See How Goldman Sachs Celebrated Asian Pacific American Heritage Month—Virtually

Throughout the month of May, Goldman Sachs recognized Asian Pacific American Heritage Month by hosting several virtual events highlighting the contributions of Asian Americans to our society and culture. Some of the events are highlighted below:

Discussion on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Asian Community 

The Asian Professionals Network (APN) created a forum for internal dialogue on the state of the Asian community, including the reports of xenophobia. The conversation reinforced the firm’s focus on supporting the wellbeing of our people and their families.

Network members listened to a panel of managing directors share their experiences through a moderated discussion with Erika Irish Brown, Goldman Sachs’ chief diversity officer. Shefali Gera, EMEA head of Diversity & Inclusion and EMEA head of Wellness, closed the session by providing perspectives from her team on the current environment. 


Panel Discussion Among Industry Leaders on COVID-19 and the Recovery 

The Network also hosted a virtual panel discussion with Asian American leaders across industries on the economic and community impact of COVID-19, as well as the role of the Asian community in the recovery. Kristin Olson, global head of the Alternative Capital Markets Group, moderated the panel featuring: Mariko Carpenter, vice president of Strategic Community Alliances at Nielsen; Celia Au, actress and activist known for her roles in Wu Assassins and Lodge 49; and Joanne Kwong, president of Pearl River Mart.

“The panel discussion was not only a window into the challenges Mariko, Celia and Joanne face in their daily lives and workplaces amid Covid-19, but also offered timeless perspectives on breaking barriers, bringing communities together, and spreading simple joy. Their stories were both inspiring and a great source of pride for me as an Asian American,” shared managing director and Asian Professionals Network member Jean Xu.


APN Insight Series: Precious Metals with Tony Kim 

As part of an event series aimed at introducing members of the EMEA Asian Professionals Network to opportunities across the firm, the Network held a conversation with Tony Kim, global head of Precious Metals and Base Metals Derivatives Trading in the Global Markets Division moderated by Ashish Chordia, vice president in Global Markets. Over 80 members joined to hear about the complexities of the business and a recent trade the team completed using innovative methods during the pandemic.


Discussions on the Asian-Pacific Community – Reflections on Representation, Recent Trends and the Path 

The Dallas Asian Professionals Network (DAPN) hosted a discussion on Asian-Pacific heritage led by three Dallas-based managing directors.

Each speaker shared their perspective and involvement with the Asian-Pacific community, including experiences of working abroad in the Singapore and Bengaluru offices, views on Asian-Pacific representation in Dallas, as well as insights into some of the considerations for their internal mobility moves to the Dallas office. Panelists also discussed the growth of the Goldman Sachs Asian Professionals Network over the years, and their aspirations for growth going forward. 


Discussion Panel and 1-on-1 Mentorship Program in Support of University of Texas-Dallas (UTD) International Students

The Dallas Asian Professionals Network partnered with University of Texas Dallas (UTD) to organize a panel discussion for over 170 UTD graduate school international students. The conversation introduced the students to life at Goldman Sachs and covered topics ranging from career aspirations, community support and experience living in America.


Internal Mobility Event 

In partnership with the Dallas Women’s Network (DWN), the Dallas Asian Professionals Network hosted a virtual panel on internal mobility. Over 130 colleagues, across seven offices, joined the event to hear from five panelists in the Dallas region who shared their personal experiences with internal mobility. A representative from Human Capital Management also sat on the panel and provided an overview of the resources available for exploring internal mobility opportunities, as well as best practices for navigating the process.

“It was really helpful hearing Goldman Sachs employees’ firsthand experiences with internal mobility. We receive a ton of questions about best practices for navigating the process from both internal and external candidates – especially since many experience mobility through the traditional recruiting process in comparison to more organic opportunities offered from senior leadership,” shared Drew Wilson of Human Capital Management in Dallas.