INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT: FUNCTIONS
TRADING BY: MAHA KHAN PHILLIPS • PROFILES BY: STUART NEWMAN
W
hen Hollywood wants to
make a movie about
“For some time now, for best execution
fi nance, it usually fi lms
people in brightly coloured jackets
reasons, when a fund manager decides
acting hysterical on a trading fl oor,
making strange gestures with their
hands, and shouting down phones. Th e
he wants to make a trade, he will do it
reality is that, aside from a few
exceptions, actual physical trading
through a centralised trading team. It’s a
fl oors are all but extinct in the fi nancial
world. And they wouldn’t apply to asset
management anyway.
time consuming thing to get the best
“For some time now, for best
execution reasons, when a fund manager
decides he wants to make a trade, he will
prices, and to develop the right
do it through a centralised trading team.
It’s a time consuming thing to get the
connections with market movers”
best prices, and to develop the right
Kim Yates, Principal Search
NICOLAS BADER
Title: Equity Trader
Are there certain skills you would consider useful for
Current employer:
your job?
Government of Singapore Investment
Corporation
Adaptability is the most important skill: you must react
Previous employers: NATIXIS
quickly and often change your views. You need to have
University:
conviction and instincts and you must optimise every ticket
ESCP-EAP European Business School;
and have a reason for deciding how to trade it. You must
ENSAM work well under pressure and be willing to recognise your
Degrees: ignorance and fi ll knowledge gaps quickly and effi ciently.
Specialised Masters in Finance; Masters
in General Engineering
How do you think the role you’re in now will change over
Professional qualifi cations:
CFA Level I candidate
time?
In the long term, it is more about responsibilities, seniority
and experience. A career move for a buy-side trader can be
What attracted you to this career path? towards a sales position or portfolio managing.
A general interest in stock markets and a natural ability to deal
with numbers and solve problems. I was also attracted by the Do you have advice for someone intending to pursue the
excitement and permanent evolution of my work. same career path?
The fi rst question to answer is whether you want to manage
What are the major challenges you face in your position? assets or focus more on the execution and optimisation of a
I would say managing risks, constantly trying to deliver the best trade. If you want to execute orders, optimise trade
execution, coping with the pressure of performance and, most of strategies and be in the middle of the action, trading is the
all, always investigating to learn more. right position.
WWW.CFAUK.ORG CAREERS GUIDE 2009 45
330-55 investman_functions.indd 450-55 investman_functions.indd 45 222/11/08 11:59:352/11/08 11:59:35
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