Meet a Quantitative Trader

Alma Mater: Brown University

Major: Applied Mathematics

Hometown: Oslo, Norway

Tell us a memorable trading experience on the desk

A short time ago, I participated in two of the largest trades I’ve ever done in very short succession. There are so many interesting nuances to handling trades like these given their complexity and the risk considerations involved. One of SIG’s founders came over to talk to me on the day we did the largest of these trades, which was exciting.

What advice would you have for students considering a career in trading?

Trading is one of the most interesting jobs imaginable with its focus on problem solving, critical thinking, and being able to take in and digest information quickly to make decisions continuously. Don’t stress if you don’t have all of the answers when you step into the interview; it’s more important to show that you can learn. Being wrong isn’t necessarily bad if you have a reason behind your answer. As a trader, you have to be willing to be wrong sometimes, figure out why you were wrong, and then think about how you can improve next time. I think that’s a really important skill.