Chartered financial analyst (CFA) and attorney Crystal Lin was greatly influenced by her mother, a single parent and company executive who would often take her young daughter to work, where the growing Ms. Lin witnessed and quickly developed an affinity for how business operates. Throughout her adult life, Ms. Lin has demonstrated unwavering dedication to her educational and professional pursuits, culminating in her most recent role as the Managing Director of Global Fixed-Income Research at Manulife Investment Management in Boston, Massachusetts. A seasoned financial expert with over two decades of experience in financial analysis, investments, valuation, corporate finance, capital markets, global commodities, and more, Ms. Lin has overseen multi-billion-dollar investments and takes pride in her consistent ability to outperform the market across various conditions.
Ms. Lin joined Manulife Investment Management in 2011 as a senior analyst and advanced to managing director several years ago. Proficient in conducting financial research for over two decades, she analyzed hundreds of companies across various industries with a specialized focus in cyclical sectors, as well as both developed and emerging markets. Ms. Lin delivered insightful investment analysis to optimize portfolio performances while continually deepening her expertise to support client objectives.
Prior to her tenure at Manulife Investment Management, Ms. Lin held various roles that enriched her professional journey. At BNP Paribas, she served as an Investment Committee Member and senior analyst in 2011, following her position as a global credit analyst in the commodities group from 2005 to 2010. Before her time at BNP Paribas, she excelled as an investment banker at STIFEL (formerly GMP Securities) in Toronto, Canada, from 2004 to 2005, and prior to that, she worked as a global structured finance and tax consultant at KPMG in Australia between 2001 and 2003. Ms. Lin fortified her professional qualifications early on, undertaking the chartered accountant program in Australia in 2003. Subsequently, she earned her CFA designation in 2004 and was admitted as an attorney at law in New York in 2005. Her academic journey commenced with a Bachelor of Commerce, with honors, and a Bachelor of Law, with honors, earned from the University of Melbourne, Australia, in 2000.
Driven to remain abreast of changes in the field, Ms. Lin is an active professional member of several prominent industry organizations, including the CFA Institute, the Fixed Income Analysts Society, Inc., and the New York Bar Association. Her parallel philanthropic efforts include mentoring underprivileged students through the Martin Luther King Scholarship program, supporting the Asian American Employee Resources Group at John Hancock, and participating in school parents’ groups. In her personal time, she treasures moments with her family across the globe and enjoys photography, traveling, cooking, music, and reading.
Ms. Lin has lived and worked around the world, including in the United States, Australia, Canada, and China. This global experience has given her firsthand knowledge and deep understanding of the intricate interplay between economics, laws, politics, culture, and history on a global scale, as well as a genuine appreciation of people from diverse backgrounds. As she has steadily reached new career heights, she says she has observed the challenges faced by women, especially those from other countries. Relishing a competitive spirit, and as an immigrant with extensive global experience, she believes she can serve as a role model to offer support and guidance to young women who have diverse backgrounds working in the industry. She also seeks to inspire more women to work in financial professions.
Though hard work and dedication have brought her far in her career, she attributes her success to her family and upbringing. She reflects on her family’s journey through tumultuous times in China, where they emerged from adversity. Raised by her mother and grandparents, who hailed from a once-prosperous and influential family before the Chinese Civil War, Ms. Lin recounts how their fortunes dissipated in the aftermath of the conflict. Undeterred, they embarked on a journey to rebuild their lives in a new society, fortified by their resilience and determination.
Ms. Lin draws inspiration from her family’s unwavering belief in themselves, their perseverance, and their ability to thrive despite the extraordinary challenges they endured during the war and subsequent revolutions. Their strength of character instilled in her the same personal values that she and her husband impart to their two sons. In the coming years, Ms. Lin intends to experience the continued success of her career.
