What is your day to day job?

I am a Portfolio Manager in the Alternative Investments team, which is a part of the ASQI Department (Alternative Investments, Structured Products, Quantitative and Indexed Management). Our Objectives are to create, launch and manage mutual funds. We have to use innovative quantitative strategies in order to answer our clients growing demand for flexibility, performance, capital protection and capital returns.

What are the main attractions of your job?

I tend to enjoy both the variety and the novelty of my job. We are always dealing with new financial markets, which keeps me interested. I work in derivative and quantitative markets amongst others. I have quite a lot of responsibility, which I like, as it increases both job satisfaction and makes the job more demanding. I am often developing new models with innovative strategies, which means that I am intellectually pushed, my work is compatible with where my talents lie.

What is your academic background and what are the qualities required for a Portfolio Manager?

I graduated from the 'Ecole Centrale de Paris' having studied Applied Mathematics. I believe there to be three principal qualities, which are required in order to be a successful Portfolio Manager. The first is to be good at synthesising information, i.e. to co-ordinate material and find or create appropriate links. The second is thoroughness. Information has to be dealt with in a comprehensive and meticulous way. The third quality is to have good reactive capabilities, being able to deal and adapt to different situations. I believe being numerate is imperative - one has to have a mathematical brain and know how to create efficient models.

How do you see your career developing?

This position has been great for acquiring excellent experience working within Asset Management and I have also learnt a great amount about financial markets. Being part of a bank the size of BNP Paribas means that I have many opportunities open to me. I may well evolve into another core business, but I would certainly hope to be given more responsibility, perhaps by taking up a position as a team leader.

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