Simone Perfetto

Your time at Imperial College Business School

Why did you choose to study your programme and why specifically at Imperial College Business School?

I wanted to make my genuine interest for financial markets and my love for maths and statistics converge, and the highly quantitative focus of Risk Management and Financial Engineering programme represented the perfect fit for my aspiration. Moreover, Imperial College Business School has great connections with the most important firms in finance industry, and offers the latest and most innovative technical knowledge to strive in the financial landscape. The alumni network also provides inspiration by highlighting what previous students have gone on to achieve.

What was the most important learning point you took with you from the Business School? And the most surprising thing about the programme?

The greatest highlight of my experience was being part of the Imperial College Business School Student Investment Fund in the Statistical Arbitrage team (6 people). I had the chance to research a Statistical Arbitrage long-short pair-trading strategy on US Equities and built an end-to-end Python-based framework to back-test the strategy. Although results were not enough robust for the strategy to go live, the learning experience was massive and had a game-changing impact in job interviews.

The most surprising aspect of the programme was that everyone was very committed to achieving the best and that exchanging ideas with such brilliant minds can make great things happen.

What advice would you give to a prospective student considering studying the same programme as you?

If you have the privilege to be a student at Imperial College Business School you will meet fantastic and ambitious people from all over the world. Do not take anything for granted and make the most of this unique chance that not everyone has.

Tell us about your current job

How has your programme contributed to your career success? 

The programme allowed me to make a huge career shift towards more quantitative-oriented roles in the finance landscape. It equipped me with the technical knowledge required to strive in quant roles. It also helped with its great career service, through which I had the chance to take highly-technical mock interviews from people working in the industry.

How do you plan to use the skills and knowledge you gained during the programme within your career going forward?

I want to be an active part in the paradigm shift happening in the financial industry, where algorithmic trading is gradually taking over traditional trading, starting from the most vanilla asset class (i.e., Equity) and progressively moving to the more sophisticated ones. I believe that the technical knowledge necessary to deal with more complex financial products (e.g., credit derivatives) will be crucial to play an active role in this shift.

"I want to be an active part in the paradigm shift happening in the financial industry, where algorithmic trading is gradually taking over traditional trading."

What do you enjoy most about your current work?

My current work involves the creation of customised indices for institutional clients so that they can get some risk exposure in line with their needs. It is interesting and fun as indices cover many asset classes, so you have the chance to look at different financial products that are used as index components. Tasks are intellectually stimulating and often there is no straightforward solution to a problem. SQL and coding capabilities are an essential part of the job.

What are the most exciting/difficult challenges facing your sector currently?

From being just a niche no more than 15 years ago, the Index business is gradually growing due to increasing demand from institutional clients that want some sort of sophisticated exposure to a variety of products cooked in a single financial instrument (the index). There is an increasing complexity in the level of sophistication of Index products, and this requires more and more advanced technical capabilities to keep a sustainable growth of the Business.

What is your proudest achievement in the job so far?

I was acknowledged for my outstanding contribution by the Global Co-head of Structuring in the context of a project that aims to migrate away from the current interest-rate benchmark (LIBOR) that is used for many financial products, including indices.

Alumni community

In what way is remaining connected to your alumni network important to you?

It is a great way to keep in touch with the most brilliant minds that will shape the future of the industry. From a personal point of view, the alumni network can help you in your own career development and / or transition, even by just setting the example of what they were able to do before you.

Have you volunteered at the Business School since you graduated? If so, why do you feel it’s important to volunteer your time and experience?

I often talk with prospective students that contact me on LinkedIn, eager to learn more about my experience. I always try to find some time and give them precious advice. I really believe in the importance of giving back and supporting students, having been in their place not so long ago.