Understanding trends, culture crucial for budding entrepreneurs: Experts
The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated the need for incumbent firms to digitise. Whatever the final outcome is when the pandemic subsides, the banking and finance sector will require a different set of skills
Upcoming entrepreneurs must have a good understanding of trends and culture to become successful in the post-Covid-19 world.
Finance and banking experts expressed such an opinion at a webinar titled, "Post-Covid-19 Career in Finance and Banking" on Thursday.
The webinar was organised by the EMK Center in association with the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (Ulab) and The Business Standard, as part of a month-long campaign titled "Future of Work Post-Covid-19: Building a Sustainable Post-Pandemic Future for the Youth."
In this session, Oliver B Libby, managing partner and co-founder of Hatzimemos/Libby, a strategy and venture firm based in New York City, Asif Uddin Ahmed, acting director of EMK Center, and Professor Imran Rahman, advisor to the board of trustee at Ulab, discussed the future skills required for the finance and banking sector.
Speakers at the program said the Covid-19 crisis has accelerated the need for incumbent firms to digitise. Whatever the final outcome is when the pandemic subsides, the banking and finance sector will require a different set of skills.
Oliver B Libby emphasised that a crisis like this pandemic creates opportunities and accelerates trends.
His advice for all budding entrepreneurs who want to stay relevant is to understand trends and culture, be collaborative, be visionary and keep learning.
Oliver B Libby pointed out that though people were reluctant about globalisation in the past few years, this pandemic has pushed people to adopt technological solutions in every aspect of their lives.
"There will be no jobs without technology," he added.
He also shared his experience of working in the impact investment sector: how impact investment is creating differences in society while creating financial value.
Answering the question "What are the opportunities that were created in the pandemic?" Libby pointed out that as Covid-19 has loosened the old structures, the prospect of opportunities has increased.
He said financial and technological boundaries have broadened and authorities understood that opening border of rules will increase the flow of talent.
Oliver B Libby prescribed practicing baseline skills like understanding accounting and financial modeling, as well as up-level skills like negotiation, persuasion, inspiring and motivating teams and management.
"The ability to be dynamic is the most important skill" he concluded.
The webinar was inaugurated by Asif Uddin Ahmed, and Joshua Kamp, cultural affairs officer at US Embassy in Dhaka and moderated by Professor Imran Rahman.