CITIC Futures Zhu Ziyue: Using Research as a Torch, Moving Forward with Innovation

Shanghai Securities News China Securities Network News (Reporter Fei Tianyuan): Clear language and logical clarity are the first impressions left by Zhu Ziyue, General Manager of the Commodity Research Department at CITIC Futures Research Institute. Beneath her youthful appearance, she is actually a seasoned veteran who has been deeply engaged in futures commodity research for many years.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2026, Zhu Ziyue was interviewed by Shanghai Securities Journal. She shared insights on industry development, research innovation, serving the real economy, and professional growth. With a “delicate perspective” and “hardcore strength,” she demonstrated the professionalism and sense of responsibility of women practitioners in the futures industry in the new era.

How to grow through cross-sector transitions and transformation?

Zhu Ziyue has been in the futures industry for over eight years. Since entering the field, she has focused on frontline research and has achieved two major crossovers in her professional domain. The first was from initially focusing on crude oil and oil products to expanding into natural gas, coal, new energy, and carbon neutrality; the second was from energy sectors to macro and commodity strategies, covering major mainstream commodities such as precious metals and copper, continuously broadening her research scope.

“On my career growth path, I have also completed two key transformations. From a solo researcher to a team leader working collaboratively; from leading a research team of seven to managing a team of 40 researchers. I have broken through conventions, stepped out of my comfort zone, and continuously advanced from researcher to research manager,” she said.

How do you view opportunities and new directions in the futures industry?

“When I first entered the industry, senior colleagues often said that futures was a blue ocean with great potential,” Zhu Ziyue said. In her view, in recent years, China’s futures market has seen steady growth in trading volume and open interest, with continuously expanding varieties and tools. By 2025, the daily margin scale across the market had exceeded 2 trillion yuan. Amid high volatility in commodity prices, futures have become a core tool for enterprise risk management, with more and more industry clients trusting and utilizing futures.

Zhu Ziyue believes that standing at the wave of industry development, futures research must explore innovation and transformation. First, it should be more “grounded,” aligning with actual enterprise needs, integrating on-exchange and off-exchange tools, and transforming research results into risk management solutions and operational decision support. Second, it should be more “international,” telling China’s futures story well, strengthening forward-looking judgment in a global perspective, and keeping pace with AI technology, energy transition, and geopolitical changes.

She introduced that in recent years, CITIC Futures Research Institute has been committed to building a first-class domestic investment research platform, establishing a top-down research framework based on fundamental logic. In addition to traditional derivative strategy research, it has continuously expanded research boundaries to cover macroeconomics, commodities, dual-carbon research, and commodity indices. The company also promotes digital transformation of investment research, gradually building a full-ecosystem research system from data to content to operations. Currently, CITIC Futures App, research mini-programs, and institutional service platforms form a three-in-one digital service matrix, becoming an important bridge for interaction with clients. Positioned during China’s futures market internationalization strategic opportunity period, the company has built a “1+N” cross-border research system to meet investment and international research needs. Meanwhile, CITIC Futures Research Institute continues to accelerate market-oriented and front-end transformation, making full use of trading consulting licenses to help enterprises improve trading decision quality and address long-term industrial transformation challenges.

What are your insights on career growth?

In Zhu Ziyue’s view, women have unique advantages in the workplace, including stronger empathy, which facilitates smoother communication; meticulous focus, which makes research more solid; and outstanding execution and responsibility, which make goals easier to achieve.

“Facing the rapid development of AI in this new era, I will always maintain curiosity and courage, innovate boldly, and face challenges head-on. In the future, I aim not only to deepen my expertise and excel in research but also to pass on experience, help more partners grow, and realize self-value through team achievements. I sincerely wish every woman in the futures industry a heart full of mountains and seas, eyes full of stars, blooming freely in their beloved careers, and not wasting their youthful years,” she said.