You don’t have to dig too deep before discovering that Meysum is an opportunist, with a high-risk tolerance and willingness to problem-solve on the go.
Raised in an entrepreneurial household, with access to an extended family of successful business minds, Meysum’s exposure and appreciation for the world of business began young. He recounts a dinner table conversation at a young age where his family discussed the difference between interest only and principal and interest mortgage lending, later recalling and sharing this knowledge as a student with his peers within his first job at ASB.
As a curious 13-year-old, Meysum first began to dabble in the investment world, setting up a demo account and later convincing his Dad to create a live trading account, investing his own money. He admits to this being largely trial and error but a great environment for learning and growing his sophistication.
In early 2020 whilst on school holidays, Meysum was chauffeur to his dad whilst he had a broken foot, attending some work meetings. It was at one of these meetings that he heard about a mysterious virus in China that was having serious negative effects on people throughout the world. With little in the New Zealand media at the time, Meysum conducted his own research and decided to use this knowledge to bet against MGM Resorts through stock option contracts, later, in his words ‘making a killing’ when the stock price tanked. It’s this slightly unorthodox approach and ability to spot an opportunity that makes Meysum, one out of the box.
Recognising his risk tolerance has shifted as he’s matured, he now apportions his personal investment portfolio into appropriately named buckets of ‘Do crazy things’ and ‘Invest like an old man’.
As an Auckland University, Bachelor of Commerce student, Meysum entered the EY Tax Case Competition – a challenge that engages undergraduate and postgraduate students to partake in a business challenge, building problem-solving skills, commercial awareness and critical thinking. Meysum won the New Zealand Regional finals, which qualified him for the second stage Oceania competition in Sydney, later resulting in an internship, and moving to a full-time role within their tax due diligence team. He enjoyed the varied advisory work, deep diving into companies to understand how they work, structures, information flows and risks.
Travel has always played a part in Meysum’s life, with regular family holidays around Aotearoa to places like the Bay of Islands, seeding the passion for exploration further afield. For him, it’s the mix of history, culture, food and adventure that fuels his passion.
Meysum brings an optimistic and opportunistic energy to the Quayside office. He’s fresh and keen to bring his ideas and innovations to the table. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for this bright young man and our newest Investment Analyst.
