I have the privilege of being boxed out of the ring by one Naim Hassani every Tuesday and Thursday lunch time at our gym, FIGHTZONE LONDON, and whilst it might seem a little odd to be writing a piece about a superior pugilist (he's younger, quicker, generally nicer and more effective, whilst I am old, slightly podgy and struggle to react to his hooks), I think he's especially worth mentioning. Because after our session this morning, he let slip that, despite the odds, he will be starting in the Structured Credit Sales team at Goldman Sachs Global Markets Division.
Why is this relevant? Well for starters I'm going to be heading to the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses summer soiree this evening to listen to Charlotte Keenan, Jon Foster and Lydia Finnegan talk about the CSR programmes that the investment bank supports and I think that Naim Hassani's story deserves a special mention as it both humbled and inspired me and, I think, shows what true grit, determination and mettle can deliver for someone who believes in himself. And before you ask, yes, I got his permission to put out this puff piece about him.
He told me about how he grew up in a council estate not far from where I live in Hackney, and that in school he failed to excel. Teachers similarly didn't see much spark and, according to him, told him what he can expect out of life and where he would be in life. That, indeed, appeared to be the message that most in his community received about their future and their potential, according to him. By his own admission, his GCSE's were underwhelming, but it put a fire in him and he set himself a personal goal of getting into the The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and a career in investment banking to lift him and his family out of poverty.
He worked hard, assiduously applied himself and drove himself to change the needle on his own academic potential with self study (and a bit of a gift for maths). From school drop out (GCSE) he secured A*AA in Maths and Further Maths, bagged a place at the LSE and, during his degree, summer internships in Goldman Sachs before successfully applying and nailing down his first full time role starting this July.
Why mention him? Because I think the hunger and ambition he's demonstrated and his willingness to push himself should show us all the potential that is out there, often in areas that are overlooked. Charities like Vincent Keaveny CBE's Progress Together aim to ensure that those from all socio-economic brackets are given equal opportunity within the financial services industry (all be it at senior levels). Others like London Youth and Wings of Hope aim to make young people like Naim Hassani mentors to show others that they have more potential than they've been told and taught. I think if we can unlock him and others to spread the message of aspiration, we can unlock more. Let's get cracking
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