Starting out as an Associate
Yanmei joined Third Bridge in February 2020 as an Associate in the Client Services team, fresh from a Business and Management degree at the University of Nottingham. She had studied Accounting before that but knew she didn’t want a career solely focussed on crunching numbers.
An internship offer drew her to Third Bridge because it promised exposure to Private Equity and Consulting clients as well as to a part of the value chain she hadn’t encountered before.
Building experience and confidence
About ten months in, Yanmei progressed to Project Manager, taking on more responsibility for managing client requests and guiding teams through live projects. It was her first taste of leadership and a moment when she began to see how her curiosity could become a strength. “You’re constantly learning from clients and experts at the same time,” she says. “I started to enjoy connecting the dots between what clients were asking for and what experts could provide.”
That curiosity soon led her to explore new corners of the business. During training she was introduced to the Library team, where sector-specific Analysts lead expert interviews to uncover deeper insights. “I realized that actually I enjoy diving a bit deeper,” she says. “Rather than knowing a bit about everything, I wanted to know a lot about just one or two things.”
With her manager’s encouragement, Yanmei started asking questions about how Library operated and what skills she needed to join the team. “The company really is very flexible, allowing every individual to progress in the way that is relevant to them,” she explains. “My manager suggested I talk to different people to understand what the role involved, and everyone was happy to help.”
Soon after, she joined the Library team as an Associate, working closely with Analysts to identify and screen experts for projects. That exposure to detailed sector research confirmed that she wanted to become an Analyst herself. “I found it fascinating to understand the real business logic behind companies and why some perform better than others,” she says.
Becoming a sector specialist
About a year later, Yanmei took the next step and became an Analyst specialising in the Consumer sector, a space that combines her interest in business strategy with everyday relevance.
“The consumer sector is about companies that sell the products and services we all use daily,” she says. “What I really enjoy is how relatable these companies are. You’re covering everything from aspirational luxury at one end to everyday necessities at the other.”
Her true passion is luxury, a segment that remains macro-relevant without losing company-level nuance. “One day, I might be interviewing experts on topics such as China demand cycles, US consumer wealth effects, or tourism flows,” she explains. “On another day, I’ll be discussing luxury brands’ history, strategic shifts, and recent performance.”
As her understanding deepened, Yanmei developed a reputation for connecting quantitative data with real-world context – an ability that helped her earn promotion to Senior Analyst. “I’m fascinated by how the operational and analytical sides come together,” she says. “By speaking to experts, you start to understand what’s really driving the numbers and the story behind them.
What helped her grow
Yanmei credits her progression to both the company’s flexibility and her own curiosity. “Curiosity really helped me along the way,” she says. “Not being worried about asking questions and always being curious has helped me grow.”
That mindset has been encouraged at every step. “When I asked questions, people didn’t just answer, they encouraged me to keep asking,” she says. “It’s great to know that curiosity is valued here.”
Impact and insight
For Yanmei, success is all about the tangible impact her work has for our clients. “In my role, success is helping clients to answer critical questions about a company that they are interested in,” she says.
A project in the Luxury sector stands out as a career highlight. “There are a lot of cyclical and structural challenges for the sector in general,” Yanmei says. “Clients were asking whether Luxury had reached the bottom and if momentum would return.”
To answer, she interviewed experts from well-known luxury brands. By comparing business models and product portfolios, she uncovered why some brands were thriving while others struggled. The analysis helped clients understand which companies were best positioned for recovery.
“It’s about giving clients clarity beyond the data – by hearing directly from industry executives on what’s happening on the ground,” she says. “That’s what helps investors focus on what truly matters.”
Culture that encourages exploration
When asked about the culture at Third Bridge, Yanmei describes a supportive environment that values initiative and curiosity. “Third Bridge is really open and flexible,” she says. “Every individual is encouraged to explore what they are interested in and to progress in the way that is relevant to them.”
She’s also found the international mix of colleagues motivating. “We have people from so many different backgrounds, which makes collaboration more dynamic,” she says. “It’s an inclusive and inspiring place to work.”
Advice for future joiners
Yanmei’s advice to anyone thinking of joining Third Bridge is to be open and ask lots of questions. “Don’t be worried that you have too many questions, especially in the early days,” she says. “Take every opportunity to find out more about how a company operates and ask a lot of people different questions. That’s how you learn.”
By connecting data with real insights from real people, Yanmei helps clients uncover what really drives performance while showing that great questions can be just as powerful as the answers.
