At Bloomberg in London: “I’ve managed to keep in touch with my Japanese roots while living abroad.”

At Bloomberg, we work closely with clients across the globe. As such, employing colleagues who can speak multiple languages – and who are well-versed in different cultures – helps us offer a consistently high level of service to all our customers.

Japanese-speaking employees in Bloomberg’s London office have the opportunity to immerse themselves in one of the world’s most dynamic financial hubs, while assisting clients based in Tokyo and as well as working with Japanese-speaking clients in the wider EMEA region. They support all areas of the business, providing expertise on everything from fixed-income to equities. In addition, the time difference between the UK and Japan means that when London-based employees log-on in the morning, they’re able to assist clients in Tokyo who are working late into the evening – which is often when support is most needed.

Originally from Kyoto, Japan, Leo Sakamoto moved to London to join Bloomberg’s Analytics team. Here, he tells us more about life in London, how his language skills have benefited him at work, and how his role helps him stay connected to his Japanese roots.

Q: What do you like most about living in London? Why did you choose to start your career here?

A: The city’s love for fashion, football, and music, all huge passions of mine, make London the perfect place for me. Living in London presented a good change of scenery, given that I previously lived in Kyoto for eighteen years, then I moved to the UK and spent three years living in Warwick.

Q: Did you move to London for your role at Bloomberg? If so, how did you find relocating?

A: Yes, I relocated to London in July 2021 to coincide with my start at Bloomberg. The visa application process was absolutely seamless thanks to our HR department, and having friends from work living close by allowed me to settle into my surroundings.

Q: What do you like most about your role?

A: I can’t narrow it down to one, so I’ll share three! Firstly, I’ve had the pleasure of working with the most intelligent, engaging, and open people, which has really enhanced my working experience. The opportunity to teach our new joiners is also extremely rewarding as it really puts your knowledge to the test. The role offers a great balance, where you really focus during working hours, while allowing for the time to engage in personal interests – like our Bloomberg 5-aside football matches on Thursdays after work.

Q: How have your language skills influenced your work?

A: Being a Japanese speaker has massively impacted my daily work. My mornings largely revolve around assisting Japanese speaking clients both based in Asia and in EMEA. I’ve also been able to partake in client visits with our Sales teams, tasked with providing fixed income expertise to our Japanese clients based in London.

Q: How does working at Bloomberg encourage you to be yourself?

A: The job has also provided great opportunities to leverage my growth mindset, whether that be building my fixed income knowledge or learning how to better interact with clients, as well as delving into emerging areas like Sustainable Finance. Having formal and informal Japanese communities at work has also allowed me to keep in touch with my Japanese roots while living abroad.