Meet the Economics and Finance staff
The staff in the School of Economics and Finance come from both research and industry backgrounds, ensuring you get a rounded education whichever field you decide to specialise in.
Meet the staff
Interview with Alfonsina Iona, Director of Msc Banking and Finance, Investment and Finance, and Co-Director of the Msc in Accounting and Finance.
Hi Alfonsina! Can you tell us a bit about what your role involves?
As director of the Master courses in B&F, I&F and A&F I deal with everything pertaining to the design of the masters, the teaching staff involved and the recruitment of students. I am indeed also responsible of coordinating the overseas trips of our staff, me included, for recruitment.
What do you like about working here?
Our School of Economics and Finance is great: the environment is dynamic, friendly, challenging and majority of students can feel that also. For this reason many of them keep in touch with us even once completed their PG studies.
What do you do when you are not at QM?
I usually spend most of my time in Queen Mary. When I am not in QMUL, it is because I travel for research, recruitment or holdidays.
Interview with Nick Owen, the School's Postgraduate Programme Support Officer.
Hi Nick! Can you tell us a bit about what your role involves?
My role focuses on supporting the School's postgraduate study programmes, specifically the MSc programmes run collaboratively with other QM departments such as the Centre for Commercial Law, Business Management and Mathematical Science. This includes a variety of administrative work, along with recruitment, marketing and involvement in the introduction of new MSc programmes and further collaborations.
What do you like about working here?
I've really enjoyed working at QM since joining in early 2011. Staff and students alike are friendly and enthusiastic, which made settling in really easy. It's great working on a campus with easy access to a range of services like restaurants, cafes and sports facilities - you also regularly bump into people you know around campus which gives the place a nice community feel. I also like that the School's staff make an effort to interact with students outside of the academic environment, for example, the regular staff vs. student football matches, which are a lot of fun.
What do you do when you are not at QM?
I've recently begun a part-time Masters programme in the Geography department at QM, along with enjoying the course, it also puts me in a unique position of being on both sides of the student experience! When not working or studying, I like listening to music, going to live shows and festivals. I also play football regularly and enjoy going to the pub with friends.
Interview with James Kilvington, the School's Undergraduate Programme Manager
Hi James! Can you tell us a bit about what your role involves?
My post is responsible for providing professional administrative support to the School’s undergraduate programmes. I work with the academic staff to improve and develop the undergraduate programmes and learning experience. I deal with all the administrative aspects of the School's UCAS applications, and manage the work of, and act as Secretary to the School’s Teaching and Curriculum Development Committee, as well as being Examinations Secretary for the Undergraduate Subject Examination Board (so dealing with almost all the aspects of the formal assessment of students throughout there time here). I also deal with timetabling, and the allocation of students into tutorial classes.
What do you like about working here?
The cycle to work from London Bridge along the Regent's Canal. The friendly atmosphere in the admin office. The Nespresso coffee machine in the staff kitchen.
What do you do when you are not at QM?
I spend around three hours a day commuting between QM and my home in West Sussex, and when I'm there I have a dog, a cat, two rabbits and three chickens, so feeding, mucking out and walkies take up a large chunk of my free time. With two hours on a train each day, I read a lot, mainly modern literary fiction. I'm a card-carrying lifelong supporter of York City FC.
Interview with Giles Spungin, Visiting Professor and ex Queen Mary PhD student.
Q. How long have you worked in the School of Economics and Finance and what do you do here?
A. I have been teaching in the department for over 8 years. My teaching career here began when I was a PhD student. I teach two core Semester A courses - Business Finance course to our MSc Accounting and Finance and Msc (Econ) Investment and Finance students and Financial Statement Analysis course to our MSc (Econ) Banking and Finance program students.
Q. What does your work outside of the School entail?
A. I work for one of the world?s leading investment banks in the internal audit function. My role entails execution of highly quantitative audit work assessing effectiveness of the control populations in the various parts of the firm.
Q. What advantages do you think there are to be both working in the real world and teaching at an academic institution? Does one affect the other?
A. The teaching at the school gives me exposure to young, bright individuals, who constantly scrutinize their understanding of the world of finance around them. The connection between the industry and this student population is advantageous on so many different levels. As an example, it acts as a forum helping us to transfer the lessons learned by the industry from the recent financial crisis to our students ? the future generation of financial professionals and decision-makers.
Q. What are your plans for the future?
A. Due to the fast-paced and unpredictable nature of the financial industry the labour market?s requirements constantly change. I work with the school to ensure that the courses I teach are topical and the knowledge our students acquire is in high demand in the industry. I am planning to continue this close collaboration in the future.
Interview with Gerry Perez, a visiting fellow professor in the School of Economics and Finance.
How long have you worked in the School of Economics and Finance and what do you do here?
I have been a visiting fellow professor at QMUL for the last three years.
What does your work outside of the School entail?
