into financial analysis as a specialisation? Has it turned out differently from what you expected?

A passion for markets. I find them both intellectually challenging and interesting. It hasn't really turned out very differently to what I had imagined, I don't think. Trying to understand them certainly hasn't turned out to be any easier than I might have imagined.

What do you like most about the financial sector?

The intellectual challenge. I don't think it would be unreasonable either to suggest that the industry is well paid (perhaps overpaid), and that provides opportunities to pursue other interests over time that might not otherwise be available.

What has been the biggest challenge of your career?

Probably the biggest challenge is the difficulty I have in separating work from home, and the capacity to switch off when the time comes. You need to be able to do that, and I'm not particularly good at it (although I'm getting better).

Can you name one stand-out decision that has contributed to your current success?

Most definitely not. It sounds coy, but success to me is as much about the journey as where it finishes. On that basis, I don't think it's possible to enjoy success without making repeatedly good decisions over a long period of time. I continue to expect some setbacks along the way too.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

I'll then be mid to late 30s, possibly with a family of my own. I think my goals at that point might relate equally to being a good partner or father as they would professionally. I have one main rule with forecasting - if you are going to make forecasts you need to make sure they are sufficiently far ahead so that by the time that point arrives, everyone has forgotten what you forecast in the first place. On that basis, I'm sure that in 10 years I'll be holidaying plenty, working less and getting involved in projects on the basis of what interests me the most.

You have also achieved success as a tennis player. Did you ever consider making sport a career?

Yes, for sure. For a long time I thought that is what I would be doing. I was the second ranked Australian junior behind Lleyton Hewitt, travelled extensively and played doubles together, both domestically and offshore. At the time I stopped I had a world ATP ranking on the men's tour. Tennis is a very tough sport, physically and emotionally. Stopping playing was a very difficult decision, but with the benefit of hindsight, it might have been a good decision - I love what I am doing now and I think I would have missed the opportunities I now have. It's also very high risk - for every Lleyton there are probably 5,000 that don't make it.