Nicholas shares how his experience in the School of Business and Management taught him the value of good governance and sustainable investing, and shares how he applies these values in his career as a Responsible Investment Analyst at Quilter Cheviot Ltd.
Why did you choose to study International Financial Management at Queen Mary?
After finishing my bachelor's degree, I knew I was passionate about financial services; I was fascinated by the financial markets, and I used to keep up to date with them by reading The Financial Times and The Economist regularly. To get a job within the industry, I needed to give myself a competitive advantage, so I thought going to a Russell Group institution and studying International Finance near the city would give me that advantage.
What aspects of your master's degree and experience at Queen Mary’s School of Business and Management did you enjoy most?
I really enjoyed the opportunity I was given to travel to Silicon Valley for a week with a friend, where we had the opportunity to visit different businesses and meet with some of the best minds in the world.
What I really enjoyed on the course was the fact that I was being taught by professionals who had experienced what they were talking about, and I liked how the course was really tailored to the career that I am in now. There was strong emphasis on things like international finance modules and public finance modules, which are all relevant to the sort of things I now look at within the investment space.
What were some of the most crucial things you learned in your degree that you have taken with you into your career?
I would say good governance – that is something I learned from modules such as Public Finance, where we looked at case studies on the impact good governance can have on society, on the economy, and on a company. This is something I have taken into my career where I have been able to apply that skill set to researching and identifying companies with strong financials, but that are also backed with good governance.
Secondly, the general foundation we were given in financial markets and looking at company balance sheets; these are things that apply within the workspace.
Can you describe your career path to date and what you do now?
Once I completed my masters, I did a placement year at a French bank called BNP Paribas. The placement was a rotational programme, so my first placement was in high-yield fixed income, my second placement was in a hedge fund, and my final placement was in marketing. Because my second placement had a strong focus on sustainable investing, that is what informed my decision to pursue a long-term career within the responsible investment space. I then applied for a position within the investment management team at Quilter Cheviot, which is where I work today.
Outside of work I am also an ambassador for the Investment 2020 programme, which is trying to make the investment industry more diverse and inclusive. As an ambassador, I have had the opportunity to visit different schools and talk to people who look like myself about the industry and how they can get into it. I also recently attended an annual event by the Investment Association, which is the trade body for my industry, and I was given the opportunity to speak as a representative of the next generation of talent in the industry.
You are passionate about sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues. What did you learn about these issues during your degree and how have you applied your learning in your career so far?
There are several things I learned from my degree. The first is what I mentioned about public finance - looking at case studies on the private equity subsector within financial services and how good and bad governance can impact the performance of the company.
In my International Finance module, we looked at developing and developed economies and wrote macro analysis on how two different companies were performing. That experience taught me a lot about good governance again and that is something that provided me with the foundation for what I am doing now.
Even the extracurricular activities, from insight days I attended or when I had the opportunity to visit San Francisco as I mentioned, allowed me to speak to different people who were passionate about the sustainability of a business and why it is important to have a positive impact on the environment.
Finally, at the time, The Financial Times launched ‘Moral Money,’ which is a section focused on ESG, and The Economist launched ‘Economist Impact’ - both of which supplemented my degree and provided me with additional knowledge that I could take with me into my career.
What motivates you in your work?
I am motivated by feeling like I am having a positive impact. Within the financial service industry, and especially within the asset management and investment management space, we're given the opportunity to manage large sums of money and with money you can make great impact; so being in a position where I work in a responsible investment team, where we can conduct responsible investment analysis, it just goes to show how I can use the wealth of our clients to have a positive impact on the economy by putting capital in places which are having a positive impact on the environment.
What is the most exciting thing about what you do?
Speaking to people in very senior positions - which is a core part of my job because I engage with our investee companies – gives me access to some of the best minds in the country, which is an aspect of my job that I find interesting.
I would also say the fact that I work in a very topical area makes what I do feel relevant. Any news I read, there is always some sort of topic about ESG; whether it is a criticism or some sort of support; for example, if you look in the US, you get the backlash from Republicans who are very against ESG because they see it as “woke investing,” so all these things make my work interesting.
Why do you think others should study MSc International Financial Management?
International Financial Management is a great degree to study for someone who wants to work in financial services because it provides you with a broad skill set. Having a foundational knowledge of financial markets, and being able to understand a company's balance sheet, these are invaluable and important when working as an analyst within the industry.
The beauty of the course is not necessarily just what is taught within your lectures, it is also the wider reading you do that is connected to the modules, which really compliments your knowledge. All the other extracurricular activities – the societies, the events that the School of Business and Management puts on – all these things really contribute to helping you have a successful career in Financial Services.