Financial markets can seem rather overwhelming with the fast pace and entourage of jargon but Gerry somehow manages to distill this complex monster of an industry into simple diagrams and short stories making these somewhat daunting concepts manageable. His lectures teach you the basics of electronic trading, from knowing the different boards and markets to understanding SILOs and the importance of fungibility.
His lectures give a broader understanding of the financial markets as he draws on history to reinforce our understanding of how the markets have become what they are today, and brings us back to current times with lectures by existing traders from around the industry such as Barclays Capital. His special guests take us through the key skills, basic knowledge and of course, technical aspects of their current roles, leaving us with a taste of what it would be like to work in Arbitrage or Derivatives trading.
Gerry’s “get up, stand up and speak up” style can seem a little intimidating at first, especially as you’re desperately willing your brain to imprint his words firmly in your mind. The sprinkling of anecdotes and life experiences enriches the learning experience, helping you to understand the theory and application as he moves seamlessly between the two.
If you dread speaking up in front of your class, you’ll quickly learn to toughen up and that there is no harm in getting the answer wrong – as long as you learn. This interactive environment fosters learning and it’s amazing the amount of information that seeps in within such a small amount of time. The prospect of sporadic pop quizzes sprung on you really keeps you on the ball.
As a mentor, Gerry is a strong character. He encourages you to do your best and provides that initial push to get you going, while instilling the go-get attitude. However, for me, Gerry is an advocate of the ‘Plan B’. Actually it’s more like ‘Plan Z’, as he’s realistic and knows that things don’t always go to plan. Even with grit determination, there are always obstacles and pitfalls, and Gerry guides you through those darker times, offering practical advice to help pull you out of that black hole – and always in that ‘it’s simple!’ manner. When life throws you a curve ball, take a swing, you may hit a home run.
by Wing Yee – Former QM Student
Posted 14th December 2010
