“The three years at Cambridge were amazing. I regularly pinched myself at the opportunity to be living in one of the oldest academic cities, laden with its traditions, esteemed alumni and talented students from all around the world.”
how to make a change), these companies need to be operating at a global scale in order to have a meaningful impact on the world,” he says. In the next 10 years, Min plans to strengthen his commitment to action by “either taking a more hands-on role in one of these companies with breakthrough solutions or in a role which works to redirect capital towards these companies”. It is a huge change from Min’s original plan to pursue Physics. In his student years, he believed that “understanding the inner workings of our universe that define our reality seemed to be a noble and meaningful pursuit”. However, he soon realised that “studying Physics would most likely be about adding incremental academic value in a niche field, rather than discovering massive underlying truths about the universe”. “At the same time, the Economics teachers at College, especially Robin Sutton, were fantastic at explaining the foundation of Economics – the modelling of human behaviour in a constrained world defined by unlimited wants and limited resources.” Rethinking his future plans, Min discovered that he could “understand a lot about human psychology and behaviours which drive people at the individual and aggregate level” and opted to pursue Economics at university. With a letter of recommendation from former Headmaster Simon Leese, he found himself at the
University of Cambridge. “The three years at Cambridge were amazing,” Min recalls. “I regularly pinched myself at the opportunity to be living in one of the oldest academic cities, laden with its traditions, esteemed alumni and talented students from all around the world. “The course was challenging but taught me some crucial skills – performing under pressure, self-discipline, and clear communication – which help me to this day. Also, British people absolutely love the Kiwi accent, so it was extremely easy to make new friends.” Initially, Min took on a role as a strategy consultant in London, working to support various businesses with their most pressing problems, before moving to a European private equity fund. “While private equity is a prestigious, well-respected industry promising interesting work and handsome remuneration, I soon felt that the pursuit for profit came at the expense of authenticity and empathy, which I believe have been fundamental to my happiness to this day.”
Seeking a purpose-driven role that aligned with his own values, Min took on his present position, focusing on helping to develop and grow “ventures in the climate and social space that generate world-positive outcomes”. Min – a member of Richards House and a talented footballer – also strives to embed authentic relationships in his work and everyday life, recalling the impact of two College teachers. “The boisterous Matt Cortesi (now Director of the College Centre for Character & Leadership) was often found shouting on the football pitch, and the quirky Dr David King taught Physics but left College to follow his passion and start his own bouncy castle company,” Min says. “They both seemed to have a zest for teaching, authentic relationships and for life in general, which I admired.” Longer term, Min hopes to lead a much simpler, enriched life, “pursuing the things that make me happy on a daily basis – sport, quality relationships, and spirituality”. “Nothing is set in stone but I’d like to be prioritising the happiness of myself and everyone around me.”
COLLEGE 2022
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