Shinyung Kim

Hello, my potential employer. This is Shinyung Kim, but you can call me Jim. In December 2023, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with double bachelor's degrees in Economics and International Studies.

I am now living in New York, USA, pursuing a Master's degree in Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) at Columbia University in the U.S. (Class of 2025). Also, I am taking multiple leadership roles as a Treasurer of both the Business Management Club and the Columbia Investment & Finance Society at Columbia University, and reinforcing financial management skills and budgeting capacity to secure financial transparency for the clubs.

My long-term career goal is to become a Financial Risk Manager and Regulatory Controller who can assess and manage various business risks, leveraging effective financial analysis in an unpredictable corporate environment. I aim to graduate from Columbia University in December 2025 with a Master's degree in ERM and acquire the U.S. CPA certification in the shortest time possible.

After graduation, I would like to work in a role that focuses on financial and corporate risk management. Ultimately, I want to become a Risk Manager with expertise in financial statement analysis and internal control, helping prevent and respond to liquidity, credit, and market risks faced by businesses.

I believe that my personality and values align well with being someone who is responsible in all aspects of life and who respects the differences of others. I strongly believe that no successful person has achieved success without being diligent and managing their time well. Following this belief, I have consistently worked towards living a successful life based on sincerity and action.

For example, even when I faced difficult exams and assignments at school, I always did my best to submit high-quality work. Similarly, in group projects or team tasks during my internship, I always emphasized the importance of understanding and respecting each team member's ideas and contributions. In today’s diverse and globalized society, I believe that listening to and respecting the thoughts of others is essential, as it allows me to view the world with an open mind.

In conclusion, I consider myself a person who embodies logic through action, approaches work with sincerity, respects diverse opinions, and seeks to collaborate with others to lead successful projects.

One of my strengths is my ability to solve problems to achieve the goal of a team more efficiently, securing time management for organizations. I believe this skill will help me execute projects without delay and contribute to the team's overall time management. For example, during my time as a Korean Soldier augmented to the 8th United States Army at the 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion in Camp Humphreys, Pyeongtaek, South Korea.

During the period, I was a battalion building manager who had a responsibility for the overall maintenance of the 3 facilities that the battalion managed. I, under the supervision of my Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge (NCOIC), handled technological and physical issues of equipment and systems inside the building by collaborating with Korean mechanic teams in the military base, and such a responsibility made the battalion functions well timely basis.

In addition, throughout my internship in Ernst & Young Korea, I played a key role in ensuring the smooth execution of User Acceptance Testing (UAT) by translating critical documentation, such as Test Scripts and Remediation Dashboards, from Korean to English for the EY Global Mercury and EY Mercury APAC teams. Additionally, I conducted mock system tests to identify technical issues and promptly reported them to the relevant stakeholders, including consultants and the technical team at EY Korea. These efforts were critical in strengthening internal controls by identifying and addressing potential risks before the official system migration.

Through my last internships at EY Korea in 2019 and 2021, I developed a strong appreciation for the accounting firm environment. These experiences allowed me to build a solid foundation for becoming a risk professional in by learning strategic planning from consultants, enhancing my proposal writing skills, and improving my communication abilities through collaboration with consultants from diverse backgrounds in the Global and APAC teams. I was able to gain insights into the overall structure of projects, which further fueled my interest in pursuing a career in this field.

In addition, I participated in a Portfolio Management Competition hosted by Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. With my teammates, I analyzed companies' financial statements and determined about 30 times the stock investment decision to maximize portfolio yield return, minimizing financial risks in the portfolio. From the current competition, I have reinforced strategic communication skills to enhance the efficiency of communication and decision-making as a team.

In terms of ability for programming, I have several quantitative modeling experiences leveraging Python, R, and Excel formulas. I, first of all, learned to use Python when, in my last semester at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I had to generate economic reports by attaching economic trends and flows as data. Also, I leveraged R-studio when I took an Economic Decision Analysis class that required students to create their advisory reports by manipulating and regenerating data and economic charts from the real-case study.

