United Kingdom
A graduate of Auckland University, Cindy Baker received a B.A. with a double major in Japanese and Business Studies. She also represented New Zealand on a trip to Japan as a result of winning a Japan Foundation Award for Excellence in Japanese. She was then awarded an Auckland University Post Graduate Scholarship which took her to Sophia University in Japan, from which she graduated with a Certificate of Advanced Japanese Studies.
Cindy lived and worked in Tokyo for 10 years. She began her career in the financial industry, specializing in Japanese equities. Her first six years in the industry, she was a financial analyst covering the construction, housing and real estate sector. This role involved extensive interaction with Japanese corporates and various government and industry representatives. She then switched to a role in sales, becoming Head of Sales for a Kleinwort Benson in Tokyo actively covering both domestic and foreign investment institutions. Her move to London was initially working in equity sales for James Capel and then as Head of Japanese Equity Sales for Smith Barney and Director of Japanese Equity Sales for Citigroup Capital Markets. She is now at a boutique research house, Pelham Smithers Associates, selling bespoke research to a number of global financial institutions.
