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2017 | SEMESTER 1
CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS
WHERE DID YOU COME FROM TO
ATTEND BOND?
I was living and working in Brisbane and initially
commuted to Bond before moving to the Gold
Coast during my second semester.
Martin Spann
Bachelor of Commerce
HOW HAS YOUR CAREER
PROGRESSED?
The economy in Australia was pretty tough
around the time I graduated, and while I had
a job it was not going anywhere quickly, so I
decided to make a change.
Some fellow 892 graduates had taken a year
out to travel and I heard stories about their
adventures in Japan. As the Japanese economy
was strong and Japanese banks were doing
well I thought there would be opportunities for
someone with a finance major who could speak
Japanese and so I went to Japan to study.
On my return to Australia I secured my first job
in the finance industry with State Street in their
Japanese division. Eventually I returned to Tokyo
to work for Barclays Capital on their futures and
options desk, later moving to the bond trading
desk where Japanese language skills were
required.
I spent several years trading bonds and interest
rate products in Japan in various positions. I
set up and ran the Japanese government bond
trading desk for a German bank covering
hedge funds before moving to work for the
Commonwealth Bank (CBA).
When I joined in 2010, CBA’s main business
in Japan was investing in bonds and trading
money-market related products. We have
since expanded our presence with a project
finance business that manages the Japanese
government-guaranteed portion of the bank’s
project finance deals, along with a structured
asset finance business (for aircraft and vessels)
with exposures of more than US$1 billion.
WHAT IS A HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR
CAREER TO DATE?
Being in the role of Japan Country Manager for
Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO BOND IN
THE FIRST INSTANCE?
The fact that I could do a degree in two years.
WHAT IS YOUR FONDEST MEMORY
OF BOND?
Don’s Tavern!
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www.arch.bond.edu.au