Conor Twomey - Financial Engineer, First Derivatives
Completing the MSc. Computational Finance provided me with the skill set and knowledge necessary to confidently enter the employment market. The learning-by-doing nature of the course was a very important feature that helped me make a successful transition from academia into the working world. The course work was kept relevant and the material was continually updated to reflect the fast-changing dynamics of the financial market. The cutting edge facilities at the Kemmy Business School allowed us to perform real-time trading and risk analysis. This provided us with both an in-depth understanding of financial products and an up-to-date knowledge of financial "best practices", skills that I utilize to this day. I am currently working for First Derivatives as a Financial Engineer. My role has given me the opportunity to work on projects abroad (London, Tokyo, New York) and at home in the area of financial technology across some of the world's leading financial institutions.
Greg Kiely - Quantitative Analyst, Lacima Group
In my current role as a Quantitative Analyst www.lacimagroup.com I am responsible for developing computational methods for energy derivative pricing, risk analysis, and numerical modelling and also providing quantitative support to our clients. The position requires a strong knowledge of financial asset pricing theory, statistical analysis, numerical analysis and even more importantly the technical skills to implement this knowledge. The course provided me with the perfect skill set to perform in this type of role and also the strong focus on the practical implementation of the theory allowed me to more quickly adapt to the role and contribute effectively from the outset.
Cormac O'Shaughnessy - Quantitative Risk Analyst, AIB Financial Risk :
I completed the MSc CF programme in 2009/2010 and found it a very interesting, challenging and well delivered program. It has provided me with advanced analytical and computational finance skills which have facilitated a career change where I now work as a market risk quantitative analyst. Of particular appeal to my employers was the detailed project work which was carried out in a simulated 'live' trading environment in the KBS trading floor. This project work has equipped me with a practitioner-orientated knowledge of computational methods used in market risk measurement such as principal components analysis and has proved extremely useful in my current role.
EMPLOYER TESTIMONIALS
First Derivatives
First Derivatives is a leading provider of products and consulting services to the capital markets industry. The distinct competitive advantage of the firm derives from its unique combination of knowledge of financial markets and expertise in financial services technologies. The graduates that we have employed from the MSc Computational Finance class have been very well prepared to join the team at First Derivatives and we are observing an ever-growing MSc CF alumni within the firm. The graduates arrive with many of the quantitative tools and the base of financial knowledge needed both to integrate quickly into projects within the firm and to be deployed on-site with clients. Many of the alumni have successfully accelerated through our graduate program, the Capital Markets Training Program or CMTP's for short, leveraging many of the hard and soft skills that they acquired during their masters year. The continuous high standards of the MSc Computational Finance alumni are a testament to the rigorous and intensive 12 month masters course provided by the University of Limerick.
