From The Moneyverse to BIDV, the “heart of capital flows”: A new beginning for champion Doan Quoc Duy

Leaving the academic arena to step into the “heart” of coordinating billions of dollars in capital flows, the Season 1 Champion opens up about the pressures of real-world work, lessons learned from mistakes, and the mindset of a young person ready to learn from scratch.

BIDV provides a real-world environment to transform academic knowledge into genuine professional competence

The Moneyverse once promised “a prestigious career at leading financial institutions.” How did you feel when that promise officially became a reality with the signing of your employment contract at BIDV’s Capital and Currency Trading Division on September 1?

It felt like a promise had become a tangible milestone.

When I joined The Moneyverse, I always viewed career opportunities as the ultimate goal, but it wasn’t until September 1—when I signed the contract at BIDV’s Capital and Currency Trading Division—that I truly felt the significance of that milestone. I’m happy that the nearly one-year journey since the first round of the competition has finally led to a real opportunity. I’m grateful because this isn’t a random reward—it’s the result of my proactive efforts to learn, test my limits, and take responsibility for every decision throughout the competition.

The Moneyverse provided me with a foundation in cash flow thinking, and BIDV offers me a hands-on environment to turn that foundation into real professional competence. Nevertheless, I know there is still much for me to learn, so I view becoming a part of BIDV as a commitment to myself.

Within the banking system, the Capital and Currency Trading Department is often likened to the “heart” of capital flows, with a job that demands high expertise, sharp intuition, and iron discipline. What motivated a VinUni champion to choose precisely this department as the starting point for their career?

I chose it for three reasons, all of which stem from the same desire: to be able to work in my field right from day one.

First, the Capital and Currency Trading Department is where the financial markets are most directly present because there are no intermediaries and no delays. Every fluctuation in interest rates, exchange rates, and liquidity is immediately reflected in our daily work. For me, this is the fastest way to gain exposure to and better understand the market.

Second, this department demands a high level of discipline and near-perfect precision, as a single wrong trading decision can have immediate consequences. I believe that starting my career in such a demanding environment will instill in me the habits of working carefully and responsibly right from the very beginning.

Third, Treasury acts as the lifeblood that coordinates the bank’s capital. Understanding how this department operates also means understanding how a large financial institution manages risk and optimizes resources on a macro level. For me, this is the foundation I want to build before delving into any other specialized field.

BIDV continues to innovate despite its leading position

What left a lasting impression or directly influenced your decision to choose BIDV as the place to start your career?

First and foremost is BIDV’s rich history: 69 years of building and growing, making it the longest-standing financial institution in Vietnam with the largest total assets. But what impressed me even more than its scale was how BIDV continues to innovate despite its leading position—from digital transformation to programs for developing young talent like The Moneyverse. A large organization that still maintains a forward-thinking spirit is, to me, an environment worth committing to for the long term.

Second, and perhaps the most personal factor: my connection with BIDV began with The Moneyverse itself. From being one of the lucky contestants supported by BIDV during the competition, I’ve become a colleague working alongside BIDV. I want to learn and gradually prove my worth through actual performance, not just by the title of champion.

At The Moneyverse, you excelled at mastering the five “planets”: Earning – Spending – Saving – Investing – Preserving. As you enter the professional environment of the Capital and Currency Trading Division, how do you plan to apply the mindset gained from these five planets to the practical management and trading of capital?

At The Moneyverse, these five pillars taught me to view a financial decision not just in terms of how much to earn, what constitutes reasonable spending, what to save for the future, where to invest for returns, and how to safeguard against risk. In capital management, that logic still holds true—it’s just a matter of scale and speed. A trading decision isn’t just about immediate profits; it must be weighed against the balance between profitability and an acceptable level of risk, as well as between short-term gains and long-term liquidity security.

But I’m also keenly aware of the gap between a competition and real-world trading. That’s why, in the early stages, I adopt the mindset of a learner and always prioritize observing how more experienced traders read the market, make decisions under time pressure, and take responsibility for those choices.

True resilience lies not in never making mistakes, but in maintaining composure

Beating out more than 25,000 students to win the Black Hole competition was a major challenge, but the real-world foreign exchange market—which fluctuates by the second—is far more brutal. How will the composure and courage honed through each stage of the competition help you prepare mentally for the pressures of a new job?

Through the competition, I learned something more important than winning. That is, resilience doesn’t lie in never making mistakes, but in how you stay calm to handle and take responsibility for those mistakes.

Having made it to the Black Hole round after outcompeting many other contestants, there were times when I made the wrong decisions, faced time pressure, and had to accept risks when information was incomplete—and that is precisely the nature of the market. But I understand that the real foreign exchange market is far more brutal, fluctuating by the second; the consequences are no longer just scores but real numbers, and the responsibility no longer lies with the individual but with the entire organization.

That’s why I didn’t approach this new role with the mindset that I was fully prepared for every situation—because I don’t believe anyone can ever be completely ready for a market that’s constantly changing. What I do is prepare thoroughly before every decision, stay level-headed when pressure mounts, and most importantly, maintain a mindset of proactive learning rather than trying to prove myself.

What expectations and goals do you hope to achieve while working at BIDV’s Capital and Currency Trading Division?

I want to gain a deep understanding of how the capital and currency markets actually operate, how a leading financial institution like BIDV manages and trades capital, and how business decisions are formed—not just in theory but in specific situations. I believe this foundation will determine how far I can go in the future.

In the long term, I hope to become a professional with sufficient expertise, competence, and a strong sense of responsibility—not only to advance my personal career but also to contribute more to BIDV on its journey to becoming a leading financial institution in the region.

Thank you, Duy, for your candid insights. I hope you’ll gain valuable experience and knowledge while working at BIDV!

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