2nd Profile Batch

Hi everyone, Zach here again with your next exciting profile update! Today we have very special, and completely unexpected inquisitors to get the information we need from our completely willing participants!

If you know who these guys are, I will personally award you 100 extra nerd points!


First up is our good friend Shoji Takeyama.
After reading his profile introduction questions I learned that Shoji is the finance master! He is also a very modest gentleman.

1. Tell us a little about your background.
I got a BA in economics in year 1993 and established my career in the financial industry, especially securitizaion world. I started my career at Japanese bank, Dai-ichi Kangyo Bank, now Mizuho Bank. I left it in year 2000 and worked as a structure of asset backed security for Credit Lyonnais, now Calyon, or French bank. And then I moved to Moody's, US rating agency as a analyst of commercial mortgaged backed security. Now I work as a marketer of insurance linked security at Swiss Re capital market corporation for two years.

2. What are you doing now?
I am a marketer at security house. I work for Swiss Re Capital Market Corporation Tokyo Branch, capital market subsidiary of Swiss Reinsurance Company. At my company, I try to get a mandate of catastrophic bonds, the bond whose risk is related to natural disaster such as earthquake and hurricane from mainly Japanese property and causality insurance companies.

3. Why did you join the McGill MBA program and what do you hope to gain from it?
I deal with a very early stage product or catastrophic bonds with limited colleagues in Japan. So I would like to learn how to expand my business in this program. In addition, I hope that the international experience at the class makes me more comfortable to work at non-Japanese company.

4. Can you share something that very few people know about you?
I know securitization, one of structured finance product. So if you are interested in it, please let me know. I will tell you in detail.

5. What is your pet peeve.
I do not like time pressure. Especially, I do not like decision making second by second. Although I invest in Japanese equity via internet security company, I have never done day trading in my life.

6. Shameless plug for one of your activities?
I go to the gym every week. I take "KAATSU" training or high pressure training made in Japan, The training is very hard, I believe that it is one of the most efficient training program.

7. Anything else that you would like to add.
I am afraid that I would have put classmates to a some deal of trouble due to my long hour work. But I will try to do my best and I hope that I can contribute to the class.

Thank you very much Shoji. We all look forward to seeing you in class soon!


Next up is Mr. Derek White. Derek is a very cool guy, if you haven't had a chance to talk with him yet, I highly recommend that you make some time to do so in the near future. I had the pleasure of drinking a few beers with him the other night and it was great.

1. Please tell us a little bit about your background.

I grew up in a town of 600 (yes 600) called Warkworth, appr. 2 hours east of Toronto. I left when I was 18 and took an undergrad in Urban & Regional Planning at Ryerson University and a 2 year diploma in Building Renovations at George Brown College, both in Toronto. I moved to Japan in June of 2006.

2. Where are you working now and what do you do?

I work at Ilya Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kajima Construction. The company does Interior Design, Office Planning and Procurement. My division is called Hospitality Solutions and we procure furniture and operating supplies for hotels and restaurants.

3. Why did you join the MBA program and what are your goals?

I joined the program because I believe it will increase my career options both in Japan and in Canada. My goal is to work in Real Estate Development, particularly in the field of Senior"s Housing.

4. Can you tell us something that not too many people know about you?

I'm a big-time Elvis fan & a bit of an amateur classical music enthusiast.

5. What is your pet peeve?

1) I hate balloons 2) I can't stand opening a banana without a knife

6. Would you like to make a shameless plug?

No thanks.

7. Anything else...?
I think our class is unique and has already done a good job of bonding. I look forward to the next 2 years building a group of peers that I will have for the rest of my life.

Thanks for the profile, Derek. Now, can we ask for your Elvis impersonation at the beginning of next class?