For Wall Street professionals, client relationships and packed schedules shape daily life. Some younger executives have turned personal interests into ways to connect with clients and colleagues; others rely on exercise and morning routines to create distance from demanding jobs. Kate Casey, KKR’s head of infrastructure investing, and Mike Washington, a managing director at Goldman Sachs, are among those who have brought hobbies into their working lives.
Kate Casey makes mahjong a regular fixture
At a company meeting, Casey faced a choice between golf and mahjong and decided to try the Chinese tile game. The 32-year-old says it has since become one of her ways to build relationships. She enjoys the mix of strategy and luck and has become a regular player, bringing her husband into the game as well.
In finance, where work can be intense and personal time limited, social activities can also create opportunities to connect. Casey’s interest started with a meeting activity and grew into a regular pastime outside the office.
Skiing, padel and squash fit busy schedules
Diana Liu, a data center investor at Blue Owl, took up skiing as an adult. She says the skill has come in handy on work-related ski trips. The 33-year-old is also trying to learn golf, though she says it has not gone as well as she hoped. She jokes that she has already picked up one of the two activities popular among Wall Street professionals.
Mussie Tizazu, who leads collateralized loan obligation (CLO) origination and financing at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, has started playing padel and plans to build client events around the sport. Many clients have recently taken an interest in it, he says. He is still adjusting to the game, particularly working to unlearn habits picked up from squash. He does not consider himself skilled yet, but says playing is relaxed and fun.
Evercore banker Jim Tilson chose squash in part because it takes less time. He says he would play golf every day if he could, but spending hours on a course is not always practical with a one-year-old daughter at home. A game of squash can usually be finished within an hour, making it easier to fit into a busy schedule.
Tastings and gatherings bring clients and colleagues together
Mike Washington, an equity sales broker at Goldman Sachs, has spent recent years studying wine. Earlier this year, he paired a fireside conversation with a wine tasting. The 32-year-old says hobbies can make interactions more genuine for people who deal with clients every day, while allowing him to bring more of his personality to work.
Mixing work and leisure has also had an unexpected cost. Three years ago, Washington, who played basketball at Princeton, injured his shoulder during a game with a client and later had surgery. During his recovery, he turned to activities with a lower risk of injury and began playing golf.
Allie Becher, a sales trader at Citadel Securities, did not take up a new hobby for work. Instead, she brought her strengths in hosting and organizing events into the office. The 30-year-old started macro-themed dinners for portfolio managers and says that as attendees became more familiar with one another, their connections grew. She has also organized Barry’s Bootcamp classes for clients, team members and business leaders.
Running and morning workouts create space from work
Not every hobby is intended to build client relationships. Some Wall Street professionals use new routines to make time for themselves and ease the pressure of demanding work.
David Oppenheim, a 35-year-old managing director at Evercore, used to describe himself as a night owl. He now gets up early to exercise, finishing his workout before the day begins and getting an early start. He also built a gym at home so he can keep up the routine through winter. His wife, he says, jokes that he no longer has an excuse not to work out.
Cody Kiechle of Bank of America started running regularly during the pandemic and has continued to use it as a way to step away temporarily from everyday work pressures. Maya Venkatraman, a managing director at Morgan Stanley, has also been a longtime runner. She says running helps her get some distance from problems during especially busy periods, and that she often finds a way to resolve them while out running.
From mahjong and wine tastings to morning runs, Wall Street professionals make different choices about how to manage work relationships and personal time. Some activities have become part of client and team interactions; others offer a break from the pace of the job.