I currently work as the global head of research and chief strategist for an international bank, which involves communicating the latest economic and market developments to clients. I am also on the autism spectrum.

Career Journey

My early aspirations were to go into the military. Instead, after university, I started out working in banking and portfolio management, before taking up an advisory role with a bank, which appealed to my interest and enjoyment for client engagements.

“Since then, it’s been a whirlwind tour. I’ve worked in Chicago, New York, London, Singapore, Dubai, and even had a brief stopover in Australia. So it’s been a pretty wild ride to say the least!”

Hobbies

What we do in banking and finance is so intense, you need hobbies and interests outside of work to take you mentally and physically away from the work mindset. I spend quite a bit of time training, which includes gym work and swimming. I am also a very passionate skier, especially in exotic and hard-to-reach places. When I am not skiing, I ride motorcycles. Most importantly, I try to spend as much time as possible and share my passions and interests with my 13-year-old son, who is starting to explore the world.

Adapting to Change

My childhood was spent split between America and France. We also spent quite a bit of time in other countries. This expat lifestyle has continued throughout my life. Moving around a lot has made me appreciative of different cultures, backgrounds and ways of life. When people ask, “where’s home?” I'm not really sure how to answer that.

Change is however something I’m not very good at. I’m still learning to adjust better to change, by coming up with coping mechanisms. I’ve learnt taking a deep breath, not having knee-jerk reactions and thinking about how you react are really important. As a kid, when I needed to get away from the rest of the world, I would practice a sport for three hours by myself. As an adult, after business trips with jam-packed schedules, I would sit in a dark room for a day to recover.

“Things that work for me are not solutions for everybody. It is recognising that it is okay, to give yourself time to recover in different ways which help you recalibrate and rebalance.”

Being on the Spectrum

I never properly realised that I have autism until my son was officially diagnosed, which was only about five years ago.

“It was a relief for me because now I sort of understand what playbook I am dealing with.”

The best teacher I have had over the last five years has been my own son. Recognising your own shortcomings as they are presented to you by your own children is a great experience. The lessons I have had to learn as a parent, I can turn around and apply to myself. Though I probably do not take my own medicine very well!

Lessons From My Son

I watched my son express frustration when something is not as he expected. Working with him to try and view change or challenges as opportunities has been helpful for me in building coping skills for managing change and uncertainty.

Another lesson is to manage external perceptions. When you’re going through periods of frustration, anxiety or whatever you want to call it, recognise that people in the outside world are not the enemies, there is also this tendency to shut yourself off from the outside world. The outside world can interpret that as being introverted or antisocial. However, for us, it’s a survival mechanism. By going through these experiences with my son, he and I are learning to manage better, and that has been really interesting.

Super Strengths

I can become very focused about a particular topic. Some may say it’s obsessive but I would counter that and say that’s passion.

“This ability to focus is a real strength, becoming singularly focused with achieving whatever that is regardless of distractions, challenges, hurdles and mountains to climb.”

As I face challenges and learn coping skills, I also develop a passion for understanding other people’s challenges and mentoring them. For the past eight years in the bank, I really enjoy mentoring people who are at the earlier stages of their careers. I was very lucky to have had great mentors, in spite of myself. I am quite passionate about doing the same in return.

Common Misperceptions

“People often think individuals on the autism spectrum cannot work with others. While it may be true for some, this stereotype is not accurate for all of those on the spectrum.”

There are a lot of people on the spectrum who bring lots to the table and can work well in groups, finding solutions by bringing a different perspective.

One of the brilliant things my son does is when working with a group of people, he is upfront about his autism. He says, “I’m on the spectrum. If I interrupt, please don’t take it personally.” He is self-aware and that puts people’s minds at ease. Making people more aware, especially when it’s an invisible learning difference, can actually explain a lot. I think just raising awareness and normalising things helps.

Inclusive Environments at Work and in Schools

Organisations need to get better at having these conversations not just with new employees, but even with candidates.

“There needs to be a recognition that sometimes people learn and work differently. This does not mean special treatment, just that some people may be able to work to their maximum potential if they are allowed to work in certain environments or circumstances.”

The world is increasingly doing away with closed offices to create an open and inclusive environment, which I totally support. However, at times, some individuals need to be able to escape from stimulus overload; sitting in a closed office can be therapeutic for them.

More schools and education systems are becoming more aware, and are working to provide support and infrastructure. As the field of research is still growing, there are a lot of questions that are unanswered. Many schools do not have the resources and are not capable of making big pivots until they obtain more conclusive information. So a bit of chicken and egg going on.

However, there’s real recognition in a few countries that, if we get it right, neurodiversity is an untapped resource. A few places have made enormous progress in offering dedicated schools with effective learning environments for neurodiverse kids. One example is in the UK, where there is recognition that specialised schools are expensive and if you leave that entirely to the private sector, access to effective learning would be limited to those who can pay. The UK has kind of turned this upside down. The national health system is involved in child assessments. This structured approach matches the child with an educational opportunity based on their specific needs.

Message to My Younger Self & Others

“The biggest mistake I made was keeping all these frustrations to myself.”

It was very important to me that I did not burden anyone by asking for special treatment and I still don’t, to this day. Looking back, I could have avoided some of my mistakes had I asked for some guidance. While there’s value in learning how to solve problems and survival instincts, learning to ask for help is an important skill.

“My first bit of advice for people who find themselves or close ones with similar challenges, is to get really comfortable talking about it.”

The more you talk about it, the more you put their mind at ease because they’ll understand who they’re interacting with. Do not be afraid to ask! If you get everybody talking about it and building awareness, whether it’s for children in school or old dogs like myself in the workplace, you’re creating the right discussions.

The Future Ahead

I will love to see us create the right working environments for people with different learning needs. People who work want to be part of an organisation, but it can be hard for some in an open workplace. Every individual struggles but I think we would all agree that some face monumental challenges and others’ challenges are more mild.

“For those with extraordinary challenges, we as a society, as a collection of employers, need to recognise that if we can be supportive, these individuals can make enormous contributions to our workplace and communities. We owe it to ourselves and to them to try and provide that support.”

It’s my hope that by the time the current generation of children joins the workforce, employers out there know they have a lot to offer as well.

Eric Robertsen