Yodsadhorn Vinitwatanakhun’s passion for finance is driven not by a desire for wealth but instead by a desire to make a difference in the world. From his beginnings as a trader, he utilized his international background—Yodsadhorn is originally from Thailand—to work with clients from across the globe. The experience was energizing, as he shouldered huge responsibility in leveraging capital and managing risk.
Yodsadhorn now enjoys his work as a strategist at Citigroup alongside some of the most ingenious people in his field. He explained that a large part of finance involves leverage, the use of borrowed capital to dramatically increase investment returns. He employs this concept to describe his mentality toward generosity: “We can make a bigger difference by encouraging others to give back than if we do it on our own.” He cited J.P. Morgan, through his investment into Thomas Edison’s research, as an example of how capital markets can leverage investments while also contributing toward the greater good. His experience at the graduate school, where he completed the Mathematics in Finance program, helped validate and support this idea.
GSAS also provided him with a community of like-minded colleagues, motivated to build something greater. During his time as a student, Yodsadhorn pursued this goal as Vice-President for the Master’s College Program Board, and took pleasure in inviting classmates to GSAS events. He relished the opportunity to expand his horizons by interacting with people from other disciplines. Yodsadhorn so enjoyed engaging with his colleagues in graduate school that he continues to play a vital role in the GSAS alumni community, working closely with the Mathematics Department and supporting all GSAS master’s alumni as the treasurer for the MCAA. Through his work with the MCAA, Yodsadhorn gives back to his alumni community, and he hopes to inspire others to give back as well.
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