A 'magician' loved by all - meet Frontier's Unsung Hero

From studying computer science in his native South Korea, to a stint at Georgia State University in the US, Ian Yun's path to Australia was a circuitous one. Drawn by our country's 'unique' super system, he joined Frontier in 2013 as an associate in the firm's Member Solutions and Quantitative Solutions Groups. Since then he's become a much-loved member of the Frontier team, revered for his exceptional technical skills. So much so, that his colleagues have nominated this hard-working, ping pong-playing, 'top bloke' as one of the industry's Unsung Heroes.

"Ian is a magician." Fiona Trafford-Walker - Director of Consulting

What his colleagues have to say...

Michael Sofer - Senior Consultant, Frontier
Ian has contributed significant programming experience to our QSG team. His expertise has been key in the development of our technology platform, the Partners Platform. His strong quantitative background, combined with his actuarial studies, have facilitated novel analysis and insights on complex client projects.

Fiona Trafford-Walker - Director of Consulting, Frontier
Ian is a magician. He takes investment and organisational challenges and develops solutions that work for everyone. He has saved me so much time (and angst) by automating many of my old processes, and this applies equally across the firm. He is a quiet achiever, incredibly respectful, very well regarded internally and just very nice to have around!

Tom Lambert - Head of Reporting, Frontier
Ian is respected and loved by all at Frontier. His interests extend to: being a passionate Melbourne Demons supporter (this could be the influence of our CEO); a lover of good Korean food (much to the delight of many in the office); and a recent wine enthusiast (with plenty of guidance from colleagues). No problem is insurmountable for Ian. He works hard to develop innovative and fresh solutions across the firm.

"I admire those who put an idea into action." Ian Yun

Q&A with Ian Yun

What do you enjoy most about your role?
In my role, I can spend time on whatever I think will benefit the business. You may have heard of Google's '20% time' policy, which was introduced to allow its employees to spend 20% of their time on non-regular projects. My schedule is pretty much like that (I am positive that my boss is aware of it), and I think it is possible thanks to Frontier Advisors' culture that fully encourages people to try innovative things.

What drew you to the organisation/industry?
After finishing my actuarial science degree in the US, I learned that Australia has its unique retirement system, Superannuation, that has been designed to have many good features. I was especially impressed by the fact that anyone who works in Australia, regardless what their job is, gets their own retirement account, and many high quality funds compete with each other purely for their members, both of which are not common in most countries around the world. I am very grateful that I can contribute to making the system more effective by applying my skills and knowledge to a variety of projects.

What was your very first job?
When I was in college, I did an intern at Macquarie Capital Korea, the Australian company's leasing business in Seoul. At that time it was quite an interesting concept to me that companies rent computers rather than purchase them, and those computers would have fully depreciated after five years. I wished I could take home some of those zero-valued computers for free. Also, I learned that Microsoft Excel was the best thing that had ever happened to the financial industry.

Who do you most admire and how have they influenced your life/work?
I admire those who put an idea into action. Entrepreneurship cannot describe what they do enough because sometimes their actions create and build an industry. I have been very fortunate to work with some of the pioneers in the asset consulting industry, and I am grateful that I can learn how they think differently and how they make big decisions.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
I would like to invite my late grandparents to the dinner. As I am getting older, I regret that I had not spent more time with them and did not appreciate how much they cherished me when I was a kid. I would like to thank them and hear more about what their lives were like.

What is the best advice you've been given?
My mentor once said to me this, and it keeps me awake and helps me whenever I struggle to prioritise things. He said, "at the end of the day, people will forget what I have done. I, however, will remember what I have done and what I have failed."

What possession do you most treasure?
I have a New Zealand five-dollar bill that my wife (then girlfriend) put a note on and gave to me ten years ago.

Do you have a secret skill/hidden talent?
It may emphasise that I am an Asian, but I am very good at badminton and ping-pong.

Ian opening the Frontier Partners Platform.

Is there someone in your organisation that deserves recognition for going above and beyond? Contact [email protected] to nominate your Unsung Hero!