School of Social Sciences

Class of 2011
Degree: BSocSc major in Sociology and Marketing

Associate, Consulting

Peter Bach is the laureate of the Lloyd's List Award in 2012 for achieving the highest score worldwide in the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS) exams, in addition to ICS Singapore award in 2013 sponsored by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. He was featured in top industry magazines including Tradewinds and Fairplay. Of Vietnamese heritage, he chose an unconventional route from his peers by choosing Singapore to obtain his degree. He chose Singapore Management University as at the time it was the only Singapore university out of the top three that applied practical seminar-based (instead of lecture-based) approach to education and actively promoted cultural diversity.

Career

I am currently in charge of developing innovative solutions to complex requirements for the global clientele across different time zones, analyzing market intelligence and negotiating contracts. The role demands quick problem-solving and sharp analytical skills. In addition to inherent intellect, I believe that perseverance, self-awareness, curiosity and humility are the most essential elements of a fulfilling career.

Learning

I believe it is very important to always try to venture out of your comfort zone, keep learning and challenge yourself to live a better life.

I have a keen passion for Investment Management/ Hedge Fund industry and out own interest took Chartered Financial Analyst examinations. For my own portfolio I have chosen a combination of fundamental and technical analysis using self-developed models and was very fortunate to achieve double digit annualized returns over the past 5 years with the Sharpe ratio of 2.63. At some point, I realized that the very concepts I learned in advanced Sociology and Psychology subjects, in combination with financial modelling, can be used to dissect the mechanics behind the financial markets and sometimes take advantage of their inefficiencies.

During my spare time I have also learned a bit of coding. Not long ago, I have mastered C# language and for the fun of it developed and released a mobile game for iOS and Android named "Kulka", a visual infinite runner set in space. To my surprise, the game has attracted about 20,000 downloads with 200,000 gameplays worldwide so far.

SMU

I think the best part of SMU is its truly multi-disciplinary approach. In addition to excellent advanced electives such as Economic Sociology and Sociology of Social Networks, more than half of the classes I took were business courses at SMU's School of Business and also Queen's School of Business as part of the exchange program. This flexibility of choosing the courses and majors within business and social science disciplines has not only enabled me to develop a more holistic perspective, but also opened the doors to entirely new career paths.