Careers Advice

My Way: Ken Costa, of UBS Investment Bank, on how to succeed
‘Show you have the potential for leadership’

Some extracts:

What did you want to be as a child?
I grew up in South Africa and felt very strongly that I wanted to do something that would correct the injustice of apartheid, so I thought I’d be a lawyer.

What did you realistically think you would end up being?
Probably a commercial lawyer. I knew I would have to earn my keep.

You studied law and philosophy at Witwatersrand University and law and theology at Cambridge. Was it worth it?
Absolutely. Philosophy and theology give a structure for understanding more of life than the material. You have to have a structure to answer the big questions such as, what is the purpose of work?

What motivates you?
Trying to apply my Christian faith to the workplace.

Learning to love one’s neighbour in a highly competitive environment is a challenge, to say the least.

More in the Education section of the Independent.