Whatever your imagination conjures up, it may not immediately be Sheldon Kock.

Originally from South Africa, Sheldon joined Bank of America’s Johannesburg office in 2019 as an Equity Sales Trader. He relocated internally within the company in 2022 and moved to London to join the broader Emerging Markets team. Since joining the bank, he has thrown himself into his role, and after five years, he remains as passionate as ever and confesses that he still has ‘pinch me’ moments.

What is striking about Sheldon is his lust for life, his boyish curiosity for learning and his hunger to perform. Coming from a single-parent household in post-apartheid South Africa, Sheldon’s grounding in life and his tenacity have been shaped by these environments.

His mother has undoubtedly been the most influential role model in his life, It’s a no-brainer, he laughs, as a smile rolls across his face. Her strong moral compass has kept his feet firmly on the path of integrity, humility, and authenticity. ‘’Coming from humble beginnings, she was always my driving force growing up. She worked hard and reinforced the need to give back to others. This, he says, has been a recurring lesson throughout his life and career to date. He fondly recalls his former manager who not only led by putting others first but also instilled an unwavering desire to remain hungry, which has gone on to fuel Sheldon’s robust work ethic.

He says he’s now surrounded by some of the nicest and smartest people he’s ever met. Perhaps this isn’t by chance, though? He notes that shared values are the bedrock of successful partnerships, whether they are personal or professional. Teamwork and collaboration are fundamental to being a successful trader. From the outside, perhaps you picture a trader as a sole operator, but he is quick to point out that in his experience, it’s far more collaborative than you would think.

He ponders over some of the stereotypes of Investment Banking and jokes that his wife has warned him not to become a ‘Finance Bro’! A stereotype that perhaps does ring true, is the hard-work people put into the job, the passion and interest in the work being done. He describes the level of focus and diligence as something to behold.

“Given the inherent dynamism of financial markets, the desire and need to remain curious is the go-to survival tool. Markets never stand still, and the ability to keep learning and adapting makes the ride that much more fulfilling.”

But when you’re making real-world impact across the broader economy and society, how can you not be driven asks Sheldon?

Whether this is through providing access to funding and expertise to female entrepreneurs, deploying over $560 billion of capital to help transition to a secure, low-carbon economy or providing over $290 million in philanthropic investments to support economic mobility, Bank of America has a much wider impact beyond the stock exchange.

It was always his dream to work at a global bank, but working for one that shares his values of making a difference in the world, drives him every day. With offices in most countries around the world and the resources available at Bank of America, he sees the tangible difference the company makes on a global scale. He loves being plugged into “the Mothership” in the US, and due to the sheer magnitude of the impact and influence Bank of America has, this keeps him both grounded and self-aware of the unique position he finds himself in.

Sheldon studied joint majors in Finance and Marketing, two distinctive subjects that could have led him down a very different career path. Being a natural ‘people-person’, Sheldon’s first job was working at Ford as a car salesman, where he got to travel extensively and develop his communication skills along the way. However, as time went by, his interest in the financial markets meant his Finance degree was calling. So, in 2014, he went on to secure a placement on a Graduate Programme at a local equities brokerage firm in Johannesburg.

This saw him get his foot in the door into financial services, where he gained exposure across the different business units from trade support to trading and execution.

Fast-forward to 2024, and Sheldon can reflect on his achievements with pride.

His advice for others:

“Embrace your identity and experiences, as they are at the heart of everything we do. Be diligent, be passionate, be clear about your goals and apply yourself to achieving them, be a nuisance if you have to be, knock on every door until it opens! “Sometimes it may seem like you have to jump through more hoops if you’re from a minority background, but when you’ve made it to the other side, the view is all the better. Do it for yourself, do it for your family, your community and for your country.”