We interview Zuzana Kucerova, a global risk syndicate VP at Deutsche Bank, about her professional career, and why she’s currently training to fight in Vanda Promotion’s IFS white collar boxing event in Singapore on 17 September.

Has training for the white collar boxing imparted any skills that you feel are applicable to your job?

Boxing is little bit like investment banking and life in general. Sometimes you need to punch and sometimes you get punched in return. It’s all about learning how to take the punches that boxing, work and everyday life bring you, and how you cope with them. The more punches you take, the stronger it makes you.

What words would you use to describe your emotions towards your upcoming fight?

Excitement, adrenaline, nerves, fear, anxiety.

Would you recommend this experience to your colleagues? And would you recommend it to other women, given that the boxing is still primarily a male sport?

Boxing is a great way of boosting your fitness and is a very challenging sport. A lot of us work in fairly stressful environments and boxing is one way to release this stress. Some people do yoga, some people go for a walk in the park, some take up boxing. It’s all about who you are and what does it for you personally, whether you are male or female.

Who would you want to be in the ring with you?

As a support? Michelle and Alexis – my coaches who have been by my side since the beginning of this journey. They know exactly which ‘buttons to press’ to make me perform the best I can. And as an opponent? Frankly, I have never hit a person in my life and never thought about doing so. From the moment I signed up for this event, I always thought of boxing as a sport where you test your fitness and skills, rather than ‘fight a person’.

Which gender do you think has an advantage when it comes to amateur boxing (if any at all), and why?

Let me use a quote from Muhammad Ali to answer your question: “Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”

Boxing is a sport and one of the most challenging ones. Does this mean men should have an advantage when it comes to boxing because it involves fighting? Yes, they do because “fighting” comes more naturally to them. But when it comes to skill, will and discipline, it’s all down to every individual: how dedicated you are, how much you want it, and how hard you work for it; whether you are male or female. One would be surprised of what women are capable of sometimes, especially when they really, really want something.

What attracted you to work in syndicate initially?

The every-day challenge, the dynamics of the job, working with people and working under pressure.

What personality traits and skills are helpful in syndicate?

Working in syndicate requires a number of skills. It’s a broad job, requiring a combination of origination, sales, legal, trading and research skills. You need to have a good understanding of credit markets, as well as strong technical and interpersonal skills. You also need the ability to think and act faster than your competitors. It’s like boxing in a way; you always have to be one step ahead of your opponent.

Can you describe a typical working day?

I usually start working at 7.45 or 8.00am. On the way to work I read my overnight emails and market updates from close of business New York time. I mostly look after the Euro medium-term note/private placement flow business in Deutsche Bank. I spend most of my morning sending out pricing indications and trade ideas to our sales force and responding to various reverse inquiries coming from the Asia Pacific region.

In the afternoon, once London opens, these trades tend to get executed, hence most of my afternoons get busy with live transactions. I usually finish work around 7.00 or 8.00pm on a ‘normal’ day. Working in Asia and dealing with different time zones of course requires staying in the office a bit longer on occasion.

What is the most difficult aspect of your work?

Working in syndicate puts you at the epicenter of all the action. On one side, you face the borrowers and on the other side, you face the investors via your internal sales force. You also become the main contact point for legal/settlement/hedging matters. I guess the hardest thing is to make everyone around you happy, which is almost mission impossible sometimes.

What aspect of your work do you enjoy the most?

I guess the best and the most enjoyable part of my job is when I come up with a good trade idea, find a suitable buyer and the issuer for it, and deliver a good transaction.

Click here to read an update from Zuzana about how her training is progressing.

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