Ashish Goyal
Ashish Goyal | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mumbai, India |
| Occupation(s) | Financial expert, motivational orator, disability rights advocate |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Known for | First legally blind trader on trading floors in London and New York |
Ashish Goyal is a financial expert, motivational orator, and advocate for disability rights originating from India. He is acknowledged as the pioneering legally blind trader on trading floors in both London and New York. Throughout his career, he has occupied high-level positions at prominent firms such as J.P. Morgan, BlueCrest Capital, Citadel, and Tharo Management. Goyal has been honored with the National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and was distinguished as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
Biography
Hailing from Mumbai, India, Goyal was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, which resulted in total blindness by the age of 19. He achieved second place at the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies and earned the 2003 Dun and Bradstreet Best Student Award. Following three years as a fixed income trader at ING Vysya Bank in Bangalore, he pursued further education at Wharton starting in 2006.
As Wharton’s inaugural blind student, Goyal completed his MBA with honors in 2008. His professional journey began at J. P. Morgan’s London office where he became the first visually impaired trader globally, initially working on the proprietary trading desk before moving to their CIO office. Later, he took on portfolio management roles with hedge funds including BlueCrest Capital, Citadel Investment Group, and Tharo Management.
In 2010, Goyal was awarded the National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. Five years later, in 2015, he was recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. As a motivational speaker, he has delivered presentations at prestigious platforms such as the London Stock Exchange, the World Economic Forum in Davos, and the Sohn Charity Conference.
Goyal actively supports philanthropic efforts aimed at providing education to disadvantaged children in India, promoting blindness research, and fostering global peace. He has held roles as trustee and advisor for multiple international non-profit organizations and champions theatre and arts initiatives.
After moving to London, Goyal participated in blind cricket representing Metro London Sports Club in 2009, helping secure their win in the UK domestic blind cricket championship.