A Call to Make Meaningful Impact — Dinner with Helene Li, Managing Director of BNP Paribas Wealth Management

Sometimes the most meaningful and inspiring conversations happen over casual meals. The Time Auction Blog is a snippet of our meetings with people who have found passion in their life and career, where we get a glimpse into their mentality behind their ventures.

Head of Strategic Planning and Brand & Communications at BNP Paribas Wealth Management in Asia Pacific, Helene Li is an advocate for social investment as well as a Top 10 Influencer on Sustainability and Impact. Believing in the power and potential of capital markets to bring about positive social changes, she proactively pushes for purpose-led investment to become mainstream in the financial industry.

In her prior roles in JP Morgan Chase Private Bank and Swiss wealth management firm Lombard Odier, the seasoned banking professional was instrumental in setting up Family Office and Philanthropy related forums across Asia Pacific. She also partnered with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and established the forward-thinking platform Creative Capitalism Forum in 2010, hoping to deepen the call for socially meaningful engagements.

Over dinner, Helene shared with us what keeps her grounded in a money-driven industry and her advice to young, driven college graduates.

What is your life motto?

“Always be thankful for something. Be thankful every day.

The fact that you are alive is something to be thankful for. Also, be kind. We all need to work, demonstrate that we contribute. But I think that while you can be useful, you can also be kind.”

Is there a habit or practice that has significantly improved your life in the past few years?

“Yoga. I do yoga every day. I think that helps calm the mind in a relatively busy world. I also do meditation. It’s part of the wellness practice.”

What advice would you give a fresh college graduate?

“I am still living and learning every day and I don’t claim to be able to give advice to anyone but from the little experience I have garnered,

Expect the unexpected. Life always shows up in different colours to how you might have planned.”

Is there a bad recommendation in your field of expertise that we should avoid?

“I don’t think there are any bad recommendations, because whether the piece of advice somebody offers you is good or not so relevant, you learn from it.

Nothing is wasted in life, actually. You either win or you learn a lesson.”

What’s one action you wish we can take away from this meeting?

Go out there and help someone. It’s not just being passionate, I think we get a lot more from helping than being helped. Go out there and help someone, you’ll be surprised how much you get out of it.

Thank you Helene for raising 70 volunteer hours to Food Angel, WeCareBill and more!

Big thanks to Zodiac Lighting for sponsoring the event!

These awesome photos are brought to you by Henry from KaChick — a marketplace where you can book a photographer anywhere, anytime, for anything!

For more amazing opportunities, visit Time Auction to volunteer and meet inspiring mentors!