Joe Thomas

What do you do at Mizuho?

I work in Mizuho’s Sponsor Coverage & Leveraged Finance Department. My team is responsible for Stratum Investments (“Stratum”), Mizuho’s rapidly growing Managed Account platform that invests in European private equity backed sub investment grade loans on behalf of third-party investors.

Specifically, my role is to market Stratum to potential investors and then structure deals that are tailored to their investment needs

What causes are important to you?

Most of my spare time in this year has been spent training to swim the English Channel to raise awareness of and money for people who suffer from MDS, a rare form of blood cancer that my Dad was diagnosed with a few years ago.

Training has been brutal ahead of the 21 mile / 34km swim, from cardio and strength training to cold water endurance sessions - no easy task considering I only started learning to swim indoors last year!

What drives you?

I like to think I have a healthy obsession with trying to bring the best out of myself and the people around me. Whether it’s trying to run a 100 miles or developing a top-performing fund in the market, I’m motivated by taking on big challenges that push me outside of my comfort zone and force me to grow.

Why did you start the Future Leaders Group?

I founded the Future Leaders Group in 2018 to provide a platform for junior talent within Mizuho to lead and participate in initiatives, designed to increase collaboration across the bank. The Group empowers Junior talent to take responsibility – organise events, implement ideas and communicate directly with senior management. The aim is to provide a platform for junior talent to build their own internal network,  fostering the growth of the next generation of leaders at Mizuho.

7 years on, the Group continues to thrive under the leadership of Max Fewster and Jasmine Chikhlia, providing is 75+ members with monthly events and initiatives such as the mentoring scheme and buddy scheme. I see the Group as a key tool for Mizuho during the implementation of the CIB model as it helps to break down silos and improve synergies across the Bank. We are fortunate to have Suneel support the initiative wholeheartedly and I am proud to now be the senior sponsor alongside him.

What advice would you give to yourself / others when starting out?

If I had to pick one - it would be to find a mentor. A great mentor can improve your decision making, facilitate a change in role, and ultimately accelerate your career. However, in order to get the best out of a mentor relationship, it’s critical that you first demonstrate you have the right attitude, and show a willingness to put in work to achieve your goals.

What do you do for fun?

Playing football with my 15-month old son, Mason. He’s surprisingly good, but it’s too early to tell if he’s the next Declan Rice (according to ChatGPT).