Lastly, I leveraged Excel formulas through multiple work experiences in EY Korea as the projects when I experienced all addressed important data and reports as Excel documents. So, I have managed and summarized the Excel data by applying various Excel formulas. Also, I completed the Intro to Quantitative Risk Management course last semester, learning how to redistribute data and calculate the bond prices and value at risk (VaR) through Excel.

Meanwhile, I also managed the stress by going to a gym and working out physically after wrapping up my daily duties and assignments every single day. Whenever I fulfilled my work scope, I usually went to the gym, which is close to my house, and refreshed my physical and mental health, which was run out by stress, which originated from multiple assignments in the office. I also prefer doing outdoor activities such as soccer and running with my teammates, and that was one of my main solutions to deal with academic stress when I was in the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.

In 2021, I interned for six months in the Financial Accounting Advisory Service (FAAS) department within the Assurance division at EY Korea, where I focused on internal control and risk management in the context of a large-scale ERP system migration project. As a project-based intern, I supported the long-term internal project to integrate the EY Community's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system with EY Global's Mercury ERP system. I was assigned to the EY Korea Mercury team, where I assisted in managing and executing various data-related tasks, contributing to the identification and mitigation of risks associated with the migration process.

Throughout my internship, I played a key role in ensuring the smooth execution of User Acceptance Testing (UAT) by translating critical documentation, such as Test Scripts and Remediation Dashboards, from Korean to English for the EY Global Mercury and EY Mercury APAC teams. Additionally, I conducted mock system tests to identify technical issues and promptly reported them to the relevant stakeholders, including consultants and the technical team at EY Korea. These efforts were critical in strengthening internal controls by identifying and addressing potential risks before the official system migration.

Meanwhile, During my 18-month service with the Republic of Korea Army, augmented to the 8th United States Army, United States Forces Korea (USFK), I worked in the 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion's Logistics Office (S-4), managing various operational risk management and internal control functions. My primary responsibilities included overseeing the logistics of military supplies and supporting the efficient functioning of supply chains by creating and managing 80 memorandums detailing the status of military supplies in storage. I also submitted 15 monthly reports to the logistics officer, ensuring that supply management was conducted effectively and adhered to established internal controls.

In addition to my supply chain management duties, I played a critical role in strengthening operational risk management within the battalion. I was responsible for overseeing the operations of three military buildings, ensuring that internal building operations were running smoothly. This included identifying potential operational risks, addressing internal building issues, and maintaining continuous communication with the chain of command to report on any concerns.

My efforts in this area helped to minimize disruptions to operations and ensured that resources were allocated efficiently to support overall mission readiness.

As a mediator between U.S. and Korean soldiers, I bridged the language gap to facilitate effective communication and mitigate the risk of misunderstandings that could affect military operations. This role was particularly crucial in preventing operational risks that could compromise the efficiency of administrative and logistical processes. By ensuring clear communication, I helped maintain smooth collaboration between the two forces, contributing to the overall success of mission objectives.

Lastly, as a summer intern in 2019, I was assigned to the Digital Transformation (DT) team within the consulting division, where I actively contributed to managing strategic and operational risks while supporting management consultants in the creation of business proposals. One of my key responsibilities was assisting in a project focused on developing proposals for clients facing challenges related to market risk and political risk within the semiconductor industry, particularly in the context of the Japanese government's policies.

My role involved conducting thorough research to gather critical information about the semiconductor industry, the client’s competitors, and political developments that could impact the business environment. I compiled this data into organized Excel and Word documents, which were then used to inform and strengthen the strategic decisions made in the proposals. Through this process, I contributed to identifying potential risks and opportunities for clients, allowing the team to tailor the proposals to address both market and political risks effectively.

I am a graduate candidate of the Enterprise Risk Management program at Columbia University to learn practical skills to be a future financial risk manager and regulatory controller.

I aim to graduate from Columbia University in December 2025 with a Master's degree in ERM and acquire the AICPA certification as soon as possible. After graduation, I would like to work in a role that focuses on financial and corporate risk management.

Also, as a current graduate candidate in the Enterprise Risk Management program at Columbia University, I have learned qualitative and quantitative analysis in terms of risk management boundaries. Such knowledge might be useful tools and intelligent assets to identify, assess, and mitigate strategic risk that a company may face when developing its new business to generate sustainable financial health through revenue.