I am the managing director of Interactive Brokers (UK) Limited a part of the Interactive Brokers Group. IBG has been in business for over 35 years. It has grown internally to become one of the largest securities firm in the world with over $4 billion in owners equity capital. It conducts proprietary and broker/dealer business on over 90 global exchanges around the world. On the agency side it provides individuals and institutions online brokerage services that allow clients to trade stocks, options, futures, ETFs, CFDs, metals, bonds and forex from one IB Universal Account. In its proprietary business, IB engages in market making for its own account in about 6,500 different electronically traded products. IBG and its affliates execute nearly 1 million trades per day.
What advantages do you think there are to be both working in the real world and teaching at an academic institution? Does one affect the other?
By working full time and lecturing part time I bring a different dimension to my lectures. That is, I bring insights to what students can expect when they graduate and compete for jobs. I believe my insights as a practitioner coupled with a students academic studies better prepare a student. Personally, the academic side helps me in my job by looking at issues in different perspectives, in order to make incisive decisions.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are many. I plan (but not limited) to do some research projects whereby I can couple my job knowledge, experience and academic worlds together. I believe in these competitive times one cannot live on their laurels, rather you need to continually reinvent yourself to stay ahead. So I never want to stop learning.
Interview with Patrick Boyle, a Visiting Professor in the School of Economics and Finance.
How long have you worked in the School of Economics and Finance and what do you do here?
I am a Visiting Professor at Queen Mary University. I teach one class a year, and this year I will be teaching the Financial Derivatives elective. I first guest lectured at the School of Economics and Finance in 2009, on the topic of Statistical Arbitrage Trading. The next year I taught a class on Behavioural Finance. Last year I was a Visiting Professor teaching the Portfolio Management elective, and also taught two Financial Derivatives lectures.
What does your work outside of the School entail?
My full time role outside the school involves working as a Portfolio Manager for a hedge fund which is part of a large Investment Bank. I trade equity and fixed income derivatives using quantitative analysis to uncover trading opportunities. I started my career in Portfolio Management working for Victor Niederhoffer, who was both a famous University Professor and Hedge Fund Manager. Working with Victor, I learned a lot about how to do high quality quantitative research, and benefited from his passion for financial markets and teaching.
What advantages do you think there are to be both working in the real world and teaching at an academic institution? Does one affect the other?
I think there are lots of benefits to combining teaching with my main role of investment management. For one thing as a teacher I have to stay very up to date with new developments in finance. I am constantly asked interesting questions by students and thus must constantly study in order to have good answers. On top of this, I think the students benefit a lot from the fact that I can use current examples to illustrate points in the classes that I teach. I notice that the students really pay attention to these points. I feel that such examples help them to understand and remember complex topics, as well as ensuring that they are up to date with important topics when they go for interviews.
What are your plans for the future?
I really enjoy both of my roles, and plan to continue on with them, hopefully improving year after year. I hope my teaching keeps me very much up to date with new developments in finance. I hope that my role in Investment Management continues to provide up to date examples so that my students graduate with strong technical knowledge combined with real world examples.
Interview with Jesse McDougall, a Visiting Professor in the School of Economics and Finance
How long have you worked in the School of Economics and Finance and what do you do here?
I am a Visiting Professor at the School of Economics and Finance, lecturing at QMUL since the 2008/2009 Academic Year on the topics of Applied Portfolio Management, Financial Derivatives and Financial Economics.
What does your work outside of the School entail?
I am a portfolio manager at a mid-sized hedge fund in the City, researching and trading quantitatively-driven systematic equity and derivatives strategies.
What advantages do you think there are to be both working in the real world and teaching at an academic institution? Does one affect the other?
I really enjoy working in the markets, however, the preparation and delivery of lectures encourages me to continuously analyse Financial theory rigorously, which helps me in my work. I also strongly believe that the financial markets perform crucial functions in society. As such, I hope to convey to new entrants in Finance the importance and benefit to society of risk-transfer mechanisms, and the inextricable link between returns and risk both in professional and personal portfolio management.
What are your plans for the future?
For the future I intend to continuously research and trade equity systematic strategies and lecture on market anomalies and financial derivatives.
Roberto is Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director of Undergraduate Studies. His research interests include Microeconomic Theory and Political Economy.
Hi Roberto, can you tell us how long you have worked in the School and whether you have noticed many changes in that time?
I joined the School of Economics and Finance in 2004. The School has changed enormously during these years. In particular, the School has succeeded in remaining a top research Institution in the UK and internationally, while massively improving the quality of teaching and the menu of postgraduate and undergraduate programmes offered. The latest NSS results are excellent.
You are Deputy Director of Undergraduate Studies, can you tell us a bit about what the role involves?
The Directors of UG studies coordinate and oversee all aspects of Undergraduate teaching, curriculum development and student support.
Can you tell us a bit about your research interests?
I am interested in all aspects of microeconomic theory, with a special emphasis on issues of social choice and welfare, and on a range of normative issues (including equality of opportunity and intergenerational justice).
You have recently been awarded the College Drapers' Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Schools Teaching Learning and Curriculum Development committee teaching prize. Congratulations, can you explain what these awards mean to you?
Obviously, it has been a pleasure to receive these prizes, both of which are fairly competitive. I am particularly happy, however, because student evaluations and reactions are key factors in determining the winners of both prizes.
What do you do when you are not at Queen Mary?
I travel, read novels and spend time with my family.