Hedge fund director Nissim Tse says timing is everything – in business and in the boxing ring

Nissim Tse is unlike any other hedge-fund director. Not many 56-year-olds would consider stepping into a boxing ring with a twentysomething boxing professional and be able to hold their own – even if doing so was for a charity event.

His secret? “Timing beats speed,” he says. He has the patience to wait for the perfect moment in stressful situations. As long as he had the timing right, when up against his younger opponent, the advantage would be his. “You don’t realise how tough it is mentally for a boxer in the ring.”

Tse finds that boxing isn’t unlike his work. “All my life I have to deal with stress and my clients want to chew my head off all the time,” he says. Boxing, karate, golf and cooking all help him focus and unwind.

At Sofaer Global Research, life is round-the-clock for Tse. “Working on a global scale, someone is always awake. When we approach the end of our day, Europe is up.” Jokingly, he says: “I used to sleep a lot less.”

“There is always something that goes on that may affect your decisions. One important lesson in life is to screen out unnecessary stuff, because you can easily be overwhelmed with information, especially in the digital age.”